Two new studies tout the benefits of eating fish regularly but one is more optimistic than the other.

A study by Harvard School of Public Health found that the benefits of fish outweigh the risks associated with mercury and other contaminants. In research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, independent teams of scientists found that fish reduced the risk of heart disease in adults and promoted the health of newborns.

The second study, from the federal Institute of Medicine, acknowledged the benefits of fish for adults and infants. But it urged pregnant or nursing women, as well as children under 12, to refrain from eating swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel due to high levels of mercury. White tuna should be avoided for the same reason, according to the study.

Mercury and other contaminants, often called dioxins or persistent organic pollutants, have been found to affect Native people who depend on traditional diets. Inuit mothers have the highest levels of toxins in their breast milk than anywhere else in the world.

Get the Story:
Benefits of Fish Exceed Risks, Studies Find (The Washington Post 10/18)
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One Study Calls Fish a Lifesaver, Another Is More Cautious (The New York Times 10/18)
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Studies:
Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health | Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks

Relevant Links:
Journal of the American Medical Association - http://jama.ama-assn.org
Institute of Medicine - http://www.iom.edu

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