Eating fish does not protect against heart failure
A NEW study from the Netherlands reports that eating fish does not protect against heart failure. This new work, published in the European Journal of Heart Failure, found that after 11 years of follow-up of over 5,000 men and women, almost 670 had heart failure. Those who consumed the most fish gained no protective effect, compared with others. The research was part of the Rotterdam Study in the Netherlands where, like all Western nations, heart failure is common. The findings have been welcomed by leading health charity, the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation (VVF), who have recently published a scientific report The Fish Report stating the case against fish as a health food. VVF senior health campaigner, Dr Justine Butler, says: “These findings add to previous studies that show how fish or fish oil supplements can actually increase the risk of heart disease. While some studies indicate short-term heart health benefits, numerous longer-term studies, like this one, show that oily fish do not protect against heart failure. One explanation researchers suggest for this is that the negative effects of oily fish and fish oil supplements are due to the cumulative harmful effects of pollutants found in fish, especially mercury. In other words, the toxic pollutants in fish and fish oil supplements taken over time may cancel out the beneficial effects of the omega-3 fats they contain. You are better off getting your omega-3s from safer plant-based sources such as flaxseed oil or algal supplements”. The VVF’s Fish Report describes why fish oils are not the magic bullet the fish industry would have us believe. It examines the science behind the health claims and reveals the research the fish industry would rather ignore. It describes why omega-3 fatty acids are important and explains why plant-based oils are better for human health and the environment. It also describes what toxic substances are found in fish and reveals how harmful they can be. It explains why public health policies promoting oily fish are misplaced and undermine more effective and sustainable strategies. To read The Fish Report, please visit www.vvf.org.uk/campaigns/fish, visit www.vegetarian.org.uk/shop to order a copy for £2 plus p+p. ENDS For more information about this media release, please call 0117 970 5190 to speak to Dr Butler, or 0117 944 1000 to speak to press officer Helen Rossiter, or email info@vegetarian.org.uk or press@vegetarian.org.uk. Out-of-hours media mobile: 07939 051351 Notes to Editors – On average, people in the UK eat only a third of a portion of oily fish a week. In any week, seven out of ten don’t eat any oily fish at all – Numerous studies show that plant-based omega-3s can protect health – Oily fish and fish oil supplements have been shown to increase the risk of heart attack – Getting the balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fats may be more important than how much omega-3 you eat – If oily fish were essential for good brain function, vegetarians would fail at school and university if they do not – The PCB’s, dioxins and mercury in fish ensure that they carry a government health warning – As well as a frequently underestimated source of food poisoning, fish also contain substances that, when overcooked, can lead to cancer – Farmed fish contain even less of the ‘good’ fats than their wild counterparts
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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