The health benefits of eating fish twice a week outweigh the risks, but children and women of childbearing age should not eat certain types that are highly contaminated, according to a report released Tuesday by a national panel of scientists.
Seafood is rich in nutrients that help protect against heart disease, and most Americans do not eat enough, the scientists reported. It is high in protein; lower in saturated fats and cholesterol than most beef, pork and poultry; and contains more of the "good fats," the omega-3 fatty acids that seem to protect the heart.
"The high nutritional quality of seafood makes it an important component of a healthy diet," according to the committee of the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academies.
Adults and children should eat two 3-ounce servings a week, and if they consume more, they should vary the types to avoid exposure to a lot of contaminants from a single source, the committee reported.
The scientists included caveats for children younger than 13 and for women who are or may become pregnant or who are nursing. They should eat the two weekly servings but "should avoid large, predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, tilefish or king mackerel" because they contain high levels of mercury, which may alter a child's brain development. They also should limit albacore or white tuna to 6 ounces a week.
People at risk of heart disease should also eat fish twice a week, and there "may be additional benefits" if they include fish with high omega-3 content, such as salmon.
The scientists, assigned the task of balancing the benefits of seafood with the dangers posed by contaminants, echoed the 2004 guidelines of the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. But they said the message to American consumers had been fragmented and confusing, and they advised the agencies to develop new tools for informing the public.
"As consumption of seafood rises, there has been increasing concern about the potential risks" because of chemicals, heavy metals and infectious microbes in oceans and inland waters, said committee Chairman Malden Nesheim, Cornell University provost emeritus and professor emeritus of nutrition. "Consumers are therefore confronted with a dilemma. We are told that seafood is good for us and that we should be eating more of it," yet various agencies are advising caution, he said.
"Consumers need better guidance on making seafood choices," Nesheim said.
