Saving Seafood

Breakthrough in omega-3 understanding could revolutionize feed industry

May 31, 2018 — A new study, led by the University of Stirling in Scotland, has led to a major discovery about the way in which omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are produced in the ocean.

According to lead scientist Oscar Monroig from the university’s Institute of Aquaculture, the breakthrough challenges the generally held principle that marine microbes, such as microalgae and bacteria, are responsible for virtually all primary production of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for human health, and have been proven to be particularly useful in combating and preventing cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.

Instead, an international team of scientists from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Japan, and Australia found that omega-3s can be created by many marine invertebrates.

“Our study provides a paradigm shift in understanding, as it demonstrates that a large variety of invertebrate animals, including corals, rotifers, molluscs, polychaetes and crustaceans, possess enzymes called ‘desaturases’ of a type that enable them to produce omega-3, an ability thought previously to exist almost exclusively in marine microbes,” Monroig said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

What are the benefits of eating more fish?

August 14, 2017 — Jane DeWitt and Sabrina Lombardi are clinical nutrition coordinators of Food and Nutrition Services for Hackettstown Medical Center and Newton Medical Center at Atlantic Health System, respectively.

Q. What are the benefits of eating more fish?

A. Fish: Some people love eating it, and some people do not. But its health benefits are something that everyone can agree on.

“Studies show that increasing your fish intake is good for you, especially for your heart,” said Jane DeWitt, clinical nutrition coordinator of Food and Nutrition Services for Hackettstown Medical Center. “It’s leaner than red meat and some, like salmon, arctic char and sardines, are full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for your heart.”

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids for human health, can help reduce inflammation as well as the risk for heart disease, notes DeWitt. The American Heart Association recommends up to two servings of fish per week, up to 8 ounces total. Omega 3 fatty acids are also beneficial for brain health as well help with memory, performance, and cognition.

Read the full story at the New Jersey Herald

How to Tell If That Fish Behind the Counter Is Actually Fresh​

March 16, 2017 — You know fish is good for you, but shopping for it is dicey. Much of the fish behind the counter is mislabeled, or not exactly fresh. And even if you can trust the labels, there are just so many of them: Should you buy American or Chilean? Wild-caught or farmed? Follow these six steps to guarantee you bring home the freshest, tastiest, and healthiest filet.

1. Buy American
A fish’s country of origin must be disclosed; it’s an FDA rule. Stick to USA seafood: Reports have revealed worker exploitation and unsanitary processing and storage methods in Asian fisheries, says Norah Eddy, cofounder of Salty Girl Seafood. Also look for the phrase “processed in the United States.” Some Alaskan salmon is sent to China for processing, a journey that can take more than two weeks before you buy the fish, Eddy says.

2. Keep the Skin On
Fish such as salmon, mackerel, and lake trout bring a healthy dose of omega-3s to the table. (Here’s why you need those good fats.) Skip the skin and you’re not maxing out on these good fats, says dietitian Robert Lazzinnaro, R.D. Chef Tenney Flynn of GW Fins in New Orleans crisps the skin this way: Melt butter in a pan over medium high. Scale the fish and score the skin in a crosshatch pattern; season both sides. Start skin side down; cook 3 to 4 minutes. Flip. Repeat. Eat.

Read the full story at Men’s Health

Heart failure patients may benefit from fish oil

March 14, 2017 — A new American Heart Association report says people with heart failure may live longer by taking omega-3 fish oil supplements because they seem to reduce the heart disease death rate by almost 10 percent.

The association had previously concluded that such supplements may prevent death from heart disease in people who have already had a heart attack, but warned there is no solid evidence that fish oil can prevent heart disease in the first place, primarily because the issue hasn’t been studied.

“Reducing mortality by 10 percent would be important from a personal level and a population level,” coauthor Dr. David Siscovick said about the new advice for people with heart failure.

The scientific advisory published in the association’s journal Circulation updates a 2002 guidance with data from 15 newer studies. It comes at a time when about 19 million Americans – nearly 8 percent of the U.S. population – are already taking the supplements, many of whom may not be getting any real value from them.

Read the full story at Reuters

Health Benefits Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, According To Science (+15 Best Omega-3 Foods)

March 1, 2017 — You may have heard about Omega-3 fatty acids before but you may not quite understand what it is or why we need it. Omega-3 is an essential fat the body is incapable of making naturally. That means that we have to get it from the foods and supplements that we put into our body.

Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fat, which basically means that it is one of the “good fats”. Polyunsaturated fats are natural and healthy whereas saturated fats or “bad fats” are found in highly processed foods and can lead to unfavorable health complications when consumed in large amounts and over a long period of time.

Read the full story at Jen Reviews

13 Benefits of Taking Fish Oil

October 20, 2016 — Fish oil is one of the most commonly consumed dietary supplements.

It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are very important for your health.

If you don’t eat a lot of oily fish, taking a fish oil supplement could help you get enough omega-3 fatty acids.

Here is an evidence-based guide to fish oil supplements and their health benefits.

What Is Fish Oil and Why Should You Care?

Fish oil is the fat or oil that’s extracted from fish tissue.

It usually comes from oily fish such as herring, tuna, anchovies and mackerel. Yet sometimes it’s produced from the livers of other fish, as is the case with cod liver oil.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating 1–2 portions of fish per week. This is because the omega-3 fatty acids in fish provide many health benefits, including helping protect against a number of diseases.

But if you don’t eat 1–2 portions of fish per week, fish oil supplements can help you get enough omega-3s.

Read more at Best for Nutrition

Why Is Fish Good for You? Because It Replaces Meat?

October 7, 2016 — Articles often mention that eating any kind of fish (not just fatty fish) twice weekly reduces various health risks. Is this because it replaces red meat, or is there some other reason?

Many fish, especially oily, darker-fleshed fish like salmon and herring, are rich in heart-healthy, polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acids, but healthful fats are not the only reason to eat fish. Dietary guidelines in the United States encourage adults to eat eight ounces of a variety of fish and seafood each week – roughly two meals’ worth – because of the “total package of nutrients in fish,” which includes lean protein, vitamins A and D as well as B vitamins, and a host of minerals such as iron, iodine, selenium and zinc.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding are urged to eat as much as 12 ounces of seafood to improve infant outcomes, but should steer clear of fish that’s high in methyl mercury. (The Food and Drug Administration recommends avoiding king mackerel, tilefish, shark and swordfish and limiting tuna; the nonprofit Environmental Working Group advises against a broader list of fish in its Consumer Guide to Seafood.)

“Fish is very low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol,” said Jennifer McDaniel, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and people who follow a Mediterranean style diet that incorporates seafood appear to be at lower risk for obesity, “but a lot of people don’t think about that and just focus on omega-3s.”

Read the full story at The New York Times

Why You Should Be Worried About Fish Fraud

June 13, 2016 –Fish has been heralded as one of the healthiest foods on the planet, loaded with those highly beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

But there is one important thing to consider before you make fish a staple in your diet – seafood fraud.

This type of fraud includes any illegal activity that misrepresents seafood being sold, which is shockingly easy. More than 90 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, and the government inspects less than 1 percent of that specifically for fraud, according to Oceana, one of the largest international ocean conservation and advocacy organizations.

Using DNA testing, Oceana conducted a two-year investigation of seafood fraud from 2010 to 2012 and found that one-third of seafood is mislabeled, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

Additionally, 44 percent of all the grocery stores, restaurants and sushi venues the organization investigated sold mislabeled seafood. It’s difficult to pinpoint, however, at what stage in the supply chain these fraudulent activities occur, as the Oceana study notes.

Read the full story at attn.com

Fish Oil Could Save Around $15 Billion in EU Healthcare Costs, Says New Study

May 17, 2016 — The following is an excerpt from a story published today by Food Ingredients First, which explains how Omega-3 supplements can save EU healthcare providers billions of dollars every year. A similar study by Dr. Doug Bibus, president of Lipid Technologies, was published in the journal Lipid Technology earlier this year. Bibus’s study found that Omega-3 fatty acids from menhaden oil could save billions of dollars in U.S. healthcare costs.

More widespread regular consumption of Omega 3 supplements could save healthcare systems and providers in the EU a total of €12.9 billion ($14.69 billion) a year, according to an independent study commissioned by Food Supplements Europe.

Using existing published literature and official data, researchers at Frost & Sullivan explored the financial benefits of the consumption of Omega 3 EPA+DHA food supplements among people aged 55 and over. This demographic group, representing 157.6 million people or 31% of the total EU population, is considered to be at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Overall it is forecast that in the EU, 24% of people aged 55 and over (i.e. 38.4 million people) are in danger of experiencing a CVD-attributed hospital event between 2016 and 2020. This is expected to cost as much as €1.328 trillion ($1.512 trillion) over this five-year period – equivalent to €34,637 ($39,453) per event.

Read the full story at Food Ingredients First

SCOTT TESORO: Fish oil benefits

March 28, 2016 — In Dr. Feinsinger’s March 14 column “Ignore the fish oil salesman,” his bias against fish oil focuses on the debate over whether fish oil prevents heart disease and stroke. Because studies in the medical literature are mixed, he suggests that fish oil is useless. He reduces the issue to simple profit motives by the fish oil industry.

Unfortunately, Dr. Feinsinger’s conclusion fails to take into account the basic human health requirement for EPA and DHA, the fatty acids found in fish oil. These omega 3 fats are deemed “essential” to human health, meaning that they are “nutritional substances required for optimal health. These must be in the diet, because they are not formed within the body.” (Farlex Medical Dictionary).

According to the journal “Advances in Nutrition,” the role of EPA and DHA include promoting healthy fetal and retinal development, as well as providing over half the dry weight of the brain. EPA and DHA also help in modulating inflammation and are an important component of healthy cell membranes.

Read the full letter at the Citizen Telegram