Posted Dec 1, 2010
Fish is an important part of a healthy diet, so people should eat more, right?
Yes and no, says the state Department of Public Health. Like most nutrition advice, it’s more complicated than simply, “More is good.”
In the latest part of its efforts to educate consumers about the healthiest seafood choices, the department this month issued a new guide especially for women and children to use at the supermarket fish counter. While fish and shellfish are an important source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, eating too much of the wrong kinds can increase the risk of exposure to mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which can accumulate in certain species because of their habitats and eating habits. Children and women during pregnancy and their fetuses, as well as nursing mothers, are at greater risk of health problems from these contaminants than others.
Wild salmon, sole, pollock and flounder, for example, are among those in the “best choices” category that can be eaten more than twice a week, according to the guide. Swordfish, shark and striped bass are in the “avoid” category.
The guides are posted at the seafood counters at more than 300 grocery stores around the state, including Shop Rite, Big Y and Stop & Shop supermarkets, said Sharee Rusnak, epidemiologist with the state health department. The guides can also be found at obstetrician/gynecologists’ offices, she added. Displayed along with the guides are small cards customers can take with them, listing the same information.
“We’re trying to make it easy for people to choose wisely,” Rusnak said.
The agreement with the grocery stores to post the guides is a new part of the healthy fish choices initiative, she added.
In addition to choosing certain fish over others, Rusnak also advised women and children to eat smaller fish over large ones, because contaminants tend to accumulate in greater amounts as size and age increase.
In addition to the new guide, the department had issued an earlier guide for all consumers who eat fish caught in Connecticut waters. It advises that children under 6 years old and women who are pregnant, those who plan to become pregnant or are nursing eat only one meal a month of Connecticut fish, due to small amounts of mercury found in them, and to totally avoid carp and catfish from the Connecticut River. One exception is trout, which is safe to eat in any amount, the guide states.
Most fish from Long Island Sound are safe, although pregnant and nursing women and children are told to avoid bluefish and striped bass, and all others should limit consumption of these two varieties to once a month.
Fish that should not be eaten at all by anyone include those caught in 12 waterways around the state that are polluted with harmful chemicals. The list includes Wyassup Lake in North Stonington, Dodge Pond in East Lyme and Versailles and Papermill ponds in Sprague.
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Copyright © 2010, The Day, New London, Conn.