Seafood Sense: The Truth about Seafood Nutrition & Safety

By Ken Babal

Can fish, which has for so long been considered an essential part of our diet, really not be good for us? In Seafood Sense, Ken Babel sorts through fact and fiction to reveal the truth about the dangers and benefits of fish and other seafood. He explores in detail the reasons why the levels of mercury and other environmental toxins have risen in fish in recent times and exactly how these high levels can affect one's health.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Jul 15, 2005
• ISBN: 9781591205906

Ken Babal

Ken Babal has a clinical nutrition practice in Los Angeles and is a consultant to the natural food and dietary supplement industry. He has written over 500 articles that have appeared in many popular and professional publications and is author of several books, including Mushrooms for Health and Longevity (Alive Books 2011), Seafood Sense: The Truth about Seafood Nutrition and Safety (Basic Health Publications 2005) and Good Digestion: Your Key to Vibrant Health (Alive Books 2000). He appears in the Discovery Health Channel documentary "Alternatives Uncovered," and E! TV's "The High Price of Fame: Starved!" Ken is a frequent guest on radio and TV and presents seminars at stores and industry events across the country. Visit his website at www.NutritionMusician.com

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 INTRODUCTION 

The Seafood

Conundrum

Seafood is a topic fraught with contradiction. Fish is an appealing low-fat, protein-rich alternative to meat. Its rich supply of vitamins, minerals, polyunsaturated fats, and nucleic acids make it a health food par excellence (except, of course, for those who are allergic to it). Americans, however, still consume about ten times more red meat and poultry than seafood. Nutritionists say we should increase our consumption of fish and other omega-3 fatty acid foods for protection against heart disease and other ailments. But now, health experts are raising the possibility that eating too much fish may expose us to dangerous levels of mercury and other toxins.

Overall, seafood’s popularity has grown due to increased availability and awareness of its good nutrition, but lately the mercury issue has caused many individuals to reduce their intake. Pregnant women, most notably, have decreased their fish consumption for fear of mercury toxicity to themselves and their unborn.

A Harvard study reports that health warnings about mercury in seafood may scare pregnant women away from seafood. In the study, more than 2,000 pregnant women reported eating an average of 1.4 fewer servings of fish per month after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its mercury advisory in 2001.¹ The advisory warns pregnant women and women of childbearing age to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, but recommends eating up to 12 ounces weekly of various other fish.

In the study, the percentage of pregnant women who said they ate more than three servings of fish each week fell from 15 to 11 percent. Since other medical studies have indicated that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish reduce the risk of preterm delivery and help with infant brain development, the authors of the Harvard study question whether the response to the mercury advisory is a positive change.

Although mercury occurs naturally in the environment, the primary source of mercury in fish is believed to be coal-burning power plants that spew it into the air. Through rain, snow, and runoff, the mercury accumulates in streams, rivers, lakes, and eventually the ocean.

Is government putting enough pressure on industry to reduce mercury emissions? Organizations like the March of Dimes and the National Parent Teacher Association don’t think so. In 2004, both organizations criticized newly proposed mercury rules by the Environmental Protection Agency that would weaken standards required by the Clean Air Act.

Until mercury emissions can be reduced, we must choose our seafood carefully. But we shouldn’t rule it out of our diet. As stated by the National Academy of Sciences, Because of the beneficial effects of fish consumption, the long term goal needs to be a reduction in the concentrations of mercury in fish rather than the replacement of fish in the diet by other foods. In the interim, the best method of maintaining fish consumption and minimizing mercury exposure is the consumption of fish known to have lower methylmercury concentrations.²

As with the meat and dairy industries, there are environmental problems surrounding the seafood industry for which we, as consumers, bear some responsibility. Our buying trends help determine whether or not harmful practices continue. Certain fishing practices are polluting the waters and threatening to deplete fisheries to extinction. Many consumers believe that fish farming—commercially raising captive fish in ponds—is a way to ease the effect on the environment. However, this solution may, as some claim, be exacerbating the problem.

Fish oil supplements are a clean source of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Most that have been tested are virtually free of contaminants. But because there are countless brands on the market, many people feel they don’t have enough information to make an intelligent choice. There are other omega-3 supplements, too, such as flaxseed oil and algae-derived fatty acids that are worth considering.

I’ve experienced many of these doubts myself, which is why I began my research on seafood. These contradictory aspects create a paradox that makes a lot of us unsure about our fish-eating habits and supplement choices. According to USA Today, Americans are floundering about what to eat.

For years, scientists have been singing the praises of omega-3s, a family of essential fatty acids. These nutrients, which are so abundantly supplied in seafood, are required for human health just like vitamins and minerals; unfortunately, however, they are severely lacking in our modern diet. Over the last few decades, research has been steadily mounting on the role of omega-3s in preventing and reversing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, inflammatory bowel diseases, asthma, neuromuscular diseases, prenatal problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and many other diseases. The research is extremely impressive. For example, studies show that averaging as little as one fish-based meal per week can reduce the risk of both heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 60 percent, compared to those who eat little or no fish!

It is becoming apparent that modifying our dietary fat intake is a huge factor in disease prevention. But can you imagine how the health of this country would improve if people also got rid of the refined carbohydrates in their diet and started exercising? Billions of dollars would be saved in medical expenses and lost productivity, much human suffering would be avoided, and life expectancy would rise.

Scientists tell us that our prehistoric ancestors thrived and flourished on a diet that was much higher in omega-3s than the kind of diet we consume today, and we are paying a terrible price. Our blood is too thick, inflammation is out of control, and our brains are literally drying up because of too much saturated fat and omega-6 vegetable oil and not enough unsaturated omega-3 fats from cold-climate foods such as fish, flaxseed, leafy green vegetables, and walnuts.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, low fat was the catchword for diet foods. Fat was not our friend. Proponents of low-fat or no-fat diets claimed fat would make us fat and that it would clog our arteries and cause cancer. They were only partially correct. Today, we have a clearer sense of how the good fats can actually prevent and treat these conditions.

Nutritionists must now impress upon the public that not all fats are bad, and that some are crucial for proper functioning of glands and organs. One organ that is highly sensitive to the fats in our diet is the brain, which is composed of 60 percent fat, especially the omega-3 fatty acid DHA.

Fish is the world’s greatest brain food (particularly sardines and salmon). It contains generous quantities of at least three nutrients known to enhance cognitive function and support brain health: choline, RNA (ribonucleic acid), and DHA. Scientific research suggests that a lack of DHA may be a primary cause of many brain disorders on the rise, such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and ADHD. The irony is, as previously explained, that some fish are high in mercury, a neurotoxin that potentially can harm the brain and nervous system. (I tell you which varieties to avoid in Chapter 5.)

Students now prepare for studying in the same way athletes train for physical contests. In towns with large universities and colleges, supermarkets report increased sales of fish and other brain foods as students try to boost exam performance. The largest increases in fish sales are seen in English university towns such as Cambridge and Oxford.

Seafood is an important component of many modern dietary philosophies such as Atkins and the Zone. But according to the blood type diet popularized by Peter J. D’Adamo in the book Eat Right 4 Your Type, not everyone should eat the same thing or do the same exercise, for that matter. Yet, it is very interesting that every blood type (A, B, AB, or O) can consume certain kinds of fish. In fact, D’Adamo lists salmon, sardine, cod, and mackerel as highly beneficial for all blood types.

It is also interesting that consumption of some types of seafood is forbidden by religious law. Jewish dietary law, which dates back 3,500 years, excludes from the diet all creatures from the seas and rivers that do not have fins and scales, because they are not kosher or fit to be used—an abomination to you, as the Old Testament says (Lev. 11:10). Banned fish include shellfish, mollusks, shark, catfish, swordfish, sturgeon, and turbot. No reason is given in the Bible why some fish and animals can be eaten while others cannot. The rulings may have been for the protection of people’s health, but observance was also an act of self-discipline and devotion to the faith.

Seventh-day Adventists and Muslims follow dietary laws similar to those of Orthodox Jews. All three forbid pork and shellfish.

Fish has symbolic meaning in Christianity. The story of Jesus multiplying fish and loaves of bread to feed the throngs of followers is mentioned in all four Gospels of the New Testament. Fish also represents Christians, because they have received redemption by water at baptism. To escape persecution, early Christians used a fish figure as a code to identify themselves to other Christians. One would draw the upper arc of the fish in the dirt or sand. The other person could identify him- or herself as a Christian by drawing the bottom arc, completing the figure.

Fridays were fish days when I grew up, because the Roman Catholic Church considered it a sacrifice to abstain from meat. The day has significance because Christ was crucified on a Friday. Also, by eating fish on Friday Christians are symbolically nourished by Christ while denying themselves other forms of animal sustenance. In the Catholic Church, the fasts were eventually relaxed because they were not being observed. Bishops probably also realized that lobster thermidor or even a modest fish dinner at a seafood restaurant hardly lives up to the spirit of a fast. If Catholics would go back to eating fish every Friday, it would undoubtedly improve their health, if not their spirituality. I believe this is true for all of us.

The sea is the primordial source of all life forms. It contains every nutrient necessary for our nourishment. The mineral components of ocean water are nearly identical to those of human blood, and these life-giving minerals are absorbed by the marine plants and animals that we use for our food. The bounty is there for us, but we must choose wisely.

 CHAPTER 1 

Seafood Consumption in Traditional Diets

The plants and animals that man has consumed for food since his creation nourished him and allowed him to thrive as a species. In the last century, however, many natural foods have been replaced by manufactured food items that are lacking in essential nutrients and that the human body is not physiologically designed to handle.

For example, refined carbohydrates such as sugar and white flour products lack the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that normally accompany a food in its whole state. These nutrients are required to process the food properly in the body. Instead, refined carbohydrates are rapidly dumped into the bloodstream, stressing our blood sugar control mechanisms and eventually leading to insulin resistance and diabetes.

Scientists tell us that we evolved eating a diet that contained a high proportion of omega-3 fatty acids (like those in seafood) compared to omega-6 fatty acids (now found in many vegetable oils and snack foods). Today, this healthful ratio has been turned on its head as we consume far too many omega-6 fatty acids and too little omega-3s. The health implications are believed to be staggering. Today, we are paying the price for our dietary indiscretions with dramatically increasing rates of practically all diseases, notably heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and liver disease.

The diets of indigenous peoples, the Mediterranian diet, traditional Asian diets, and the Inuit diet are all examples of seafood-based diets that confer numerous health benefits. As we will discuss in this chapter, fish-eating populations have demonstrated excellent immunity to illness, low cholesterol and blood pressure levels, low risk of heart disease and other degenerative illnesses, and high life expectancy.

SEAFOOD IN THE DIETS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

In the 1920s and 30s, Dr.Weston Price, a dentist from Cleveland, traveled the world studying the diets of indigenous populations. He visited remote Swiss villages, Scottish islands, and South Pacific islands, in addition to studying Eskimos in Alaska, Native Americans, African tribes, and Australian Aborigines.¹

Dr. Price found that those who ate their native diet of indigenous foods had remarkable physiques with practically complete immunity to tooth decay and resistance to illness. Wherever the people adopted the civilized diet, however, they suffered the typical expressions of degeneration—rampant tooth decay, infectious and degenerative diseases, infertility, and birth defects. In succeeding generations, he observed a marked change in facial and dental arch form along with lowered resistance to disease. Adoption of a modern diet was disastrous for all groups studied.

The diets Price studied were diverse. Some were based on seafood, some on domesticated animals, some on game, and some on dairy products.

Reviews for Seafood Sense

[mcm_munteanu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good Book. Very Informative and documented. Easy and plesant to read