The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a 109-page draft report yesterday that may prompt the agency to revise its seafood consumption advisory on methylmercury in seafood, last updated in 2004.
The comprehensive, peer-reviewed report assesses the latest research on seafood’s effects on heart health and neurological development.
According to the FDA, “Fish provide a source of easily digestible protein of high biological value, micronutrients including vitamins A and D, the minerals iodine and selenium, and high levels of the amino acids taurine, arginine and glutamine. Additionally, many fish provide a uniquely rich food source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, most notably docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).”
A number of studies have linked seafood consumption to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and have found that DHA is essential for central nervous system development, reports the FDA. Additional research suggests that seafood consumption during pregnancy and lactation and fetal, infant or child neurodevelopment are associated, says the agency.
“This report serves as strong evidence that it is time to review and revise [the mercury advisory],” says the National Fisheries Institute of McLean, Va. “We applaud the FDA for undertaking this important assessment and for presenting its work. Clear, independent efforts, like this one, on behalf of public health are an important part of improving what doctors, dietitians and consumers at large know about nutrition and health.”
Currently, the FDA and Environmental Protection Agency warn pregnant woman, nursing mothers and young children to avoid eating swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel and to limit albacore tuna consumption to 6 ounces per week due to the health risks tied to methylmercury, a neurotoxin. The agencies also advise them to eat up to 12 ounces, or two meals, of low-mercury seafood per week.
The report is available at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/mehg109.html.
