A new study by the Harvard Medical School shows that eating tuna or other broiled or baked fish can have a beneficial effect on the electrical system of the human heart, which in turn may help prevent life-threatening heart rhythm disorders. The new study, conducted by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School, appears in the August 1, 2006, issue of the American College of Cardiology and expands on previous research tying fish consumption to a reduced risk of sudden death and irregular heart beats.

"Eating fish-including canned tuna-provides many nutritional benefits, is heart-healthy and is central to a well-balanced diet," said Anne Forristall Luke, president of the U.S. Tuna Foundation. "This new Harvard study once again reinforces the link between fish consumption and a healthy heart. It also helps explain why our nation's leading health organizations are constantly reminding Americans to make fish an essential part of our diets."

The population-based study by the Harvard Medical School focused on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Dr. Mozaffarian and colleagues analyzed data from 5096 adults of at least 65 years of age who were enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study to investigate the link between dietary intake of fish n-3 fatty acid and features seen on electrocardiograms. The results of the study showed that people who ate tuna or other broiled or baked fish at least once a week had slower heart rate than those who ate these fish less than once a month. Additionally, fish consumption five times per week was associated with an even healthier heart rhythm. The study can be found online at http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/full/48/3/478.

Last month, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued new diet and lifestyle recommendations that called on Americans to make fish--including canned tuna--an essential part of a healthy diet. The AHA's recommendation that Americans eat at least two servings of fish a week was based on evidence showing a correlation between consumption of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and reduced risk of both sudden death and death from coronary heart disease among adults.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in high quantities in canned tuna, are known to have multiple health attributes, such as aiding in the neurological development of children and lowering the risk of heart disease, and may even help slow the spread of prostate cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in most seafood and especially in cold-water varieties like tuna--one of the most omega-3 rich fish species.

http://www.tunafoundation.org/mediacenter/2006_releases/7_25_06.html