"Our results suggest that eating large quantities of species containing a high mercury content and low omega-3s such as big predator fish--tuna, swordfish, marlin, sharks, etc--is not a good idea for our health," study coauthor Dr Eric Dewailly (Centre de Recherche du CHUQ) commented in a press release.
In the same release, however, the AHA, which recommends people eat oily fish two times per week, tries to put the results in perspective. "Many Americans can safely enjoy eating fish as a regular part of their diet to achieve the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, and this includes canned light tuna, which is significantly lower in mercury than white tuna," the release quotes Dr Penny Kris-Etherton (Pennsylvania State University, University Park), of the AHA's Council on Nutrition Metabolism and Physical Activity Nutrition Committee.
While children and nursing mothers should steer clear of fish with the highest mercury contamination (shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish), the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) has said that the benefits of fish consumption outweigh the mercury risks in middle-aged and older men, plus postmenopausal women, the AHA notes.
