Staying Healthy

Is it safe to eat fish?

Ask the doctor

You recommend eating fish twice a week. However, I've read that fish contain toxins and microplastics. Is it really safe to eat fish?

The bottom line: Fish is an important part of a healthy diet because the benefits outweigh the risks. Studies involving hundreds of thousands of people over decades have found that people who eat one or two 3-ounce servings of fish a week have a nearly 40% reduction in death from heart disease — the No. 1 cause of death in the United States and other developed nations. Regular fish intake also is associated with a lower risk of strokes and Alzheimer's disease. These benefits make sense: regular meals of fish reduce the risks of high blood pressure, inflammation, and lethal, abnormal heart rhythms.

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