Seafood and Your Health

Seafood and its benefits as part of a healthy diet is a compelling and ongoing scientific issue. Researchers from NOAA and other science organizations continue to expand the breadth of knowledge in this area.

Seafood Dilemma - a Way Forward
Scientists from NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center published an article in May 2007 which includes recommendations for a standardized program of monitoring and user friendly labeling of seafood.

NOAA's West Coast Center of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health
This site provides more information on NOAA's research on the connections between oceans and human health, including seafood safety (i.e., chemical contaminants, biotoxins, and pathogens), water quality, sentinel species, and the role of environment and climate change.

Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks
This National Academies' Institute of Medicine new report is geared for consumer use and explores the contributions that seafood makes to diet with risks from contaminants.

Balancing Choices: Supporting Seafood Consumers' Decisions
This fact sheet by the National Institute of Medicine is a companion to the Seafood Choices article.

Studies champion omega-3s for slowing mental decline
This article by Stephen Daniells looks at Alzheimer's Disease in a European sample and seafood consumption.

Why Omega-3s Seem To Improve Mood
Medical News Today reports on a University of Pittsburgh study that investigates how omega 3 fatty acids improve mood through increased grey matter in the samples who took higher amounts of Omega 3s.

Maternal Seafood Consumption in Pregnancy and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Childhood
This National Institutes of Health report was published in The Lancet Medical Journal, Feb. 17, 2007 and reports that maternal input of less than 340 grams per week increased the likelihood of lower IQ than input greater than 340 grams per week.

USDA/Tufts: Fish Diet Cuts Risk of Dementia
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Tufts University shows that seafood reduces the risk of Alzheimer's Disease and decreased mental acuity with age.

New Study Shows the Benefits of Eating Fish Greatly Outweigh the Risks
The Harvard School of Public Health reports that the benefits of seafood in diet outweigh possible risks from environmental contaminants including PCBs and Methyl mercury.

Mercury in Seafood: Facts and Discrepancies
Dr. Michael Morrisey from the Oregon State University seeks to explore some of the confusing consumer messages regarding mercury in seafood.