Nutrition

February 11, 2014 — A U.S. advocacy group recently released a report accusing the government of not doing a good enough job at easing consumer confusion about eating seafood. While they have a point, the bigger issue is that the government needs to do a better job of promoting overall seafood consumption.

The Environmental Working Group report stated you can’t tell people to double or triple their consumption without clear information about what to eat. The group warns that people who follow the federal government’s advice could consume too much methylmercury or too few omega-3 fatty acids.

EWG’s approach seems like an all-too-familiar scare tactic that will actually result in people eating less seafood, not more.

Time and time again the seafood industry has said the methylmercury risk from seafood consumption is not a health concern — except for pregnant women and nursing mothers, and those guidelines are generally well-known.

An Environmental Protection Agency peer-reviewed study in November of last year showed that methylmercury levels in women have dropped significantly. The study found the percentage of women of childbearing age with blood mercury above “the level of concern” plummeted 65 percent from 2001 to 2010.

A study done by the University of Bristol in September 2013 showed that women should consider eating more fish during pregnancy as fears over methylmercury levels may be unfounded. The research suggests fish accounts for just 7 percent of methylmercury levels in the human body, with all food and drink totaling less than 17 percent.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource.com

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Medi-Lexicon] – February 10, 2014 — A chemical that can accumulate in seafood and is known to cause brain damage is also toxic to the kidneys, but at much lower concentrations. The findings, which come from a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), suggest that officials may need to reconsider what levels of the toxin are safe for human consumption.

The world's oceans contain algae that produce certain chemicals that can be harmful to humans and other living creatures. Many of these chemicals are considered neurotoxins because they cause damage to the brain. The neurotoxin domoic acid, also called "Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning," is a very stable, heat resistant toxin that is becoming more prominent in coastal regions, likely due to environmental changes. It can accumulate in mussels, clams, scallops, and fish, and the FDA has set a legal limit of domoic acid in seafood based primarily on its adverse neurological effects.

Because domoic acid is cleared from the body by the kidneys, P. Darwin Bell, PhD, Jason Funk, PhD (Medical University of South Carolina), and their colleagues looked to see if the toxin might also have detrimental effects on these organs. By giving mice varying doses of domoic acid and  the assessing animals' kidney health, the team found that the kidney is much more sensitive to this toxin than the brain.

"We have found that domoic acid damages kidneys at concentrations that are 100 times lower than what causes neurological effects," said Dr. Bell. "This means that humans who consume seafood may be at an increased risk of kidney damage possibly leading to kidney failure and dialysis."

While the findings need to be verified in humans, the researchers would like to see increased awareness and monitoring of domoic acid levels in all seafood. They say that the FDA may also need to reconsider the legal limit of domoic acid in food due to its kidney toxicity.

This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

January 15, 2014 — The Maine shrimp season is just a fond memory this year. With the 2014 season closed because of a stock collapse, there will be no shrimp chowders to warm your belly. No decadent, creamy shrimp risottos. No sweet, delicate shrimp to toss into your favorite pasta dish.

Well, almost.

With so many people pining for the tiny crustaceans, I thought it would be interesting to see if there are still any frozen shrimp out there from the 2013 season for consumers to snap up before they’re gone for good. I also checked in with some Maine restaurants to see what they will be offering on their menus as an alternative to Maine shrimp.

A round of calls and emails to Maine fish markets and grocery stores confirmed that there’s hardly any Maine shrimp left out there in the consumer pipeline, except for Hannaford grocery stores.

“In terms of frozen shrimp from last year, we do have a limited supply in some stores,” said Hannaford spokesman Eric Blom.

Tom Keegan, who handles shrimp and lobster sales for Cozy Harbor Seafood on Portland’s Union Wharf, said the Hannaford shrimp are cooked, peeled Cozy Harbor Maine shrimp found in 9-ounce packages in the frozen seafood case.

“They do have some product in most of the stores now, I believe,” Keegan said. “I’m not sure how long it will last. We really don’t have anything to follow it up with.”

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

January 14, 2014 — Eating more seafood can be a key to a healthful diet. But it also can seem easier said than done. The hurdles? The people you cook for, and with, might not like fish. You might not know how to cook it. The cost can be daunting, and environmental questions can be confusing. Thankfully, each obstacle can be overcome.

• For the fish-phobic: Start with mild, white-fleshed fish, such as tilapia, cod and sole. Avoid the oily choices with darker flesh, such as mackerel and bluefish. Dark-fleshed fish have more healthful omega-3 fatty acids, but they’re an acquired taste. Mild fish, meanwhile, can take on the flavor of whatever spices, seasonings and sauces you desire, and they absorb marinades in minutes.

• For the novice: Overcooking can render a delicate fillet tough and unappealingly fishy, and it can happen in a flash because fish cooks so quickly – but that’s also one of its best qualities. Your job is to keep an eye on it. Quickly pan-fry thin fillets, browning them on each side until just opaque. Finish larger, thicker pieces in the oven or on the stove top in a vibrant broth or stew.

Read the full story at The Buffalo News  

 

 

January 8, 2014 — Seafood, particularly omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish, has been linked to not only reduced cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, but also improved brain functioning, stroke prevention and lowered risk of breast cancer, among other medical findings.

Yet for six straight years (2007 to 2012) the average U.S. consumer enjoyed less of the sea’s bounty than the year before. Per-capita seafood consumption, a key figure in determining the market’s strength, fell to 14.4 pounds in 2012, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries).

Will seafood ever be a contender? Its record in the protein battle is not terribly impressive, particularly at retail, where only a third of U.S. seafood is purchased. And the knockouts are mounting up: Seafood consumption in the United States — the world’s third-largest seafood market after China and Japan, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization — keeps falling despite Americans dishing out more dollars overall for fish and the prevailing wisdom (backed by overwhelming scientific evidence) that says seafood is the heart-healthy choice.

Read the full story at Seafood Source 

 

 

January 9, 2014 — The rampant mislabeling of fish that consumers buy can be largely traced to this: the lack of anything like the regulations imposed on meat suppliers

Fish misidentification is especially common at sushi restaurants, partly because they use various names for the same fish. The confusion can be compounded by packaging labels written in other languages that are incorrectly translated into English.

A Globe investigation detailed yesterday found that mislabeling of certain fish is endemic in the Boston area. DNA testing showed that 32 area restaurants that serve sushi – including Takara Sushi in Newton, Basho Japanese Brasserie in Boston, and Kowloon in Saugus – sold misnamed fish. For instance, tilapia stood in for red snapper, and farmed hybrid bass was identified as wild striped bass.

Overall, the testing revealed that nearly half of 183 fish samples collected at restaurants and supermarkets were not the species ordered.

Massachusetts has long played a major role in the nation’s seafood industry, with both fresh catches and frozen fish being sent here to get processed. Last year, about $673 million worth of seafood was processed in Massachusetts, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service, enough to rank the state fourth in the nation. (Alaska tops the list.)

The Globe investigation found that the majority of the restaurants selling mislabeled fish get their products from a handful of distributors, including True World Foods and Goldwell Trading, which operate Boston warehouses. Some suppliers implicitly or overtly encourage seafood misrepresentation, according to restaurateurs and their employees.

Restaurant invoices and product catalogs that were provided to the Globe show that suppliers often use two names for one species of fish. For example, Goldwell Trading, which delivers sushi to about 150 restaurants in Massachusetts, describes the same fish as white tuna and escolar on its invoices. The catalog of True World, a large supplier that says it delivers to high-profile clients such as the Red Sox clubhouse at Fenway Park, lists it the same way.

Read the full story and watch the video at The Boston Globe 

December 31, 2013 — We all strive to live a healthy lifestyle, but our existence is so often dictated by extremely busy agendas. The American way of life frequently means skipping exercise, choosing the easier and often less healthy meal options and forgetting vitamins and supplements. The rising use of research and technology has given us a better insight on new, better and easier ways to take care of our bodies. New studies have focused on determining what Americans can easily include in their daily diets to improve wellbeing and prevent disease. In the last month, a study has come out explaining how a low-fat diet with fish oil supplements can slow down and even halt the progression of prostate cancer.  This leads us to believe that a diet rich in seafood would work to reduce our risk for the cancer in the first place.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over half a million lives every year. It is only a mere hair behind heart disease, and scientists have predicted that the number of worldwide cancer cases is set to increase 75% by 2030. For the 238,000 men in the United States who are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, there is reason to rejoice. By eating delicious seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids and having a good balance with omega-6 fatty acids, it has been shown that we can fight and even prevent certain types of cancer.

A fish rich diet fights cancer

The newest study out of UCLA Department of Urology has given men hope that they can lower their risk for this cancer. Researchers found that the pro-inflammatory compounds associated with cancer are reduced in the body during a low-fat diet supplemented with just five grams of fish oil per day. This diet also facilitated a lower cell cycle progression (CCP) score, which means that already-existing cancer could be prevented from becoming aggressive.

An important link in the study was the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Two groups were assigned: a “Western” diet group which had a 15:1 ratio of omega-6:omega-3 and 40% of their calories came from fat; then there was a low fat group that had a ratio of 2:1 and took fish oil supplements containing EPA and DHA. The fish oil group showed a decrease in prostate tissue of both benign and malignant stages and decreased growth of cancer tissue.

Read the full story at Pucci Foods 

 

January 6, 2013 — All things considered, 2013 was not the best year for fish news. We learned all about the dangers of contaminated fish sources and, just in December, a large-scale study published in The Journal of Nutrition found some evidence to contradict the commonly held belief that a fish-rich diet improved cognitive function in old age.

But, looking forward, the news gets better: In its first issue of 2014, the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics released a new position on fat intake, promoting fatty fish as the go-to source for polyunsaturated fatty acids:

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that dietary fat for the healthy adult population should provide 20 percent to 35 percent of energy, with an increased consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and limited intake of saturated and trans fats.

Two "long-chain" omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are not made by the human body, meaning we need to eat them from a dietary source. Many people get omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources like flax seeds and walnuts, though this type of "good" fat — alpha-linolenic acid — only partially converts to EPA and DHA in the body and doesn't have the same amount of research behind it that omega-3s derived from fish do. Here are nine reasons to eat fish for your health:

Save your eyesight

In a large-scale study of French subjects, researchers found that eating a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids was strongly correlated with a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, a degenerative condition in which the central retina becomes damaged. It is the most common cause of lost eyesight in elderly populations.

Cut your risk of a deadly heart attack

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among U.S. adults, but eating a diet rich in fatty fish may help reduce your risk of dying from the disease.

In a meta-analysis of several observational and controlled studies, Harvard School of Public Health professors Dariush Mozaffarian and Eric Rimm discovered that eating fatty fish once or twice a week, for a total omega-3 fatty acid intake of 2 grams, reduced a person's risk of cardiac death by 36 percent and of death from any cause by 17 percent.

Although fish stocks are often polluted with small amounts of toxicants, including mercury, PCBs and dioxins, the American Heart Association states that the potential danger is outweighed by the benefit of fish's nutrient density. They aren't just making that up: A 2011 study, also performed by Mozaffarian, found that among a cohort of 173,000 men and women, those who consumed a great deal of fish and also had the highest concentrations of mercury (as measured by toenail clippings) still had a 15 percent lower risk of heart disease compared with those who had the lowest concentrations — indicating a diet low in seafood.

Read the full story at the Huffington Post

 

November 7, 2013 — Every day, millions of Americans take supplements to get the vitamins and nutrients their bodies need to stay healthy. Like many others, you might take a daily fish oil supplement to get the benefits of omega-3 essential fatty acids that can be difficult to obtain through food sources alone.

Thousands of studies show numerous positives of omega-3s, including benefits to the health of the heart, joints, brain, eyes, prostate and women's reproductive systems. But a recent report is raising concerns for some people about possible negative consequences of fish oil.

Should one report cause you to change your daily routine? Experts agree no one should make health changes based on the results of a single study. A body of consistent evidence is required to draw a conclusion on any substance's impact on long-term health – the very reason the FDA requires drug companies to conduct multiple trails before considering approving new drugs. Adopting a similar mindset when reading about studies that affect your health can help cut through the clutter and ease concerns.

Read the full story at The Daily Home

November 19, 2013 — Health officials say Fukushima radiation doesn’t pose a public health threat in the United States.

Andy Norris keeps putting it off. But he plans to stop eating his twice-a-week tuna sandwich. He’s worried about the traces of radioactive particles from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster detected in local albacore.

Norris is a 42-year-old documentary filmmaker with graying hair tied back in a ponytail. The Manzanita resident already eliminated local seaweed from his diet after reading about radiation found in California kelp post-Fukushima. He’s raised $750 in pledges for a community Geiger counter to share between Tillamook and Clatsop counties so residents can test fish and tsunami debris.

He’s not Chicken Little, he said. He just wants his diet to be safe.

“We’re not going to grow three legs,” he said. “But we could get sicker and have a gradual loss of vitality. That’s my concern.”

Along the Oregon coast, while reservations like Norris’ aren’t unheard of, they aren’t common, either. A pocket of doubt persists despite reassurances from scientists and federal health regulators that Pacific-caught seafood is safe to eat.

Read the full story at The Oregonian