How often do you eat fish???

[laine]

I was reading in 'Prevention Guide's Natural Cures' that: Quote: Eating fatty fish helped keep eyes lubricated in a new Brigham and Women's hospital study of 32,470 women. Compared with those who averaged less than one 4 ounce fish serving a week, those eating two to four weekly servings cut DES by 19%. Five to six servings lowered risk by a whopping 68%.

I went nearly my entire life without eating fish and just introduced it into my diet a couple of years ago. I now eat salmon about once or twice a week.
How often do you eat?
I wonder if fish just prevents people from getting dry eye or if it can actually help to heal existing dry eyes or at the very least minimize the pain and dryness?
Elaine

[calli66]

Please search guidelines for eating fish. Many are contaminated with heavy metals, and the toxicity may be harmful, especially for younger women of child-bearing age, because the toxins accumulate (not easily excreted) and can affect fetal development. Sorry, I don't have any links to websites right now- I'm using my old slow computer. I think the recommended amount for salmon is definitely LESS than twice a week. Maybe twice a month.

Fish tastes great, but if you're wanting the DES benefit, you can supplement with refined (cleaned) fish oils, too.
C66

[Cindy]

Environmental Working Group is a great resource.

EWG's Fish List: What Women should know about Mercury in Fish
http://www.ewg.org/reports/brainfood/sidebar.html

EWG's Fish advisories for mercury by state:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/brainfood...ory/index.html

[charmee]

Good is Bad!???

I have to chime in and agree about the fish as well.

Firstly, fish oil is very good for your eyes and the rest of your body. However, if you ate enough fish, you (very likely) would be getting dangerous amounts of heavy metals, because tiny amounts build up over time in the body to toxic levels. It's really sad, because we love fish. So many of us take fish oil capsules.

This actually happened to a friend of mine about 10 years ago. It took the doctors a while but they finally did a thorough blood test and they found very high levels of arsenic. He was eating shrimp, fish or squid several times a week. He looked great and felt awful!

As a mom I've learned that it's bad to feed my son canned tuna more than once a week because of mercury.

I was taking calcium daily for years, until I found out that my calcium pills, which were made from oyster shells, often have very high concentrations of heavy metals, especially lead.

So, it's a tricky business when good is bad! I now take 4 caps of a good quality fish oil and one of vitamin E and a multi-vitamin. If you take a lot of fish oil you need the vitamin E with it or it could lead to a deficiency.

Sheesh! As I write this NBC is reporting that many vitamin pills do not have what they are labeled to have, and it's sometimes even dangerous!

Charmee

[YGB]

I eat fish once or twice a week. The old adage is everything in moderation. I think that eating fish once or twice a week is good for the body and the dry eyes. You can pretty much look at every food and point to the downsides associated with it. However, fish has many more upsides (again in moderation). I always emphasize that wild caught fish is better than farm raised (i.e. less mercury and non-natural stuff). Eat fish periodically and enjoy. It does help dry eyes. A fish oil supplement taken daily also helps (I use the Carlson's Labs liquid form since it is closely monitored for purity and not the U.S. supplements that have little to no regulation). Bon appetit!

[laine]

salmon safe

From what I have read Wild Salmon is fairly low in mercury levels and toxins.

[YGB]

From what I have read Wild Salmon is fairly low in mercury levels and toxins.

Precisely. I know some folks who fear eating fish and choose instead to go to McDonald's or eat a frozen dinner with all kinds of preservatives. I say eat good fish and enjoy the benefits. However, you should still only eat fish once or twice a week. Everything should be done in moderation (is that Confucius?)

[Rebecca Petris]

Everything should be done in moderation

Sez the only DEZ user to make the top 25 most frequent posters in two months flat.

As to McDonalds all I can say is http://www.supersizeme.com

[YGB]

Sez the only DEZ user to make the top 25 most frequent posters in two months

Wow! Did I really do that? I suppose my moderation quote falls under the category of do as I say, not as I do. I am certain that my wife would agree.

Does this qualify me for a DEZ award that is similar to an Oscar except that the DEZ statue is putting drops in his eyes unlike the Oscar that is holding a trophy (I think that's what Oscar is holding)?

[Rebecca Petris]

Well, you might have been able to weasel a LacriLucre gift certificate from me (see below), but then you had to go and joke about that radio station thing. A mother of three young kids died

[YGB]

Oh well. I got close anyway. Just to state my case a little further I didn't really "joke" about the water gag that went awry. The leave the joking and sensationalism to the media. I just paralleled the Wee/radio station gag gone wrong to LASIK gone wrong. Both have risks, but the main difference is that LASIK has the magical informed consent form and is somehow insulated from broad media scrutiny. I made a "MASH" like statement when I tongue-in-cheek stated that it is a sad state of American journalism when they sensationalize a story about the radio station gig gone wrong, but for those 1-6% of LASIK cases that really go bad, there is nothing of any significance discussed about it. I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that LASIK is well advertised in media outlets? Of course, most of the public is in the dark of the inherent dangers of LASIK. That's no joke .