Essential Research in Seafood and Health
1. Study Name: Seafood Choices: Balancing Risks and Benefits
Authors: Institute of Medicine Committee on Nutrient Relationships in Seafood
Research Group/Institution: Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
Journal: IOM Report, October 2006
Summary: A comprehensive investigation into the risk benefit analysis of seafood consumption, this IOM report was established to assist federal agencies in guiding consumers in the decision making process. The report outlines health benefits of seafood consumption as well as potential risk factors associated with intake. Conclusions of the report recommend that adults consume seafood as part of a healthy diet and follow the dietary guidelines for consumption. The health benefits will be multiple from consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, the report notes that pregnant women and women who may become pregnant are encouraged to include seafood in their diets in accordance with the already established federal advisory.
2. Study Name: Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health
Authors: Dariush Mozaffarian, Eric Rimm, et al.
Research Group/Institution: Harvard Medical School
Journal: Journal of the American Medical Association, October 2006
Summary: In this critical research analysis from Harvard Medical School, the authors investigated the risks and benefits of consuming fish based on an in depth evaluation of current literature. The authors concluded that for an adult population, the varied health benefits of consuming fish one to two times per week greatly outweighs risks from exposure to contaminants such as methylmercury. In addition, the authors indicated that the benefit of consuming certain species of fish, notably those lower in methylmercury, for women of childbearing age also outweighs the risk.
3. Study name: A Quantitative Risk-Benefit Analysis of Changes in Population Fish Consumption
Authors: Joshua T. Cohen, et al.
Research Group/Institution: Harvard University School of Public Health, Harvard Center for Risk Analysis
Journal: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, October 2005
Summary: This analysis used an expert panel of scientists to analyze government advice to U.S. consumers regarding fish intake. The study cites that reducing fish intake has an overall negative affect on public health. The results of the Harvard analysis and investigation reveal that the health benefits of consuming fish – and omega-3 fatty acids – outweigh any potential risks of mercury contamination.
4. Study Name: Prenatal Methylmercury Exposure from Ocean Fish Consumption in the Seychelles Child Development Study
Authors: Gary Meyers, et al.
Research Group/Institution: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Journal: Lancet, June 2003
Summary: In this follow up to a well known study investigating the issue of mercury contamination in fish, the researchers investigated people living in the Republic of Seychelles, an area that relies on fish as a major staple in the diet. The study followed the children of women who consumed a large quantity of fish during their pregnancy, potentially more than ten times what American women typically consume. The children were assessed for a variety of functions including language, motor skills, and cognitive development. The University of Rochester Medical School study results revealed that the children’s possible prenatal exposure to mercury did not negatively affect brain function and development.
5. Study Name: Maternal Fish Consumption, Hair Mercury and Infant Cognition in a U.S. Cohort
Authors: Emily Oken, et al.
Research Group/Institution: Harvard Medical School
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives, June 2005
Summary: This research focused on the fish consumption of pregnant women and the potential impact on the brain development of the growing fetus. The infants were tested on a number of visual memory tests that are a sign of IQ level. The study authors encourage pregnant women to make healthy dietary choices that include servings of low mercury species of fish each week. According to the results of the Harvard Medical School study, mothers who consumed more fish during pregnancy had babies who scored higher on cognitive tests.
6. Study Name: Fish Intake During Pregnancy and Early Cognitive Development of Offspring
Authors: Julie Daniels, et al.
Research Group/Institution: University of North Carolina, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Journal: Epidemiology, June 2004
Summary: The purpose of this research study was to investigate a potential association between fish intake of pregnant women and the developmental abilities of their children. The study was conducted in Britain with more than 7,000 participants. The results of the University of North Carolina study indicate that a moderate intake of fish during pregnancy is beneficial for the development of the infant.
7. Study Name: Fish Consumption and Stroke Risk in Elderly Individuals: The Cardiovascular Health Study
Authors: Darriush Mozaffarian, et al.
Research Group/Institution: Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Journal: Archives of Internal Medicine, January 2005
Summary: In a study of more than 4,000 adults aged 65 years and older, the authors investigated a potential relationship between risk of stroke and the type of fish eaten. The study participants did not have a prior history of stroke. The results of this research indicate that fish consumption later in life may have positive health benefits in reducing risk of stroke. For older adults, consuming baked or broiled fish one to four times per week was associated with a decreased risk of stroke.
8. Study Name: Fish Consumption among Healthy Adults is Associated with Decreased Levels of Inflammatory Markers Related to Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Antonis Zampelas, et al.
Research Group/Institution: Harikopio University, Athens, Greece
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, July 2005
Summary: This Greek study consisting of more than 2,000 men and women assessed the relationship between fish intake and specific cardiovascular disease markers. The markers measured for cardiovascular disease risk are related to inflammation. The authors also note that omega-3 fatty acids consumed from fish sources may have a greater impact on the inflammatory markers than those found in supplemental form. The results of the study from this respected Greek university indicate that participants who consumed fish regularly had lower levels of these cardiovascular disease markers.
9. Study Name: Dietary Supplementation with n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Vitamin E After Myocardial Infarction: Results of the GISSI-Prevenzione Trial
Authors: GISSI-Prevenzione investigators
Research Group/Institution: GISSI Prevenzione Secondary Prevention Trial, Italy
Journal: Lancet, August 1999
Summary: This prevention trial that included more than 11,000 participants is considered one of the standards in research on omega-3 fatty acids. The study investigated the potential impact of omega-3 fatty acids on participants who had recently survived a myocardial infarction or heart attack. The results of the breakthrough Italian investigation indicate that omega-3 fatty acids have a positive effect on reducing the risk of death from a heart attack.
10. Study Name: Consumption of Fish and n-3 Fatty Acids and Risk of Incident Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Martha Claire Morris, et al.
Research Group/Institution: Rush Institute for Healthy Aging
Journal: Archives of Neurology, July 2003
Summary: This research investigation consisted of more than 800 older adult participants not affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The results indicate that regular consumption of fish and the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. In this study from Chicago’s Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, participants who consumed fish at least once a week had a much greater risk reduction for Alzheimer’s disease as compared to those participants who ate fish less often or not at all.
