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New Guidelines Advise Americans to Eat Seafood Two Times a Week
New guidelines recommend that all Americans -- especially pregnant and nursing women and children -- eat seafood twice a week, despite the current concern about pollution contamination.
The guidelines summarize scientific findings presented at a conference held in Washington, D.C, reiterating that seafood helps people live longer and healthier lives, and cuts the risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, stroke, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The conference was sponsored by the governments of the United States, Norway, Canada, and Iceland, and assisted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Findings included:
- Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, iron and choline, present in fish such as wild and farmed salmon, shrimp, pollock, cod, canned light tuna and catfish, are important in brain development and may lessen the effects of dyslexia, autism, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, researchers have found, and some studies have linked those nutrients with increased intelligence in infants and young children.
- Regarding the concern about mercury contamination, the NOAA statement advises: "Women will not put their baby at risk if they avoid eating shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, tuna steaks and whale meat until after they have delivered and stopped breast feeding."
- For good measure, women planning to become pregnant should avoid these fish for six months beforehand.
- The recommendations have a 10-fold safety margin built in for precaution, which some scientists think is scaring people away from seafood.
- Evidence presented at the conference showed that selenium, another element present in ocean fish, neutralizes the effects of mercury acquired from foods.
- "Not eating seafood is more harmful than eating it," an official concluded.
Grilled Balsamic Shrimp
Shrimp in a balsamic vinegar marinade, cooked with onions and peppers on a pan grill.INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
- 1 onion, cut into chunks
- skewers
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, oil, garlic, basil, salt, and ground pepper. Place the shrimp, bell pepper, and onion in the bowl, and gently toss to coat. Cover, and allow to marinate at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Heat a pan grill over high heat. Alternately thread the shrimp, onion chunks, and pepper chunks on skewers.
- Place skewers on the pan grill, and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until shrimp is opaque.
