Dr. Claudio R. Rig of the John A. Burns School of Medicine's Department of Public Health Sciences is part of a research team that completed a study that is published in the the current issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

Nigg, in a UH news release, stated that there has never been any data supporting the supposed health benefits of fish (omega-3 fatty acids) consumption.

"Our research, combined with an earlier study (CARDIO-2000 from Greece) strongly suggests that fish-eating is not beneficial for health; it's just not as bad as beef-eating," Nigg stated. "The major point is that fish eating is not proven to be healthy in and of itself, but rather it is a marker for low dietary saturated fatty acid intake and high-fiber consumption. In other words, fish-eaters tend to be healthier because they also eat less red meat, fowl, dairy and eggs and more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.

"This is one of only two studies to look at the overall diets of fish eaters compared with nonfish eaters. The other study also showed that fish eaters eat more fruits, vegetables and lentils, and less beef." he said.