Dietitian Heather Miller, who holds clinics in Balla, Castlebar and Ballindine this week talks about Omega 3.
Benefits of eating oily fish include: maintenance of healthy joints, healthy development of your baby, and lower risk of heart and blood vessel disease.
Fish/seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids include: tuna (fresh ), salmon (fresh ), herring, pilchards, mackerel, trout (rainbow ), shrimp, and crab.
Do not forget canned fish counts, but some brands of tuna may have the Omega-3 oils removed during processing so check the labels.
How much should I eat?
To get the most benefit, adults and children over 12 are advised to eat two portions of fish per week (a portion is about 140g cooked ), one of which should be oily.
Younger children will need less: 18 months to three years — a third of a portion; four to six years — half a portion; seven to 11 years— two thirds of a portion.
Be careful if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, only have two portions of fish per week. Shark, marlin, and swordfish contain mercury and should be avoided.
Supplements
There are currently no recommendations for supplement use but the following guidelines may be useful:
Check labels for DHA/EPA content.
Stick to the amount in two to four portions of fish (450 to 900mg EPA/DHA ).
Choose an appropriate supplement for children.
If you want to make an appointment with Heather Miller call her on 087 172 3664 or email [email protected]
Heather Miller has clinics in Balla Medical centre, Balla; 24 St Patrick’s Avenue, Castlebar; and Healthwest Pharmacy, Ballindine.
