Originally published October 5 2005
Fish should figure largely in American childrens' diets
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Recent statements issued by the American Heart Association and the U.S. Tuna Foundation encouraged parents to make fish a regular part of their children's diet.
The U.S. Tuna Foundation (USTF) today said that new dietary guidelines for children and adolescents issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics underscores the important health benefits of canned tuna and other fish for children during their formative years.
In making this recommendation, AHA reviewed the most current science on the prevention of cardiovascular risk factors beginning at a young age and concluded "fish is an important food with growing evidence of potential benefit."
This is because fish, such as canned tuna, is rich in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are important for child growth and development and associated with a lower risk of heart disease later in life.
For this reason, AHA's dietary recommendations for children aged 2 years and older stress a diet that primarily relies on fish, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low- fat dairy products, beans and lean meat.
To address the obesity epidemic, which now affects an estimated 9 million children aged 6 to 19 years (15 percent of all U.S. children), AHA's new guidelines call for the consumption of nutrient-dense foods, such as canned tuna.
Canned tuna is low in fat and very low in calories compared to other protein sources.
There are 116 calories in a 100-gram serving of canned tuna packed in water compared with 208 calories in the same serving of turkey.
"The overall benefits of fish for growing children, especially those fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein like canned tuna, have never been more apparent," said Barbara J. Moore, Ph.D., president and CEO of Shape Up America!
and a member of the Tuna Nutrition Council, which advises the U.S. Tuna Foundation (USTF) on nutrition and public health matters.
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