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Americans Confused about Health Effects of Eating Fish

March 16, 2006

Mercury in Fish • High Mercury Levels Found In Sushi • Maternal Seafood Consumption Benefits Children's Development • Study: Benefits of Fish Outweigh the Risks • Tests Find Higher Mercury Content In Imported Tuna • Americans Confused about Mercury in Seafood, Survey Finds • Whole Foods Agrees to Post FDA's Mercury Warning • Americans Confused about Health Effects of Eating Fish • Mercury Levels Rising In Sport Fish • FDA Finds High Mercury Levels in Some Canned Light Tuna • Study: Moderate Fish Consumption Poses Mercury Risks • CSPI: Government Should Warn About Mercury in Fish • Whole Foods Pressed To Add Mercury Warnings • Warnings about Mercury in Fish May Do More Harm Than Good • Despite Contaminants, Fish Healthy for Most Men • Fish is Brain Food • FDA Urged to Crack Down on Tuna Mercury Levels • CA Restaurants Will Issue Fish Warnings • California Sues Tuna Canneries

Consumeres know about the presence of harmful contaminants in fish and seafood but they're still eating the stuff.

In fact, consulting firm NPD says recent data from its Food Safety Monitor reveal that 67 percent of people are aware and concerned about mercury in fish/seafood, yet of those who do eat fish, 28 percent plan to eat more of it in the next month.

With all the hype surrounding whether or not the benefits of eating fish/seafood outweigh any risk in consuming harmful substances, Americans are presumably quite confused about how to manage fish intake in their diets.

Scaling back the fear

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says people should be eating an average of 12 ounces of fish per week to receive the maximum health benefits. According to NPD's Dietary Guidelines report, however, the average person only consumes just over three ounces of fish/shellfish in a typical week.

Common sense would dictate that a person would have to eat over three times the current intake level just to reach the FDA's recommendation, and then exceed that amount in order for fish contaminants to become harmful.

Although Americans are not consuming large amounts of fish on a regular basis, they do report eating tuna most frequently. Ironically, the FDA states that some kinds of tuna contain high levels of mercury relative to other types of fish.

Still, considering how little fish people are actually eating, even if they decided to eat more of it, there is still some room to go before their intake would be considered harmful. Yet, many remain pushed and pulled about the health risks and benefits of fish consumption.

Limiting fish consumption

Those eating larger amounts of fish have good reason to take heed and limit their intake. For women who are pregnant, or of childbearing age, high levels of mercury can cause serious developmental problems in fetuses, and can similarly compromise future pregnancies.

While small traces of mercury are present in all fish, there are some varieties that contain higher levels and should not be eaten too frequently. However, there are rewards to be gained if consumed with caution.

The pull to eat more fish

From a weight loss/health perspective, many diet programs suggest eating more fish as it has long been touted as a high protein, low (saturated) fat food that contains omega-3 fatty acids.

According to NPD's Dieting Monitor, 37 percent of adults are trying to add more omega-3 fatty acids to their diets. Together with the focus now on "healthy" fats, fish still stacks up very positively with its ability to help raise "good" cholesterol and lower the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease.

"Although we are seeing that consumers are aware and concerned about the mercury in fish issue, they are not deterred from eating more of it," said Kristin Nickels, product manager of NPD's Food Safety Monitor and Dieting Monitor.

"It is clear that Americans are experiencing mixed messages about whether or not they should include fish in their diets," she added.

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