The selenium in fish has many health benefits, in addition to neutralizing and counteracting the effects of mercury, according to several scientific studies presented this Tuesday by the cardiologist at the University Hospital of La Coruña Guillermo Aldama.
Selenium makes it safe and healthy to consume seafood, in addition to being a fundamental element for many functions of the body such as thyroid or immunological, as defended by Aldama, in a meeting organized by Pesca España, an entity that brings together the main fishing organizations in the country.
One of the main dietary "myths" related to fish is the presence of mercury and its harmful effects and the cardiologist has detailed several reports that "debunk" it.
As he explained, mercury contamination of food exists and is a "dangerous" element, but there are questions to be resolved, since in some populations with high fish consumption no toxicity has been found in their inhabitants. He has even referred to children and pregnant women, who are more vulnerable to mercury according to scientific literature that, in Aldama's opinion, needs to be updated.
Of the most innovative studies, he mentioned one carried out in the Seychelles islands for 24 years with 3,000 pregnant women and their descendants in a country in which fish is consumed more than once a day. Among the conclusions, it was detected that children's development was better if they ate fish.
Another report from the publication Plefa, after reviewing scientific articles from 1980 to 2019 on tests with 106,200 pregnant women and children, indicated that child development was better if they ate fish, even when exposed to mercury.
Aldama recalled that mercury is not only present in fish, but there are vegetables or cereals in which the proportions are higher than those found in swordfish or tuna; Only in the whale (mammal) have the highest rates been found.
"It is scientifically proven that mercury has a strong binding affinity with selenium and acts as a magnet, which produces a mercury-selenium substance that is not absorbable in the human body. As a result of this new compound, the body eliminates mercury before it is deposited in the fatty tissue and can cause any damage," said Aldama. "It has been shown that populations that consume more fish live longer and live with a better quality of life," she insisted.
For her part, the Director of Innovation and Sustainability of the Balfegó tuna group, Begonya Mélich, has presented a study carried out in collaboration with the University of Tarragona that confirms the high concentration of selenium in the white part of the fish and in the "black" muscle. (less consumed tissues). In this regard, she has emphasized its important nutritional value.
Aldama has highlighted that the consumption of fish, within the "fish-Mediterranean" diet, reduces the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases and that Spain has fewer heart attacks than other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) due to the pattern. food.
