I have studied nutritional science for over three decades and have treated patients for over 25 years. I am absolutely convinced that the single most important nutritional deficiency you can have is animal-based omega-3 fats. It also happens to the most common food deficiency.

That is why reports like this are so important to the big picture of health. The ideal way to consume omega-3 fats is from clean seafood. Unfortunately that is becoming a progressively rarer commodity.

Last month I ran a review of the three-part report by the Chicago Tribune about the very lax federal standards governing the mercury content in the fish -- both canned and fresh -- you buy at the grocery store. Thankfully, the FDA read it too and appears to be taking some action.

Food manufacturers produce some 1.2 billion cans of light tuna annually, and only one producer (Genova) bothers to list yellowfin on its light tuna label. But almost 15 percent of the deceptively labeled cans contain yellowfin, which often contains high amounts of mercury.

As I've said many times, fish would be a nearly perfect food -- full of protein, essential nutrients and healthy fats -- if mercury wasn't a part of the picture. If you're at all skeptical about the mercury levels in the fish you eat regularly, I strongly recommend using a terrific calculator created by GotMercury.org.

A safe option at your disposal to get the nutritional benefits of fish without the mercury: Taking a high-quality fish or cod liver oil daily. The emphasis is on high quality, you don't want to cut corners and buy a bargain-basement omega-3 product and risk not receiving all the important benefits omega-3 fats provide.