Our young, low-weight Pacific Albacore Tuna—whether Flash-Frozen or Canned—is safer and superior!   

Smaller means safer:  Vital Choice troll-caught Albacore Tuna weigh just 12 lbs. or less, so they contain much less mercury, and more omega-3s, than the far larger, older Tuna canned by national brands and served in sushi bars.

Better, fresher flavor, even in the can:  Unlike standard canned Albacore—which is cooked twice at great cost to its flavor and omega-3 content—Vital Choice Albacore Tuna is cooked only once (in the can) to preserve its healthful oils and fresh flavor. Choose from Regular or No Salt Added.

No loitering allowed:  Our tuna are hauled in fast, bled, and flash-frozen within about two hours.  (The standard long-line-caught Tuna canned by national brands spend 12 hours in the water.)

People seem to swoon over our sweet, succulent, sustainably harvested Alaska weathervane scallops.

Unlike common farmed varieties, Vital Choice scallops grow as nature intended in the cold, clear waters near Kodiak Island, Alaska.

They're individually quick frozen and available in convenient re-sealable bags, so that you can take only the scallops you need and return the rest to the freezer.

A desire for data from the American context led researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of North Carolina to analyze data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which involved 9,514 volunteers between 45 and 64 years old (Lutsey PL et al. 2008).

The participants completed a 66-part diet questionnaire, and were classified as eating a high-calorie “Western” (standard American) or prudent dietary pattern rich in whole plant foods and fish.

The researchers followed the subjects over nine years, during which 3,782 volunteers developed the MetS symptom cluster.

The results indicate that eating the Western dietary pattern increases the risk of MetS.

When the researchers adjusted the results to account for the participants’ intake of meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables, refined grains, and whole grains, they linked greater consumption of fried foods, diet sodas, and meat to increased risk of developing MetS.

In line with some obesity studies, higher consumption of dairy products seemed to reduce risk.

Surprisingly, and contrary to the findings of all of the few prior studies, diets higher in fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains showed no protective benefit. This result is anomalous enough to cause us to wonder how much of these foods the researchers considered "high consumption" (it wouldn't take much in the American context), and whether they accounted for confounding factors such as sedentary lifestyles and simultaneous consumption of lots of junky food.

The findings with regard to fatty, sweet foods come as no surprise, since the standard American diet is high in fried foods, diet sodas, and meats, and is associated with risk of obesity and the diseases associated with MetS (diabetes and heart disease).

Sources

• Esmaillzadeh A, Kimiagar M, Mehrabi Y, Azadbakht L, Hu FB, Willett WC. Fruit and vegetable intakes, C-reactive protein, and the metabolic syndrome. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Dec;84(6):1489-97.
• Lutsey PL, Steffen LM, Stevens J. Dietary Intake and the Development of the Metabolic Syndrome. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Circulation. 2008 Jan 22; [Epub ahead of print]
• Panagiotakos DB, Pitsavos C, Skoumas Y, Stefanadis C. The association between food patterns and the metabolic syndrome using principal components analysis: The ATTICA Study. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 Jun;107(6):979-87; quiz 997.
• Williams DE, Prevost AT, Whichelow MJ, Cox BD, Day NE, Wareham NJ. A cross-sectional study of dietary patterns with glucose intolerance and other features of the metabolic syndrome. Br J Nutr. 2000 Mar;83(3):257-66.
• Villegas R, Salim A, Flynn A, Perry IJ. Prudent diet and the risk of insulin resistance. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2004 Dec;14(6):334-43.