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Body and Being
NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR HEALTH AND BODY CARE

Monthly articles are supplied by guest writers who explore natural solutions to health and well-being issues.

Fish and your health

by Stephanie Gailing, MS

(February 2005) — The healthful benefits of eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids have been well documented. Fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are rich in the omega-3 fatty acids, eicospaentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are necessary for optimal health, maintaining cellular structure and producing energy.

A majority of the brain is considered to be composed of fat, and as such, omega-3 rich fish have long been thought of as “brain food.” Medical research also indicates that fish oils rich in EPA and DHA have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and rheumatic conditions and may support health in numerous other ways owing to their ability to promote optimal inflammatory balance. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to enhance brain and vision development in children.

However, these same fish have also been the subject of concern over contamination from environmental toxins and heavy metals including PCBs, lead and mercury. According to the results of several studies focusing on men throughout Europe and Israel, the cardiovascular benefits of eating fish may be negated by the high mercury content found in some fish.

Due to concerns over mercury levels, in 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised pregnant women, women of childbearing age, nursing mothers and young children to avoid consumption of certain fish such as king mackerel, shark, swordfish and tilefish, and to limit consumption of other fish to 12 ounces per week. Additionally, in 2004, the FDA added to this recommendation, advising these individuals to consume no more than six ounces of canned albacore tuna per week.

Yet, the American Heart Association’s recommendation for omega-fatty acid intake notes that individuals without CVD should strive to eat fatty fish two times per week while those with CVD should consume one gram of EPA/DHA daily, and those who need to reduce triglycerides should consume even more.

If you want to enjoy the health benefits of fish but wish to limit concerns over mercury and other contaminants, fish oil supplements that have been purified to remove contaminants would be a wise alternative since they are a great source of combined EPA and DHA.

When selecting a fish oil supplement, remember that “pharmaceutical-grade” is actually a misleading term. There is no set of standards — or monograph — for fish oil supplements. These official monographs are set by the U.S. Pharmacopoeia Convention to provide standards for the active ingredients in drugs, biologics and dietary supplements defining their “strength, quality and purity” for human use. Currently, the Council for Responsible Nutrition has established voluntary monographs for acceptable levels of fatty acid levels and purity for fish oil supplements.

Instead, look for fish oil that states on the label that it has been third-party tested and found to have below detectable levels of mercury, PCBs and other heavy metals. Small, sustainable fish such as Pacific mackerel, anchovies and sardines are low on the food chain so they are more abundant and do not absorb as many environmental pollutants as large predatory fish.

In addition, many fish oil supplements featured in the scientific literature contain 18 percent EPA and 12 percent DHA. Therefore, consumers should also look for the percentage of EPA and DHA as well as the type of fish used on the labels of fish oil supplements.

Stephanie Gailing, MS, is a natural healthcare education consultant, who received her master’s degree in nutrition at Bastyr University, where she served as adjunct faculty.

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