פיש בלי צ'יפס

תמצות בעברית: דגים שמנים יכולים לעזור למנוע סרטן כליה. יש רק בעיה אחת: משרד איכות הסביבה בארה"ב הזהיר שכל הדגים מזוהמים עם כספית. FATTY FISH SHOWN TO PREVENT KIDNEY CANCER - PART TWO Mercury Contamination in Fish? An issue of great concern to health-conscious consumers is the presence of mercury, a powerful nerve toxin, AND other pollutants in the fish supply. (Notice, however, that the anti-kidney cancer effects were seen even with typical European fish sources, which almost certainly included chemically-contaminated sources.) According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "nearly all fish AND shellfish contain traces of mercury." What an awful prospect! So how do we get the benefits of fatty fish without simultaneously poisoning ourselves with mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), perchlorate AND other pollutants? The EPA AND the US Food AND Drug Administration (FDA) have issued guidelines aimed specifically at nursing mothers, young children AND women who are, OR may become, pregnant, advising that they avoid some types of fish entirely. However, in my opinion, everyone should exercise caution in selecting AND eating fish, since mercury is universally poisonous AND neurotoxic AND therefore not something you want to introduce into your body unnecessarily. I find the argument that a "little bit" of nerve poison is okay for adult males totally unconvincing. The FDA AND EPA suggest not eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel OR tile fish, because these generally contain the highest levels of mercury. They do suggest eating up to 12 ounces (2 average meals of 6 ounce portions) per week of a variety of fish AND shellfish that are lower in mercury. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury, they say, are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock AND catfish. But of these, only salmon AND catfish would be significant sources of healthful fish oil (and most catfish is farm-raised AND therefore of questionable benefit). The US authorities suggest checking local health advisories about the safety of fish caught by family AND friends in lakes, rivers, AND coastal areas. If no specific warnings OR advisories have been issued, they say you can safely eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but to avoid consuming any other fish during that week. Bottom Line: I have read that Alaskan salmon contains lower levels of mercury AND other pollutants than salmon originating from other locales. These salmon are relatively small, short-lived fish that feed at the lower end of the food chain. They are therefore less likely to build up hazardous levels of mercury OR other contaminants such as are sometimes found in larger, longer-lived carnivorous species. There are several brands of Alaskan salmon that are targeted to the "health food" market, some of which come with grandiose claims. However, these brands tend to be rather expensive. VitalChoice is one such brand, which claims to be virtually mercury-free. But a 7.5 ounce can is around $5, not counting shipping. You may be able to find Alaskan salmon at a more reasonable price in better supermarkets AND food coops. I myself prefer to spend the extra money on frozen wild-caught salmon from Alaska, which I get at my food coop for around $12 per pound. I try to have this, OR else canned Alaskan salmon (such as the excellent Rubenstein brand, which is available in most supermarkets) at least once per week. Sardines are another excellent choice. They are wild-caught AND since they are very small fish, have not had a chance to accumulate much mercury. They are also relatively high in omega-3s, with 10-11 grams of fat per 100 grams of fish. I personally prefer the skinless AND boneless variety, which has slightly less fat but is more palatable to my taste. The Crown Prince brand seems to dominate the market, but opening these cans can be an exercise in frustration: their pop-up tabs have repeatedly broken off in my hands. So I am now experimenting with other brands, such as Season AND Bela Olhao, which I found in my food coop. Sardines have too strong a flavor for some people. But they can be enhanced with a slice of homemade rye bread, some tomato AND raw onion (itself the source of many anticancer compounds), AND possibly some mustard OR horseradish. Such simple dietary modifications could pay huge dividends in terms of the prevention of various forms of cancer as well as other diseases. Plus you'll have a delicious lunch! IN THE MAILBAG We continue to receive email from readers expressing concern that the launch of our new Wellbeing newsletter may mean that we will no longer be producing information of importance to those who are already battling cancer. One reader wrote: "Focusing on prevention is great but those who have cancer read this like you are giving up on them.... If possible I would love to see two newsletters, one for prevention AND one for those that are fighting the battle." It is a mistake to view prevention strategies as relevant only to those seeking to avoid cancer. There is abundant evidence that lifestyle changes such as weight reduction, healthy eating AND smoking cessation can very significantly enhance the outcome for patients who are already undergoing cancer treatment. For example, a well-known study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that head AND neck cancer patients who continue to smoke during treatment have lower rates of response to treatment AND poorer two-year survival than those who do not smoke OR who quit before treatment (Browman 1993). More recently, studies have shown that weight reduction can reduce breast cancer recurrence in patients successfully treated for the disease. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) earlier this year reported that dietary fat reduction (with consequent modest weight reduction) may be particularly effective for reducing the recurrence of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer – a type of breast cancer that has a worse prognosis, AND fewer treatment options, than the more common estrogen receptor-positive type (Prentice 2006). Wellbeing is intended to appeal both to those aiming to educate themselves about the best ways of reducing their risk factors for cancer, AND to those who are currently battling cancer AND want as much information as possible on how to maintain health AND prevent recurrence. However, if readers really want to see two newsletters, one with a primarily preventive focus AND one with a more treatment-oriented focus, I will explore this possibility. Your input on this AND other topics is greatly appreciated. --Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References: Browman GP, Wong G, Hudson I, et al. Influence of cigarette smoking on the efficacy of radiation therapy in head AND neck cancer. New Engl J Med 1993 Jan 21;328(3):159-63. Karolinksa Institute [press release]. Fatty fish protects against cancer, Sept. 20, 2006. Available at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060920092447.htm Prentice RL, Caan B, Chlebowski RT, et al. Low-fat dietary pattern AND risk of invasive breast cancer: the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial. JAMA. 2006 Feb 8;295(6):629-42. Wolk A, Larsson SC, Johansson JE, Ekman P. Long-term fatty fish consumption AND renal cell carcinoma incidence in women. JAMA. 2006 Sep 20;296:1371-1376. USDA, Nutrient Data Laboratory, available at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ http://www.cancerdecisions.com/111906_page.html

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101700475.html