With all the health claims out there, you may wonder if eating fish would help reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

But a study in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology suggests that eating fish might actually raise your risk of suffering from heart disease. Because Inuit people are known to eat a lot of fish, researchers reviewed the data from 10 different studies that analyzed the diets and health of the Inuit in Greenland and North America. They found that the Inuit in Greenland had similar rates of heart disease as non-Inuit people, while the life expectancy of Inuit people was 10 years shorter and their overall mortality rate was twice as high.

Rates of heart disease among Inuit people in North America were similar—if not higher—than those of non-native populations. The study authors concluded that the so-called “Eskimo diet” is not heart-healthy and should even be considered dangerous.

Fish is simply not a health food. It contains lots of cholesterol and fat, just as beef does. And about 15 to 30 percent of the fat in fish is saturated fat—which is lower than the levels in beef and chicken but still much higher than the levels in most plant-based foods. Many fish are also loaded with toxins, such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (known as PCBs).

If you’re concerned about heart disease, go vegan—as many medical experts, including Dr. Kim Williams, the president of the American College of Cardiology, have done. Vegan foods are cholesterol-free and generally low in saturated fat and calories. Forget about fish and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, soy products, and other nutritious plant-based foods.