Fishy Business

Tilapia may not be the best way to bump up your intake of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A new study from the Journal of the American Diabetic Association shows that the increased popular farm-raised fish may be short on omega-3s but rich in omega-6s (a type of fatty acid that could trigger inflammation when consumed in excess).

There's no need to shun tilapia altogether, notes Laurie Tansman, R.D., a nutritionist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "When it comes to omega-3s and omega-6s, you need to look at the ratio of what you're getting in your whole diet, not just from one food," she explains. (Red meat and refined vegetable oils, such as corn, sunflower, and soybean, also contain omega-6s.) To fill up on omega-3s, Tansman recommends eating at least 8 ounces of fatty fish such as salmon, herring, trout, and mackerel per week.

Are You Fishy?

Add Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet.
Fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon, are rich in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Foods such as tofu, soybeans, canola, walnuts, flaxseed, and their oils contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which convert to omega-3 in the body. Even though the benefits of ALA are controversial, the AHA still recommends foods containing it as part of a healthy diet.
In addition to their heart-health benefits, there is some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may also soothe an overactive immune system, says Johnson. Even though this benefit is still being studied, she says there appears to be a link between getting more omega-3s in your diet and reducing allergies, asthma, eczema, and autoimmune disorders.