Guidelines Dietary - Eat For Health

The evidence provided below for health benefits relates consistently to fish in the form of finfish from marine orfreshwater sources, either farmed or wild. Few studies have investigated the effects of other types of seafood.As for red meat, the distinction between different preparation methods and different fish types is not always welladdressed in the literature and may contribute to a lack of consistency in some instances.Cardiovascular disease• Incidence and mortality: Evidence suggests that consuming at least two serves of fish per week isassociated with reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease (particularly myocardial infarction) (Grade C;Evidence Report, Section 9.1) 502-505 and with reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease (Grade C;Evidence Report, Section 9.1). 502,504,506-513• Stroke: The evidence suggests that consumption of fish at least twice a week is associated with a reduced riskof stroke (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 9.5). 505,514-516• Other cardiovascular conditions: Only a small number of case-control and cohort studies are available, withinconsistent results, to examine the relationship between fish consumption and the incidence of heart failure,atrial fibrillation and high blood lipids.Guideline 2CancerEvidence of an association between fish consumption and breast, colorectal, prostate and renal cancer was examinedhowever no conclusive associations could be drawn (Evidence Report, Sections 9.6, 9.7, 9.8 and 9.9).Other conditions• Dementia: The recent body of evidence demonstrates that it is probable that the consumption of fish morethan once a week is associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia in older adults (Grade B; EvidenceReport, Section 9.2). 503,517-524• Depression: The recent evidence suggests that consumption of at least one serve of fish per week is notassociated with reduced risk of depression (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 9.3). 525-529• Macular degeneration: The recent evidence suggests that eating fish two or more times a week is associatedwith reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 9.4). 530EggsSince the 2003 edition of the dietary guidelines, the evidence associating egg consumption with health outcomeshas not changed greatly (Evidence Report, Section 11). There do not appear to be any increased health risksassociated with consumption of eggs. 531-533 There is recent evidence to suggest that consumption of eggs everyday is not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 11.1). 455,534-551Nuts and seedsConsumption of nuts and seeds may help reduce the risk of heart disease and is not associated with weightgain if total energy (kilojoule) intake is controlled. 230-235 Since the 2003 edition of the dietary guidelines, theevidence for the benefits of consumption of nuts and seeds on heart disease has been shown to be relatedto favourable effects on serum cholesterol. The evidence on lack of association with weight gain is a newdevelopment (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 8.1). 230-235Cardiovascular disease and excess weight• Cardiovascular disease: Evidence suggests that consumption of nuts (65–110g per day) is associated witha reduction in serum cholesterol, a surrogate marker for cardiovascular disease (Grade C; Evidence Report,Section 8.2). 231,232,234,235,552 Results of two large cohort studies report that substituting one serve of nuts for redmeat per day results in a significant reduction (19–30%) in cardiovascular disease risk. 553,554• Excess weight: Evidence suggests that the consumption of nuts (65–110g per day) does not lead to weightgain, at least in the short term (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 8.1). 230-235Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foodsNational Health and Medical Research Council51