Omega 3 and fish – what’s the latest advice?

The International Seafood and Health Conference took place in Melbourne in November 2010. This was a great gathering of international experts and top scientists who presented cutting edge research on this important topic.

We often hear about omega-3 fats being a panacea for good health, with claims made that range from increasing your child’s intelligence and learning ability, through to reducing risk of heart disease and helping those with arthritis. But what’s the latest scientific evidence saying? And how much seafood should we be eating for optimal health.

Here is a summary of my take on the latest evidence, and what it means for you:

Nutrients in fish
Fish is a good source of protein, is one of the richest sources of the beneficial long chain omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) and provides B vitamins, iodine, selenium, zinc, iron, and (if eaten with the bones) some calcium.

Chronic disease
There is good evidence that omega-3 fatty acids provide protection against heart disease, they have an anti-thrombotic effect, and help to reduce triglycerides. Recent research is also suggestive of a protective effect against some types of cancer (for example colon cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer) although we do need to see a lot more evidence before we can make firm recommendations in this area. The protein in fish may help you to feel fuller for longer. But if you are on a weight-reducing diet then obviously you need to be thinking about other aspects of your diet as well, along with increasing your activity levels. Another interesting area of research is rheumatoid arthritis and some evidence seems to suggest that a supplement of fish oils (about 2.7g per day) can be helpful in reducing morning stiffness and reducing tenderness in the joints.

Learning and development among kids
There is lots of fascinating research in this area. We know that DHA is an important constituent of the brain and that infants born pre-term need extra DHA in their diet – but will providing extra DHA be helpful for normal healthy children? Some research suggests a beneficial effect of eating fish 1-3 times a week during pregnancy on the neurodevelopment of offspring, however overall results from the research in this area are mixed. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last month showed that omega-3 supplements during pregnancy may be effective in preventing cognitive delay in some susceptible children, but overall there was no significant benefit in terms of neurodevelopment. We certainly need to see a lot more research in this area to determine if increasing omega-3 intakes during pregnancy will be beneficial. In the meantime, I would certainly suggest that fish is a great food to eat when you are pregnant – just make sure intake of the longer-lived and larger species are limited (such as shark, swordfish and marlin) to reduce risk of mercury toxicity.

Staying healthy in older age
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that omega-3 may be important for good cognitive function later in life and for reducing risk of dementia. We need to see a lot more research here as well – but early results are promising so my advice would be for those of us who are a little older to keep up with a good intake of fish! That means at least one to two portions of oily fish a week.

Current advice
So, overall, fish provides a great, nutrient-dense package of goodness. It’s quick and easy to cook (take a look at www.greatestmeal.co.nz for some great recipe ideas and cooking tips) and may help cognitive development in the young, may reduce cognitive decline in older people, and may help alleviating symptoms and reducing the risk of a range of chronic diseases.

It’s a very exciting area of research and there are many studies currently underway both here in New Zealand and overseas. Watch this space for more on this important area of research as it becomes available. In the meantime, my advice is to have at least one to two portions of fish per week – with a focus on the oily varieties, which provide a good amount of those all important omega-3 fatty acids.