G O O D A N D H E A L T H Y
Here’s the
C h o o se wis
to get all th
grilled bass w ith
lemon and herbs
Recipe on page 192
by MARGE PERRY photos ANDY LYONS food styling JILL LUST
shellfish provide lean protein that’s low in saturated fat and high in
essential omega
-3
fatty acids.
“We should all eat a variety of fish and seafood—at least a couple of
servings per week,” says Harvard researcher Dariush Mozaffarian,
M.D. Analyzing more than
20
studies worldwide, he found
1-2
servings of fish per week, especially those high in omega-
3
s such as
salmon, reduced risk of fatal heart disease by
36
percent.
To maximize the benefits, it’s important to choose fish that are low
in harmful chemicals. For more, see “Making Smart Choices”
right.
making
smart
choices
Along with benefits of fish
com e w arnings. Som e species
are laden with m ercury and
other toxins, and som e teeter
near the edge of extinction.
H ere’s how to choose.
• Avoid species that are
prone to methylmercury
contamination. W om en who
are or may be pregnant, nursing
women, and children under age
2 should limit white tuna to
once per week, says Dariush
Mozaffarian, M.D., a Harvard
researcher who studies the
relationship between diet and
disease. Those at risk should
also avoid large, long-lived fish,
such as swordfish, king
mackerel, shark, and tilefish. For
all other healthy adults there is
limited evidence for harmful
effects of low-level m ercury
exposure from eating fish,
Mozaffarian says.
• PCBs, industrial com pounds
that made their way into our
water before they were
banned in 1977, can be found
in the fatty tissue of som e
fish. To m inim ize your
consum ption, remove skin
from fish before cooking.
• To make sure that you’re
eating species that are not in
danger of being overfished,
consult the seafood guides at
s e a fo o d w a t c h .o rg
or
e d f.o rg .
190 JUNE
2009
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
