Lobster Fact Blog

The heart-healthy benefits of eating seafood overshadow any risk posed by mercury or other dangerous contaminants, the Institute of Medicine reported this week. Still, consumers are perplexed and need help figuring out which fish and shellfish they should eat, according to the institute, which advises the government on health policy. “The confusion may have scared people out of eating something that is beneficial for them and maybe for their offspring,” said Jose Ordovas, a Tufts University researcher and member of the report committee. “Our goal was to put both things in perspective and see where is the balance,” Ordovas said. Findings from the institute are in line with widely accepted government advice that eating fish and shellfish may reduce people’s risk of developing heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.