Books about nutrition call it a "super" food.
Fresh salmon comes packed with protein, fatty acids and nutrients that the body needs. And during an Alaska summer, it's incredibly plentiful.
State health officials continue to study the state's fish and the residents who eat it, looking for evidence of mercury and other contaminants. Their current recommendation is no one -- not even children and pregnant women -- should restrict eating wild salmon caught from Alaska waters.
In fact, the more the better.
The American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults eat at least two meals of fish every week. Young Fisher, a registered dietitian at Alaska Regional Hospital, recommends as many as three weekly fish meals if people aren't allergic to it and like how it tastes.
Health officials in Alaska say they promote the state's salmon because the benefits of eating it outweigh the risks. The risks, including contamination by mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have received much media attention lately after articles published in professional journals.
"There's a lot of evidence out there that eating a lot of fatty fish reduces your risk for certain types of cancer, including breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer," said Tracey Lynn, an epidemiologist with the state health department. It also protects against developing diabetes, she said.
The reason? Not all fat is bad for you. One of salmon's most touted ingredients is essential omega-3 fatty acids that promote heart health. According to Fisher, there's no difference in omega-3 levels between fresh and frozen fish.
"They are essential because the human body can't produce them itself," Lynn said.
People need omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, but they're typically deficient in the omega-3 variety, Lynn said. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, as well as dark, leafy green vegetables and flaxseed oil, Lynn and Fisher said. The two types of omega-3 in salmon are eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids.
Alaska king salmon have the highest omega-3 levels, followed by pinks, reds and silvers, according to a chart published by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute using information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Omega-3 fatty acids come with a long list of health benefits. Studies show they help babies before they're born. More omega-3 in the diet means longer gestation periods for growing fetuses and heavier, healthier babies, Lynn said. It also leads to normal development of a baby's brain and eyes.
Health newsletters from Harvard and Tufts universities say omega-3 fatty acids also protect against cardiovascular disease. They may lower the risk of heart attacks and stroke, and they may reduce your chances of getting Alzheimer's disease.
The American Heart Association says omega-3 fatty acids make the blood less likely to clot. They also prevent plaque from forming along the lining of blood vessels. They encourage the heart to remain in normal rhythm, instead of falling into an arrhythmia that can cause the heart to stop beating -- one of the main causes of sudden cardiac death, Lynn said.
While high in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is low in saturated fat. Eating more fatty fish can lower overall cholesterol and triglyceride levels, Lynn said. Triglycerides are a type of fat that is found in the blood.
Salmon is also rich in nutrients like iron, iodine, calcium and a vitamin called choline, Lynn said.
Within the last year, studies and articles have put a spotlight on the levels of PCBs in the nation's fish. In January, the journal Science reported that farm-raised salmon had much higher levels of PCBs and other contaminants than wild salmon caught in Alaska; even so, the levels were much lower than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's limit, the Harvard Health Letter said. The federal Environmental Protection Agency, however, had stricter PCB standards than the FDA. The study suggested limiting consumption of farm-raised salmon.
Alaska is continuing its own salmon studies. The state health department is studying mercury levels in Alaska's pregnant women. Between July 2002 and December 2003, 150 pregnant women voluntarily submitted hair samples for mercury testing. The median level of mercury was .47 parts per million. The World Health Organization said mercury has no observable effect at levels as high as 14 parts per million. At high doses, mercury exposure can be fatal or cause severe neurological damage including tremors, memory loss and visual and hearing problems.
Since 2002, state health officials have collected and tested more than 1,100 fish for pollutants and heavy metals like mercury, said state veterinarian Bob Gerlach.
Preliminary results of heavy metals did not lead health officials to restrict consumption of fish from Alaska waters, he said. Official results of PCBs are not ready yet, but preliminary findings seem to be consistent with the low levels of contaminants detected in recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service studies of salmon from the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, Gerlach said.
Citing the most current data, Lynn said Alaskans shouldn't limit their fish consumption based on PCB concerns. PCBs are concentrated in the fish's skin and fatty layer just below the skin. People can cut that off if they want to minimize PCB exposure, Lynn said.
While studies show PCB levels in farmed salmon are higher than levels found in wild fish, they're still not high enough to restrict consumption, said Lynn and Lori Verbrugge, a toxicologist with the Alaska Division of Public Health.
"We would rather see people eating salmon in general compared to other alternatives," Lynn said.
Farmed salmon likely doesn't pose extra risks for children and women who are pregnant or of child-bearing age, Verbrugge said. But those who are more conservative might want to limit its consumption anyway, she said.
Daily News reporter Ann Potempa can be reached at 257-4581 or apotempa@adn.com.
