The Salmon Scare continued...
The American Heart Association maintains that eating two servings a week of
oily fish (like salmon) can help healthy adults ward off sudden cardiac
death, thanks to the protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids. The best
source of these omega-3 fatty acids is farmed salmon, though they're also
found in flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans, and oils made from these products.
Many longstanding studies have documented the health benefits of a diet rich
in omega-3 fatty acids and their role in guarding against heart disease.
More recent studies have indicated that omega-3s may even help keep your
mind agile and protect against Alzheimer's disease. And salmon, like other
fish, is an excellent, low-fat source of protein that many people enjoy
eating.
What can we conclude from this? It's a decision each of us needs to evaluate
personally, of course. But for most healthy adults, the health benefits of
salmon far outweigh the much smaller and less-clear risk that the PCBs found
in it could cause cancer. (Children and pregnant or nursing women may be at
increased risk of exposure to contaminants and should check with their
doctors for advice on eating all kinds of fish.)
Let's put the issue into perspective. The leading cause of death in the U.S.
-- causing 950,000 deaths a year -- is cardiovascular disease. Eating two
meals per week of fatty fish, such as salmon, can reduce the risk of fatal
heart disease by 40%. The dangers of eating salmon, meanwhile, are unclear,
largely theoretical, and based on studies in animals. The risks would appear
to be much smaller than that of developing heart disease.
If you are concerned about PCBs, remove the skin and dark flesh from your
salmon, and cook it so that the fat drips off -- thus reducing PCBs by 20%-
30%.
How Safe Is Our Beef Supply?
Because we eat so much beef in the U.S., it's especially important that we
be confident of its safety. The CDC says that the risk of a consumer in this
country contracting the human form of mad cow disease is "extremely small."
In testimony presented to the Senate, CDC Director Julie Gerberding said U.
S. authorities had taken adequate steps to reduce the risk.