Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
>
> Don't Take the Bait-Fish is Not a Health Food
>
> Physicians Committee
> pcrm.org
>
> Here are four facts you may not know about fish:
>
> 1. Fish is high in cholesterol.
>
> Touted as a health food, fish has a reputation for being
> heart-healthy. People who opt for fish to try to protect
> their hearts might not realize that fish is often high in
> cholesterol.
>
> While a 3-ounce T-bone steak contains 70 milligrams of
> cholesterol, three ounces of shrimp contain 161
> milligrams. Numerous studies have shown that dietary
> cholesterol consumption corresponds with an increased
> risk for artery blockage.
>
> The good news is that by eliminating foods that contain
> cholesterol, like fish, and opting for naturally
> cholesterol-free plant foods, people can reduce both
> their cholesterol levels and their risk of heart disease.
> Research has shown that every 1 percent reduction in
> cholesterol can reduce heart disease risk by 2 percent.
>
> 2. Most of the fat in fish is not heart-healthy fat.
>
> While fish does contain omega-3 fats, most of the fat in
> fish is not heart healthy. Between 15 and 30 percent of
> the fat in fish is actually saturated fat, which
> stimulates the liver to produce more cholesterol. High-
> fat foods are associated with poor heart health outcomes.
>
> Fish is often celebrated for being low in fat, but this
> is often not the case: 52 percent of the calories in
> Chinook salmon come from fat. Plant foods, on the other
> hand, are often naturally low in fat. Only 2 percent of
> the calories in rice and 4 percent of the calories in
> beans come from fat. Research has shown that diets low in
> fat are best for preventing heart disease.
>
> In 1990, Dean Ornish, M.D., demonstrated that a low-fat
> vegetarian diet is capable of reversing heart disease. He
> put patients with heart disease on a low-fat, plant-based
> diet, and in one year, 82 percent showed a measurable
> reversal of their coronary artery blockages.
>
> 3. Supplementing with fish oil may do more harm than
> good.
>
> In recent years, fish oil has been hailed as a miracle
> cure for everything from heart disease to dementia. Many
> people supplement with fish oil to increase their intake
> of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for
> maintaining cellular function. Unfortunately, studies
> have shown that most of the health claims associated with
> fish oil may be unfounded.
>
> A comprehensive Journal of the American Medical
> Association analysis involving 20 studies and more than
> 68,000 patients showed no link between fish oil and heart
> health. Similarly, a study published in the New England
> Journal of Medicine reported that patients who
> supplemented with fish oil did not reduce their risk of
> heart disease.
>
> Additionally, recent reports indicate no association
> between fish oil supplementation and the prevention or
> improvement of dementia symptoms. Research has even shown
> that omega-3 supplements may increase diabetes and
> prostate cancer risk. Fortunately, many plant foods
> contain alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, which is the only
> essential omega-3 fatty acid. Excellent sources of ALA
> include walnuts, soybeans, leafy greens, flaxseed,
> avocado, and broccoli.
>
> By eating a diet rich in these foods, people can reap all
> the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids without any of the
> side effects associated with fish consumption. Research
> has even shown that women who follow vegan diets have
> higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood than
> those who consume diets rich in fish, meat, and dairy.
>
> 4. Fish are full of pollutants.
>
> Because fish and shellfish live in increasingly polluted
> environments, toxins from the water accumulate in their
> bodies. Studies have shown that most of the fish
> throughout the world contain dangerously high levels of
> mercury.
>
> Exposure to mercury, which is a toxic metal, has serious
> health consequences, including increased risk for cancer,
> heart disease, and even death. A recent study revealed a
> link between mercury exposure and diabetes. Among nearly
> 3,000 participants, those who consumed the most mercury
> over an 18-year period had a 65 percent greater risk for
> developing diabetes.
>
> Fish also contain unsafe levels of polychlorinated
> biphenyls, which are dangerous chemicals that have been
> linked to neurological problems and birth defects in
> babies who have been exposed. A plant-based diet
> automatically reduces exposure to these toxins.
>
> This site does not provide medical or legal advice. This
> Web site is for informational purposes only.
>
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> 5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste.400, Washington DC, 20016
> Email:
>
http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-to...-a-health-food
Forget Eating Fish - The least likely of all places in
the world to find an uncontaminated fish is...
Excerpt:
Forget Eating Fish
The least likely of all places in the world to find an uncontaminated
fish is in the United States. We have the dubious distinction of
being the world's largest producer of pesticides. We use 1.1 billion
pounds of pesticides a year -- about five pounds for every member of
the population. This amounts to 30% of the entire world's use. You
may be wondering if any fish are safe. Even for research purposes, it
is impossible now for scientists to find fish anywhere in U.S. waters
which do not carry toxic chemicals in their flesh.
A major study reported in Tufts University's Diet and Nutrition
Letter compared the offspring of 242 women who ate varying amounts of
fish from Lake Michigan. The study found that the more fish the
mothers had eaten, the more their babies showed abnormal reflexes,
general weakness, slower response to stimuli, and various signs of
depression. Even mothers eating the fish two or three times a month
produced babies weighing seven to nine ounces less at birth, with
smaller heads. To learn about contaminated fish in other U.S. waters,
please refer to the sources provided below.
- Pimentel, D., "Pesticides . . ." BioScienc 27, March, 1977
- Pimentel, D., "Realities of a Pesticide Ban" Environment, March,
1973
- Turner, J., "A Chemical Feast: Report on the Food and Drug
Administration," Grossman, 1970
- "Infant Abnormalities Linked to PCB Contaminated Fish" Vegetarian
Times, November, 1984
- Robbins, John, "Diet for A New America" Stillpoint Publishing,
1987, pg. 334
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
http://tinyurl.com/JaiMaharaj