Forget the toxins ... eat fish for your heart

LONDON - Eating up to four portions of oily fish a week poses little risk of a build-up of toxins in the body and gives a major boost to the heart, say British Government food experts.

The advice, issued after an investigation lasting nearly a year, quadruples the amount of oily fish such as mackerel, tuna and salmon that people had previously been advised to eat each week.

"Eating just one portion of oily fish a week has clear-cut health benefits," said Food Standards Agency head John Krebs.

"This extensive review of the scientific evidence has reduced the uncertainty about how much oily fish people can safely eat without the benefits being outweighed by the risks."

The agency said its new advice applied to men, boys and women past child-bearing age.

Girls and women likely to become pregnant at some stage should limit their fish intake to two portions a week to avoid any possible build-up of toxins that might be passed on in the womb.

The agency said oily fish was well-established as a major contributor to fighting heart disease, which killed 117,500 people in Britain alone in 2002.

On average, Britons eat just one-third of a portion of oily fish each week, with most completely excluding it from their diets.

In recent years there have been several scares about the levels of toxins such as dioxins and PCBs in fish.

One study of farmed salmon said the levels of harmful chemicals were so high they should be eaten sparingly.

But Mr Krebs said the levels found in farmed salmon "fall within the guidelines".

- REUTERS