The new report, Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks, from the Institute of Medicine (released today) provides a summary of current seafood consumption patterns and how those patterns have changed over time. The report is based on available data on contaminants and the nutrient content of some types of seafood. The report also compares nutrient intakes when seafood is substituted for other animal protein sources. The report summarizes recommendations for seafood consumption by government and nongovernment groups in the United States and abroad.
At a public briefing today, Dr. Malden Nesheim (Chair, committee on nutrient relationships in seafood: selections to balance benefits and risks) noted that on the basis of our analysis of the available evidence and data on consumption patterns, the committee developed guidance on seafood consumption for each of four population subgroups:
"1. Women who are or may become pregnant or who are breast-feeding may benefit from eating seafood, especially those kinds which have relatively higher concentrations of EPA and DHA. A reasonable amount would be two 3-ounce servings per week, but they can safely consume up to 12 ounces per week. They can consume up to 6 ounces of white tuna -- that is, albacore -- weekly, and should avoid eating large predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel.
2. Children ages 12 and under are given the same guidance as pregnant women, except that serving sizes should be age-appropriate.
3. Adolescent and adult males and women who will not become pregnant may reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease by eating seafood regularly -- for example, two 3-ounce servings per week. Those who consume more than two servings per week should choose a variety of seafood to reduce risk for exposure to contaminants from a single source.
4. Adult men and females who are at risk of coronary heart disease may reduce that risk by consuming seafood regularly -- for example, two 3-ounce servings per week. There may be additional benefits from including seafood selections high in EPA and DHA, although supporting evidence is limited.
In the committee's judgment, age, gender, pregnancy, and breast-feeding are the factors that distinguish among these target groups who face different benefit-risk trade-offs. An additional target group explored was individuals at risk of coronary heart disease. However, the evidence is insufficient to warrant guidance to this group that is different from the advice given to the general population. Our report includes a decision pathway that considers the factors of age, gender, pregnancy, and lactation. This decision pathway illustrates our final analysis of the balance between benefits and risks associated with seafood consumption.
An additional outcome of the committee's analysis is a set of recommendations to assist NOAA and other agencies in developing, designing, and disseminating guidance that can help consumers select seafood to obtain the optimal balance between nutritional benefits and exposure to potential toxicants. The report recommends that federal agencies support the position that seafood is part of a healthy diet, because it can substitute for other protein sources higher in saturated fat and often improves the overall nutrient content of the diet. However, given that pregnant women or those who may become pregnant are particularly susceptible to risks from exposure to contaminants and bacterial toxins, federal agencies should inform them that a healthy diet can include seafood as long as any consumption stays within federal guidelines for specific seafoods and within state advisories for locally caught fish.
The committee considered the context within which consumers make seafood choices, such as individual differences in taste, preference, beliefs, attitudes, and situations. Therefore, consumer guidance should be structured to support decision-making and to allow consumers easy access to information. Offering useful guidance on seafood choices will require agencies to develop ways to integrate information about benefits and risks in messages to consumers, including those who may be more vulnerable than the general population. The use of tailored messages and community-level involvement on an ongoing basis will likely improve the effectiveness of communication between federal agencies and target populations. The committee has provided several graphical illustrations of the relationships between the omega-3 fatty acid profile of various types of seafood and their methylmercury content as examples of how information might be presented visually.
To provide the best consumption advice to the general population and specific subgroups, federal agencies should increase monitoring of methylmercury and persistent organic pollutants in seafood and make the results readily available to the public. This is especially important due to the changing sources and availability of types of seafood.
The committee recommends that federal agencies work with one another and with state public health agencies to develop an interagency task force to coordinate data and communications on seafood consumption benefits, risks, and related issues, such as fish supplies and seafood sources. This task force should also begin to develop a communication program to help consumers make informed decisions about seafood consumption. Empirical evaluation of consumers' needs and the effectiveness of communications should also be an integral part of the program.
For most of the general population, following accepted dietary guidelines when making seafood choices will balance benefits and risks. For specific groups of people, including women who are or may become pregnant, infants, and those who are at risk for cardiovascular disease, making balanced seafood choices requires that these consumers consider both nutrients and contaminants that may be present in seafood, and that they are given useful information on both benefits and risks simultaneously to inform their choices."
Source: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=10172006
The report can be ordered from the National Academies Press at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11762.html
An 8-page report brief is available at:
http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/37/683/11762_Seafood%20Choices%20Report%20Brief.pdf
A fact sheet with consumer guidance is available at:
http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/37/686/11762_Seafood%20Choices%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
An archived audio webcast of the public briefing to release a new report, Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks, from the Institute of Medicine is available at: http://www.connectlive.com/events/nas1006
The news release is at:
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=11762
Pamela Tom
University of California
Sea Grant Extension Program
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