New Studies Confirm Everyone Benefits From Eating Fish

Underscores the Benefits of Canned Tuna

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study presented to the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAS) reveals that
teens whose mothers maintained high fish diets during their pregnancy
outperformed teens whose mothers ate less seafood. Philip W. Davidson,
professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine and psychiatry at the
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, presented
the findings.

Conducted in the Seychelles Islands where the consumption of seafood
is between 12 and 14 fish meals a week compared to an average of one
meal a week in the U.S, the study has tracked the health status of
children since birth whose mothers consumed ten times more mercury
during pregnancy than U.S. mothers. After almost 16 years, all 789
children are healthy and "the large consumption of seafood appeared to
benefit the children in some developmental aspects." In fact, these
children outperformed other children whose mothers consumed less fish
during pregnancy in language, drawing and copy motor skills, according
to Dr. Davison.

The new findings from the Seychelles come after a long-term study of
14,000 British children provided new insights into the beneficial
effects of the essential omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. In
January, Dr. Jo Hibbeln from the National Institutes of Health
reported that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids found in pregnant
women's diets helped determine a child's intelligence, motor skills
and behavior. According to Dr. Hibbeln's analysis, children of
pregnant women whose diets had the least amount of omega-3 fatty acids
had verbal IQ's six points lower than the average.

The new Seychelles data also reflect the real world experience of high
fish-consuming countries like Japan and the United Kingdom. Studies in
these countries find that although fish consumption and mercury levels
are higher than in the U.S., children have no neurological problems.
In fact, recent data from the National Institute for Minamata Disease
in Japan, show that the Japanese, who eat an average of 145.7 pounds
of tuna and other fish a year compared to only 16.6 pounds for the
average American, have healthier children who score extremely high on
math, science and IQ tests.

Putting these findings into perspective, Conrad Shamlaye, an
epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health in the Seychelles, said:
"If these people ate 10 times the level of fish with no problems, then
Americans should not worry about consuming fish."

But, according to information from the U.S. Tuna Foundation,
misinformation is confusing the public and turning them away from fish
and canned tuna. According to a national Nielsen panel of 60,000
Americans, millions of American families are no longer consuming
canned tuna, including lower-income consumers who are most affected by
obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. At the same time, a poll for the
University of Maryland by Opinion Research Corporation finds that
almost one-third of the public (31 percent) reports being concerned
about the amount of mercury in fish and shellfish and as a result,
many consumers are cutting back on the amount of seafood they eat.

"I cannot understand how special interest groups can put their
political agenda above the public health," said David Burney, United
States Tuna Foundation Executive Director. "I am asking these
organizations to stop scaring the public and to help us get out an
accurate message that will benefit all Americans, especially lower
income and elderly Americans."

Canned tuna provides a number of important health benefits and is a
primary source of fish for lower and middle class American families.
Researchers at Harvard found that if Americans reduce their fish
consumption out of confusion about mercury, there will be serious
public health consequences, notably higher death rates from heart
disease and stroke.

"From the standpoint of public health, the real risk for the public is
not getting enough fish and canned tuna in the diet," said Burney. "We
need to end the confusion over mercury in fish for the welfare of all
Americans and especially low income consumers whose health will
benefit the most from consuming fish and canned tuna on a regular
basis. Those who depend on canned tuna the most need to know how
healthy and safe this product is."

More information about canned tuna and its health benefits is
available at the USTF Web site, http://www.tunafacts.com.

Established in 1976, the US Tuna Foundation (USTF) is the national
organization representing the canned tuna processors and the fishermen
who supply them and addresses issues ranging from fishing access
arrangements to federal and state regulations and domestic marketing.
SOURCE US Tuna Foundation