New Studies Confirm Everyone Benefits from Eating Fish
Underscores The Benefits of Canned Tuna
Washington, DC - A new study presented to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAS) reveals that teens whose mothers maintained high fish diets during their pregnancy outperformed teens whose mothers ate less seafood. Philip W. Davidson, professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine and psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, presented the findings.
Conducted in the Seychelles Islands where the consumption of seafood is between 12 and 14 fish meals a week compared to an average of one meal a week in the U.S, the study has tracked the health status of children since birth whose mothers consumed ten times more mercury during pregnancy than U.S. mothers. After almost 16 years, all 789 children are healthy and "the large consumption of seafood appeared to benefit the children in some developmental aspects." In fact, these children outperformed other children whose mothers consumed less fish during pregnancy in language, drawing and copy motor skills, according to Dr. Davison.
The new findings from the Seychelles come after a long-term study of 14,000 British children provided new insights into the beneficial effects of the essential omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. In January, Dr. Jo Hibbeln from the National Institutes of Health reported that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids found in pregnant women's diets helped determine a child's intelligence, motor skills and behavior. According to Dr. Hibbeln's analysis, children of pregnant women whose diets had the least amount of omega-3 fatty acids had verbal IQs six points lower than the average.
The new Seychelles data also reflect the real world experience of high fish-consuming countries like Japan and the United Kingdom. Studies in these countries find that although fish consumption and mercury levels are higher than in the U.S., children have no neurological problems. In fact, recent data from the National Institute for Minamata Disease in Japan, show that the Japanese, who eat an average of 145.7 pounds of tuna and other fish a year compared to only 16.6 pounds for the average American, have healthier children who score extremely high on math, science and IQ tests.
Putting these findings into perspective, Conrad Shamlaye, an epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health in the Seychelles, said: "If these people ate 10 times the level of fish with no problems, then Americans should not worry about consuming fish."
But, according to information from the U.S. Tuna Foundation, misinformation is confusing the public and turning them away from fish and canned tuna. According to a national Nielsen panel of 60,000 Americans, millions of American families are no longer consuming canned tuna, including lower-income consumers who are most affected by obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. At the same time, a poll for the University of Maryland by Opinion Research Corporation finds that almost one-third of the public (31 percent) reports being concerned about the amount of mercury in fish and shellfish and as a result, many consumers are cutting back on the amount of seafood they eat.
"I cannot understand how special interest groups can put their political agenda above the public health," said David Burney, U.S. Tuna Foundation Executive Director. "I am asking these organizations to stop scaring the public and to help us get out an accurate message that will benefit all Americans, especially lower income and elderly Americans."
Canned tuna provides a number of important health benefits and is a primary source of fish for lower and middle class American families. Researchers at Harvard found that if Americans reduce their fish consumption out of confusion about mercury, there will be serious public health consequences, notably higher death rates from heart disease and stroke.
"From the standpoint of public health, the real risk for the public is not getting enough fish and canned tuna in the diet," said Burney. "We need to end the confusion over mercury in fish for the welfare of all Americans and especially low income consumers whose health will benefit the most from consuming fish and canned tuna on a regular basis. Those who depend on canned tuna the most need to know how healthy and safe this product is."
More information about canned tuna and its health benefits is available at the USTF Web site, www.tunafacts.com.
Established in 1976, the U.S. Tuna Foundation (USTF) is the national organization representing the canned tuna processors and the fishermen who supply them and addresses issues ranging from fishing access arrangements to federal and state regulations and domestic marketing.