Some great information on how to choose the right kind of fish

One of the most common arguments/questions I receive about fish is whether or not it is safe to eat because of the mercury content.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I thought I'd share a blog sent to me by Jennifer Wilmes, MS, RD, another fish-friendly dietitian who is trying to get the right information out there.

Hope this frees up some choices for you!

http://www.babygooroo.com/index.php/2008/09/09/gone-fishin/

So tell me again....WHY are we telling pregnant women to avoid eating fish?

This is one of those issues that simply drives me crazy. The Food and Drug Administration, several years ago, because of mercury content, identified four fish that might be harmful to consume during pregnancy. Those four fish were king mackerel, tilefish, swordfish, and shark.

For the recored, in 26 years of doing this work, I have yet to EVER have ANYONE at ANY point in their life tell me in a diet recall that they eat mackerel (too fishy), shark (eeeuuw!!!), or tilefish (what the heck is a tilefish?). Swordfish is a rare item that comes up.

Let's count those again. Four fish. Mackerel. Shark. Tilefish. Swordfish.

In the time that this warning has come out, consumption of ALL fish has decreased, by about one sixth (17%).

Why have we overgeneralized? Because scary headlines are what sell newspapers and news broadcasts. And when newspapers sell and news shows are watched, newspapers and television stations make more money from advertising.

Did you know, that the losses associated with this preventative measure may outweigh the benefits? According to the Harvard Review, if pregnant women were to eat the same amount of fish they normally do, but replaced fish high in mercury with fish low in mercury, cognitive development benefits could be achieved with virtually no nutritional losses. When those cognitive development benefits are taken into consideration, if those women were to cut their fish consumption by one-sixth, exactly what has happened, the nutritional benefit derived drops by 80%.

A new study suggests that omega-3 deficiency during pregnancy may have effects years later. A group of researchers who had reported that supplementing pregnant and lactating women with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy resulted in higher IQ scores in their children 4 years after birth, retested the same children at 7 years. The women in this study either took 10 ml of cod liver oil or corn oil from the 18th week of pregnancy until 3 months after their babies were born. Mothers with high levels of plasma ALA and DHA (two omega-3 fatty acids) had children who better learned information, organized it, and later used it in practical situations.

Again...'splain me why we're telling pregnant women to be afraid of fish?

http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/10.20/26-merc.html

Helland IB, Smith L, Blomén B, Saarem K, Saugstad OD, Drevon CA. Effect of supplementing pregnant and lactating mothers with n-3 very-long-chain fatty acids on children's IQ and body mass index at 7 years of age. Pediatrics. 2008 Aug;122(2):e472-9.

Mania and free fatty acids

Plasma free fatty acids (primarily omega-3's) have gained much attention for their therapeutic potential in many psychiatric diagnoses--including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder. Now researchers are discovering that the level of these fatty acids in the blood may actually influence the symptom severity of these illnesses.

In this particular study, done in patients with bipolar disorder, medication-free patients who were seeking help for a manic episode had their blood tested for free fatty acid levels. These levels were compared to those in individuals who did not have bipolar disorder. In the manic individuals, the lower the levels of arachidonic acid (AA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), the worse the manic symptoms were. The greater the AA/EPA ratio, the worse the manic symptoms were.

In plain English? While the diets of these individuals were not analyzed, it is well-established that a diet high in fish and omega-3's promotes good EPA levels. A diet high in meat and pro-inflammatory oils (those "S" and "C" oils I like to refer to), the higher the AA levels.

So...eat a lot of meat and processed foods with the wrong kinds of fat, and your bipolar disorder stability might pay the price. Focus on fish, flax, and nuts...and you might not need as many emergency room visits.

It's kind of a catch-22. In working with bipolar disorder, it seems that the very foods that cause trouble are the very foods these individuals seem to crave. It can take a concerted effort to stay on track with nutrition. However...what I do notice is that if these individuals DO stick with the plan and pull their nervous systems back into balance, the cravings eventually lessen and appetites for healthier food begin to surface.

I've been in the presence of a client in the middle of her mania. At least from my shoes, on the outside looking in, knowing what danger her state put her in, I'd highly recommend making the effort and minimizing the manic episodes.


Sublette ME, Bosetti F, DeMar JC, Ma K, Bell JM, Fagin-Jones S, Russ MJ, Rapoport SI. Plasma free polyunsaturated fatty acid levels are associated with symptom severity in acute mania.Bipolar Disord. 2007 Nov;9(7):759-65.