Fish benefits eclipse mercury concerns
Individuals who follow a diet rich in fish may enjoy its heart benefits even in the presence of increased levels of mercury in the marine product, a new study shows.
The American Heart Association recommends the consumption of at least two servings of fish per week, suggesting that the high content of omega-3 fatty acids in fish has heart protecting properties.
Experts, however, claim the presence of mercury in fish may have negative effects on heart, stressing that it may be associated with certain health risks particularly in women of childbearing age and young children.
This is while Swedish researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that high levels of the compound in the blood may not influence the heart benefits of eating fish.
"The protective nutrients in fish override any harmful effect of mercury at these low levels of mercury," said Maria Wennberg, a public health researcher at Ume University and a member of the research team.
Wennberg cautioned that her study "does not discard the need of restrictions in consumption of fish high in mercury" including predators such as perch, shark, swordfish and halibut.
While the researchers found no association between the amounts of fish the study subjects ate each day -- or their blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids -- and their risk of developing heart disease or stroke, they did not call their study the last word on the subject.
Source: presstv.ir
