Farmed Tilapia and Catfish are More Like Chicken than Fish

Fish are heart-healthy foods because they usually have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and low levels of omega-6's.. However, researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine show that farm-raised tilapia and catfish contain less than one-eighth the amount of omega-3's found in farmed salmon or trout. The tilapia and catfish also had much larger amounts of omega-6 acids than salmon or trout. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in tilapia and catfish averaged 11 to one, about the same as that of chicken (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, December 2008).

A crucial part of a healthful diet is the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s. Your immunity is supposed to be good for you by killing gems before they can harm you. However, if your immunity stays active, it starts to attack your own body to increase risk for heart attacks, certain cancers and even asthma and some types of arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids produce prostaglandins that turn down your immunity to help prevent inflammation and the health problems it can cause. Omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation. A major explanation for the high heart attack rate in North Americans is the high ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s in the diet that contains lots of omega-6s from vegetable oils and low amounts of omega-3's found in fish and seeds.

Few species of fish can grow and thrive on a diet of corn and plant oils. Salmon, trout and most other farmed fish must be fed fish meal and fish oils, which are good sources of omega-3's. However, tilapia and catfish can be raised on corn alone. Since corn-fed tilapia are inexpensive and abundant, they are the fifth most popular fish in America and are widely used for fish sticks, fish burgers and artificial crab (surimi). These are perfectly good foods, but to get the full benefit of omega-3's in seafood, choose oily fish such as salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, anchovies, mackerel or herring. More on omega-3's

Nuts Combat Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X)

Nuts are concentrated sources of fat and calories, but they are high in monounsaturated fats which are healthful. A new study from Spain shows that adding nuts to a Mediterranean diet helps to reverse Metabolic syndrome, defined as having three or more of the following: 1) abdominal obesity, 2) high triglycerides, 3) low HDL (good) cholesterol, 4) high blood sugar and 5) high blood pressure. More than 20 percent of North Americans have metabolic syndrome and are at high risk for diabetes. Many of these people will die prematurely, usually from a heart attack.

This study involved 1,200 men and women from 55 to 80 who followed one of three diets for one year. Sixty-one percent of the study group had metabolic syndrome. The first group followed a low-fat diet that reduced all types of fats. The second group ate a Mediterranean diet with at least four tablespoons of olive oil a day. The third group ate the Mediterranean diet with extra nuts. At the end of the study all three groups had improved, but those eating nuts had far fewer of the factors that make up metabolic syndrome. Most did this without restricting calories or losing weight, but they were able to reduce belly fat and lower cholesterol and blood pressure (Archives of Internal Medicine, December 2008).

Fats are classified by their chemical structure into saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Monounsaturated fats found in olives, avocados and many nuts and seeds help to prevent heart attacks. Before the bad LDL cholesterol can damage arteries, it must first be oxidize in your bloodstream. LDL cholesterol made from monounsaturated fats is highly resistant to oxidation, so it helps to prevent damage to arteries that can lead to a heart attack. The diet I recommend includes plenty of the good fats found in nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, olives, avocados, fish and shell fish.