by Vesanto Melina, Registered Dietitian
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Not long ago, fish was considered a health food. Yet in recent
times, we are getting some mighty confusing advice. We are told
by an expert on Canadian fish, Dr Judy Sheeshka, that people who
are concerned about organochlorines can simply cut off and drain
away as much fat as possible when cooking fish. She says,
"Consumers who are worried about the contaminant load can
greatly reduce their risks by trimming the fat off their fish.
Sixty to 90 percent of organochlorines can be removed this way." |
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But I thought that the fat, high in omega-3 fatty acids, was the
big selling point about fish, especially salmon, from a health
standpoint. So now, are we supposed to dump that contaminated
fat into the garbage? Sheeshka goes on to add "Not everyone who
eats fish is doing it for the health benefits, but everyone is
entitled to know how they can reduce their health risks. This is
one option; switching to safer species (than salmon) is another
option." (1) |
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Now what other species might that be? How about going out fishing,
sitting in the sunlight by a babbling brook and having a pleasant
Canadian recreational experience? Ontario’s monitoring program for
instance tests levels of toxic substances in between 4,000 and 6,000
fish per year from its lakes and rivers. Its website advises women who
are pregnant or planning to be pregnant, and children under 15 to eat
only those fish that have been given the "clear fish" symbol. We get the
message: on your way back from the fishing trip, it might be best to
stop by the chemical testing lab with your catch, before serving up your
trophy to the family. (2) (3) (4)
Because of their seafood-centred diets, Canadian Inuit women have six
times the level of PCBs in their breast milk, compared with women in
urban centres. Nunavik women are greatly concerned about breast-feeding
their infants, since the PCBs in their own bodies are passed along to
their breast-fed infants.(5) (6) Parents worry about developmental
delays and behavioural problems that tend to show up in children with
high intakes of these substances.
How about here in beautiful BC? Isn’t there some sort of barrier in
the oceans that protects our salmon from all the chemicals that have
been dumped for years? According to the BC Ministry of Water, Land and
Air Protection, our disposal practices for manure, sewage, and pulp and
paper mill effluent are affecting various species that live in our
waters: crabs with dioxin/furan and ocean shellfish and fish in rivers
with animal and human waste. (7) We’ve discovered that our BC pulp
mills’ practice of burning bark mulch that was soaked in seawater has
led to the release of plenty of dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins)
and furans. After we’ve chopped down the trees, getting rid of
"unutilized wood residue" seems to be a big problem. These toxic
emissions come from the burning of waste wood even when it isn’t soaked
in seawater, if the combustion temperature isn’t sufficiently high and
uniform. (8) So more dioxins go into the watery environment where fish
and shellfish live (or try to).
Instead of wild fish, should we resort to farmed salmon, despite the
lower percentage of their fat that is beneficial omega-3 fatty acids?
David Suzuki has given us his answer on that, and it adds up to a big
No. Scientists testing approximately two tons of farmed and wild salmon
found the farmed salmon to be even more highly contaminated. In fact, if
we go by US Environmental Protection Agency consumption guidelines, we
would be advised not to eat more than one meal per month of BC farmed
fish (unless you’re a child or pregnant, in which case, eat much less,
perhaps just a nibble. (9)
At a North American national risk communication conference for the
fishing industry, environmental and health representatives, scientists
and tribal groups, a major theme was how to communicate the message that
fish are chemically contaminated. Hot topics at the conference were the
following chemicals of concern: mercury, brominated flame retardants
(polybrominated diphenyl ethers or BDEs), dioxins and coplanar PCBs,
lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. (10) Pregnant or not, those
don’t sound like anything I want on my menu.
How about just sitting in the sunlight by a babbling brook, having a
nice recreational experience, without feeling the need to kill wildlife
at the same time, and munching on a tuna-like carrot and tahini
sandwich, and a enjoying a warming Thermos of green sea soup.
Green Sea Soup
This simple, flavourful soup is high in protein, and gives you
staying power between meals; it is an excellent choice for weight
management. It is cooked in an hour, though longer cooking allows the
flavour to develop. It freezes well, so you may want to make a double
batch and freeze portions for days when you don't feel like cooking. The
optional sea vegetables are high in calcium and other minerals; they
bring a whiff of the ocean to this hearty soup.
1 1/2 cups dry split peas
5 cups water
1 to 2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 leek, sliced or 1cup onion
1 tsp each marjoram, basil and cumin
2 tbsp dry hijiki or wakame seaweed (optional)
Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, then
lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 hours to develop flavour. Makes 6
cups.
Carrot and Tahini Sandwich Filling
This filling has a tuna-like texture. For the best effect, be sure to
grate the carrots finely. Tahini is nutritious and tasty sesame seed
butter. Flavours can vary, so you may want to try a few brands. By far
the tastiest brand that I’ve found is Country Fresh organic sesame
butter, available at Capers.
1 medium carrot, finely grated
2 tbsp sesame tahini
1 tsp Nayonnaise or soy mayonnaise
1 tbsp diced celery
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp kelp powder
1 tbsp diced onion (optional)
1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Use as a filling for one
sandwich, or as a spread. Makes 1/2 cup.
REFERENCES:
(1) Communication to members of Dietitians of Canada from J Sheeshka,
Guelph Ontario.
(2) The 2003 - 2004 Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/guide/index.htm
(3) Ontario Ministry of the Environment sport fish contaminant
monitoring program.
(4) Dietary Intakes and Plasma Organochlorine Contaminant Levels
Among Great Lakes Fish Eaters by DC Cole, J Sheeshka, EJ Murkin, J
Kearney, F Scott, LA Ferron, J-P Weber. Archives of Environmental
Health, Sept-Oct 2002.
(5) The Arctic, Where Mother's Milk Is Toxic
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1295/12_64/67921051/p1/article.jhtml
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2003/6054/6054.pdf
(6) P Ayotte, G Muckle, J Jacobson, S Jacobson, and É Dewailly.
Assessment of Pre- and Postnatal Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls:
Lessons from the Inuit Cohort Study.
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2003/6054/6054.pdf
(7) Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Water, Land and Air
Protection. Water Quality, Understanding Non-Point Source Pollution in
BC.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/bmps/npsaction.html
(8) AMEC Forest Industry Consulting. Summary Report: Multi-pollutant
Emission Reduction Analysis Foundation (MERAF) for the Lumber and Allied
Wood Products Sector Prepared for: Environment Canada and The Canadian
Council of Ministers of Environment (CCME). September 30, 2002
(9) The Honourable Stuart M. Leggatt. Clear Choices, Clean Waters
Report and Recommendations. The Leggatt Inquiry Into Salmon Farming In
British Columbia. www.davidsuzuki.org/files/Leggatt_reportfinal.pdf
(10) US Environmental Protection Agency, the Minnesota Department of
Health, and the Society for Risk Analysis. National Risk Communication
Conference.
Vesanto Melina is a registered dietitian, author, speaker, consultant and
workshop leader. She is co-author of numerous books including the
classic bestsellers "The New Becoming Vegetarian" and "Becoming Vegetarian". Article: summer 2004.
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