Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Fat in Fish Flesh for Selecting Species for Health Benefits

An awareness of the protective roll of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids against development of cardiovascular disease has prompted the promotion of fish consumption. It is assumed that those fish rich in polyunsaturated fat and particularly those having high ratios of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids would confer the most benefit. The total fat and fatty acid compositional data are reported herein for 41 different species of fish that are mostly found in the coastal waters of the Eastern United States.