The debate over the relative risks and benefits of eating seafood veered toward the benefits recently. Two authoritative scientific assessments concluded that for most people, the health benefits of eating finfish and shellfish clearly exceed any risks from contamination by toxic chemicals, heavy metals or microbes. Even vulnerable groups, like pregnant women and young children, could benefit by eating more fish if they avoided the most contaminated species. Both studies were financed by U.S. agencies, insulating them from commercial influences. The Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences judged seafood to be a good source of high-quality protein that is low in saturated fat and rich in many vitamins and minerals. It found that eating fish can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Infants whose mothers ate fish while pregnant might also benefit from longer gestation and better vision and brain development. Pregnant or breast-feeding women and young children should avoid large predatory fish shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel and limit their intake of albacore tuna to avoid exposure to contaminants.
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