"omega-3" news and stories

Technically, there is no such thing as National Herring Month.

That said, if herring were to have its own month, it would be June, which marks both the beginning and end of the all too brief New Catch Holland herring season. New Catch Holland herring, or Hollandse Nieuwe, are raw, barely cured herring caught at their fatty peak and prized for their rich, buttery texture: they're like the sushi of Northern Europe.

The New Catch season lasts only a few precious weeks, and functions almost as a PR campaign for the homely, humble herring. While our own country has never given the silvery fish the love it deserves, it has been a staple of the Northern European and Scandinavian diet for centuries, and instrumental in the waxing and waning fortunes of kingdoms and nations.

And fourth-generation co-owner of New York's Russ & Daughters Niki Russ Federman (pictured after the jump) knows from herring (Holland and otherwise). Besides being a shrine to smoked salmon, her family's shop functions as the U.S.'s ground zero for New Catch Holland herring, which they import directly from Holland.

We asked Federman for a Herring 101 and she complied, describing everything from the fish's storied health benefits to its place in European history after the jump.

You may have noticed that flax seed has been hitting the market shelves lately. Many products are using it as an ingredient as they jump on the healthy and super-foods bandwagon. Last year more than 250 foods containing flax were put on the market. Nutritionally, flax is a great source of omega-3 without the possibility of mercury contamination like you may have with fish. One thing about it is that the seed has to be ground to be nutritionally available to the body as the whole seeds can't really be digested well. Flax is also a great source of dietary fiber.

Just yesterday I tried some pocket bread that had ground flax seed in it and the slightly nutty taste vastly improved what I normally think of as a boring bread. Expect to see more flax laced foods than ever before as many companies start adding it to their line ups. Jamba Juice will have it in smoothies, breads of all kinds will have it, and it's even making it to the snack aisle in tortilla chips. Just remember that flax seed should be eaten in moderation with no more than 1-2 tablespoons a day. More than that and the oils and fiber can be a bit more effective on cleansing the digestive system than one would like.

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We've all heard about eating fish to get more Omega-3's fatty acids in our diet. I was browsing through CNN.com and ran across an article on omega-3 in canned fish.

Of the types of canned fish discussed the focus was on tuna and salmon. Tuna varieties have varying amounts amounts of omega-3's. Albacore, also called "white meat tuna," has the most with a four-ounce serving packed in water having 1.06 grams. You get 0.5 grams from a four ounce serving of albacore packed in oil. I thought this was interesting that the water pack is better for you having more omega-3's. The article says, "Since omega-3s are oils, they don't disperse when the fish is packed in water, and draining the water allows most of these beneficial fatty acids to remain in the fish. But tuna packed in oil provides an environment where the fish's natural oils intermingle with the packing oil, so when the can is drained, some of the omega-3 oils are lost."

I didn't realize that canned salmon has even more omega-3's than tuna, with a four ounce serving having 2.2 grams. Unlike tuna, the omega-3 levels among salmon varieties are basically the same.

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The fatty acid Omega-3 has been the topic of discussion ranging from a treatment for prostate cancer to treatment of mood disorders. Although numerous wide-reaching studies have shown positive and negligible results, grants for studies and participants roll on.

Why? It has been proven that Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly as found in fish like mackerel (highest content/weight ratio) and salmon, prevent and aid those who have cardiovascular disease. When you start throwing the human heart into the fray of what's good for it, and there's a compound isolated proven to help keep it healthy, there will be no shortage of interest. What's good for the heart may good for all the heart supports: the brain, the rest of the vital organs, the health of our blood itself.

The problem with relying on fish for our daily intake of Omega-3 is that today's fish have much higher levels of mercury than those that our ancestors ate. So, where can you get your Omega-3?

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Scientists are exploring the possible uses of Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, in preventing the spread of prostate cancer, according to study published in the British Journal of Cancer earlier this month. A recent Reuters article cited the study's chief researcher, Dr. Mick Brown, saying that while Omega-3s seemed to stop the spread of prostate cancer in its early stages, Omega-6 fatty acids, found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, "increased the spread of tumor cells into bone marrow." Omega-6s are still widely thought to have many health benefits and Brown stressed that it is possible to strike a "healthy balance" of the two healthful fats. Another cancer researcher told BBC News that larger studies are required before the benefits of Omega-3s can be proven.