Study questions fish benefits

By Doug Donaldson

People who eat fish generally eat a healthier diet, which could be the reason they have healthy hearts, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology. People who consume the most omega-3 fatty acids from fish eat less saturated fat and more dietary fiber. In contrast, people who eat less fish and more meat consume more saturated fat and less fiber. The implication: Improved heart health attributed to fish consumption might be due to a healthier diet overall rather than the fish itself.
           
But the American Heart Association still recommends fish. “The study only examined people with diabetes,” says Alice Lichtenstein, Ph.D., immediate past chair of the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee and professor of nutrition at Tufts University. “The AHA still recommends two servings of fish a week because of the overwhelming data that indicates the health benefit.”