Fish To Eat And Fish To Avoid

Everyone knows fish is good for you. It's low in saturated fat,and it makes you smart. So it's no wonder consumers are confusedby headlines warning fish eaters of impending doom. In late 2002, a San Francisco Chronicle headline warned thateating fish can be risky because of the high content of mercuryin some deep-water fish. A physician in Northern California haddiscovered that wealthy individuals eating expensive fish, suchas swordfish and tuna, were putting themselves at risk formercury poisoning -- even as they were trying to eat healthy. In one case, a woman suffered hair loss and high levels ofmercury in her blood. That spurred Dr. Jane M. Hightower, anexpert of internal medicine at San Francisco's CaliforniaPacific Medical Center, to fish around for answers. Hightower studied her own patients, who were affluent and ateplenty of gourmet fish -- swordfish, sea bass, halibut and ahituna. She found that patients who often ate these fish or wereexperiencing symptoms of mercury exposure (fatigue, headache,joint pain, and reduced memory and concentration) hadunacceptable levels of mercury in their blood. Hightower retested these patients after they abstained from thesuspect fish for six months. The high levels of mercurydisappeared. Not surprising, the FDA has issued warnings abouthigh levels of mercury for some of these fish. Fish remains tasty - and healthy Fish is naturally low in cholesterol and has been the protein ofchoice for cardiologists and weight-conscious Americans. It is afantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shownto lower the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol anddecreasing the stickiness of blood platelets. This means omega-3fats can lower the risk for stroke. Studies have shown conclusively that men and women who eat adiet rich in fatty fish -- salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchoviesand tuna -- are less likely to suffer heart disease and stroke.One study published in the journal Circulation (American HeartAssociation) showed that eating fish regularly reduced the riskof heart disease in diabetic women as much as 64 percent. Researchers at Chicago's Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's MedicalCenter found that older people who eat fish at least once a weekmay cut their risk of Alzheimer's disease by more than half. It's not necessary to eat fish every day to reap the benefits.According to a study in The Journal of the American MedicalAssociation, men who ate about three to five ounces of fish oneto three times a month were 43 percent less likely to have astroke during 12 years of follow-up. Men who ate fish more oftendid not reduce their risk any further.