Eat Fish To Reel In Health Benefits

Experts Offer New Ways To Enjoy Seafood

BOSTON -- Holy mackerel -- fish is good for you, and new studies show it can benefit more than your heart. But what if you don't like the taste?

There was something fishy at the International Boston Seafood Show -- which is a good thing if you take to seafood like a fish to water. The show is the biggest seafood show in New England.

Fiona Robinson is expecting triplets, and as editor of a seafood magazine, she knows some fish, like shark and swordfish, can be high in mercury and bad for baby. But new studies suggest low amounts of certain fish may prevent preterm delivery.

"You definitely need to eat fish. You just can't cut it out of your diet because you really need it for neurological development," Robinson said.

Another recent study showed that eating fatty fish -- those high in omega 3 acids -- could actually battle depression.

"We're looking at mackerel, sardines, and, of course, salmon," Dr. Stewart Anderson said.

Fish Precautions

Not everyone should eat a lot of fish, however. The Washington State Department of Health offers these guidelines:

• Women of childbearing age should limit the amount of canned tuna they eat to about 6 ounces per week.
• A woman who weighs less than 135 pounds should eat less than one can of tuna per week.
• Children under 6 should eat less than one half a can of tuna (three ounces) per week.
• Specific weekly limits for children under 6 range from 1 ounce for a 20 pound child, to 3 ounces for a child weighing about 60 pounds.

Previous Stories:

• February 28, 2002: Get Your Daily Dose Of Fish Oil
• January 21, 2002: Think Before Feeding Children Fish
• October 9, 2001: Fish-Oil Ice Cream: Low In Fat, Good For Heart?

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