The proposed new food list for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program, published today in the Federal Register, takes an important step toward improving the health of the low-income women and children it serves by increasing allowances for nursing women for canned tuna, a highly nutritious, heart-healthy fish.

The scientific evidence of the many benefits of fish consumption — including canned tuna — is abundant and continues to grow. Those benefits include:

Lean Protein: Canned tuna is a great way to incorporate lean protein into your diet. Canned tuna is low in fat, rich in vitamins and minerals, and is very high in protein — and yet it is lower in calories than other protein sources. There are 116 calories in a 100-gram serving of water-packed canned tuna compared with 208 calories in the same size serving of turkey.

Brain Function benefits: Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids found in canned tuna can help to improve brain function and cognition. In fact, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, if all Americans ate two meals of fish such as canned tuna per week, our cumulative national IQ would rise by about 410,000 points. Including canned tuna in the American diet benefits bodies and minds alike.

Heart-Healthy: In June 2006, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued new diet and lifestyle recommendations that call on Americans to make fish — including canned tuna — an essential part of a healthy diet. In order to reduce cardiovascular disease, these recommendations advise Americans to eat at least 2 servings of fish a week from age 2 on.

Omega-3 Benefits: Omega-3 fatty acids found in canned tuna and other types of fish have been found to lower the risk of heart disease, reduce the likelihood of blood clots and stroke, protect against certain cancers, help the autoimmune system fight disease and help to relieve depression. Eating canned tuna is a great and convenient way to reap the benefits of these omega-3 fatty acids.

For over 100 years canned tuna has been a staple in the American kitchen. Canned tuna is a convenient, affordable and nutritious food we all grew up on, and is unrivaled in its nutritional benefits. Eating high-quality fish like canned tuna is a great way to meet the recommendations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Heart Association to include more fish in our diets, and we applaud the USDA's actions in increasing the WIC program's monthly allowance for this heart-healthy food.

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