Q: I find it hard to get my children to eat fish. Are there any alternatives which can provide them with similar nutritional benefits?
A: It is not uncommon for parents to have a tough time getting their kids to eat fish, although the regular consumption of fish (as often as three times per week) is associated with good health in both adults and children. Fish is high in omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, the ingestion of which has the following benefits:
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Reduced hypertension
- Decreased rheumatoid arthritis
- Less depression
- Reduced inattention
- Decreased pregnancy-associated hypertension
- Reduced inflammatory bowel disease
- Improved brain and eye development
- Decreased risk of allergies
- Reduced risk of depression and other mood disorders
The spark that started the “fish fire” began in the early 1970s when it was observed that Greenland Eskimo populations had fewer cardiovascular events than Western populations, despite ingesting more total dietary fat. The Eskimo populations had high levels of fat intake, but the crucial difference was that the fat came in the form of long-chain omega three fatty acids.
Since then, these long chain polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (also known as LCPUFAS) have become star players in the prevention of illness and the overall improvement of our health.
If you and your family enjoy eating fish there is one small problem to be aware of: not all fish are created equally. In particular, farmed fish have been known to carry such contaminants as mercury, other heavy metals and pesticides like DDT, DDE or PCB. The Environmental Protection Agency warns pregnant patients and young children, in particular, to never eat fish containing mercury (See http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/).
The recent New York Times front page article titled, "Salmon Gone Wild, or Is It Just Sold That Way?", made the observation that wild salmon from the North American West Coast used to have a low profile on the East Coast (it only seemed to migrate Eastward in cans). But now, the concern about the safety of farmed fish has caused the price of wild salmon to sky rocket (it’s $19 USD per pound while farmed salmon is $5-12 USD a pound); and, unfortunately, the greater demand can hardly be met due to catches being restricted by quotas.
Wild and farmed salmon look similar, because farmed fish are fed artificial coloring to make them turn pink; but, don’t be fooled! The two are very different in quality on the inside. Always make sure you know what kind of salmon you’re buying when you head to the check-out counter.
And, keep in mind that the way you prepare your fish matters a great deal too. The best way to maintain the goodness in fish and to reap all of its benefits is to broil or bake it. The best way to kill that goodness and to actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease is to deep fry it or give it in the form of fish burgers or fingers.
For more information on the typical fatty acid profiles of various oils and cooked fish see the web site of the US Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp.
The American Heart Association recommends that people eat fish, and other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. walnuts, flaxseed, canola and soybean oil), twice a week or more.
The fact that there are other omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods available for kids to eat should come as good news to parents. Of course, the good news doesn’t end there. Fish oil supplements are also fine alternatives to eating fish.
Typically these supplements are made out of a blend of many different fish species including mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna and salmon. The raw oil from the fish is purified and concentrated by removing the individual fatty acids from the fish triglycerides. This process also allows for the separation of contaminant toxins and proteins which may increase allergies.
Fish oils are very susceptible to oxidation, but with the addition of fat-soluble antioxidants (such as natural Vitamin E) to most products, the fish oils are much less likely to go rancid under normal storage conditions.
Fish oil supplements are very well tolerated in the majority of patients. People with fish allergies, expecting mothers, and children (among others) have no problems with them because the fatty acids are completely purified after being extracted from the fish proteins.
Many future moms are choosing to take fish oil supplements to increase their intake of good fats. Maternal fatty acid levels, especially a particular fat, DHA, steadily drop during late pregnancy. This increases the mother’s risk for postpartum depression. By taking fish oil supplements, expectant mothers decrease their chances of suffering from postpartum depression, they don’t have to worry about fish contaminants, and they don’t have to be concerned that eating fish will contribute to allergies in their babies. Epidemiological studies have also shown that premature deliveries are less likely to occur when there is a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
Perhaps the only drawbacks, to taking fish oil supplements, are that they can cause a fishy aftertaste in the mouth and they can increase burping (tends to be associated with high dosages). These unpleasant effects can be reduced by consuming the fish oils with food and avoiding carbonated beverages.
As with any dietary supplement, it can be daunting to make a wise choice and find the best quality. The Council for Responsible Nutrition, along with other leading fish oil manufacturers, published a monograph in 2002 that made recommendations as to which aspects of quality the industry should use to regulate fish oil products (See: http://www.crnusa.org/shellnr100802B.html). Hopefully we will see some results out of these recommendations soon.
If you’d like to see a detailed scientific review of the state of the art of fish oil supplementation check out one of my all time favorite journals, The Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association (JANA). The article, by Dr Thomas G. Guilliams, is very informative and can be found in JANA, Vol. 8, No.1, 2005 (See: www.ana-jana.org).
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