Today the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) announced the recent launch of the HowMuchFish iPhone app, a convenient, on-the-go source for consumers looking to resolve the conflicting information about the health benefits and risks of a diet rich in seafood. The new app is an extension of CCF’s online seafood calculator, HowMuchFish.com.
The HowMuchFish iPhone app allows users to calculate the nutritional value and hypothetical concerns of 24 seafood species, representing 98 percent of the commercial seafood Americans eat. With a touch of their phone screen a consumer can now get a detailed nutritional breakdown of their favorite fish’s heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, cholesterol, and sodium levels as well as its calorie count.
“Eating fish is one of the smartest things you can do for your health,” said J. Justin Wilson, CCF’s Senior Research Analyst. “With the new HowMuchFish iPhone app consumers can quickly see the health advantages of their favorite seafood while shopping at their local grocery store or sitting down at their favorite restaurant.”
Despite seafood’s abundant health benefits, consumers have been scared away from the superfood due to overblown statements regarding the dangers of mercury. The HowMuchFish app alleviates these concerns by reconciling the conflicting information based on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) data on mercury levels in commercially available seafood and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System. For example, in a single 6-ounce serving of canned light tuna, a woman can get 92 percent of her recommended daily intake of omega-3s, 84 percent of her vitamin B12 needs, and 86 percent of her protein requirements for the day. According to scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health, these health benefits outweigh any health risks that might be related to eating seafood.
Wilson continued, “Consumers shouldn’t fall hook, line, and sinker for alarmist reports on fish. The HowMuchFish calculator app shows any ‘risks’ are minuscule in comparison to the total body benefits of regular fish intake.”