The Dish about Fish

Recently there are many reports and articles on how important incorporating fish into your diet is and at the same time, many are talking about the danger of consuming the high levels of mercury in some types of seafood. Should we eat seafood? What are the benefits? What if I’m pregnant? Which fish are safer to eat? In pursuit of health and balance, I’m going to try to give you a bit of guidance as we navigate these questions.

 

Seafood can be a great source of protein, iron and zinc. It is also high in Vitamins A, D, E, and the B vitamins, all are crucial nutrients for your body. If you are pregnant, these are especially important for baby’s growth and development. In addition, the omega-3 fatty acids found in many fish are helpful in regulating cholesterol, decreasing inflammation and nourishing your brain. During pregnancy Omega 3’s also promote baby’s brain development. So yes, there are many benefits to consuming fish and seafood. 

 

However, there are a few types of fish that contain higher levels of mercury. Fish have higher mercury content from swimming in water polluted from things like coal burning and iron mining. They are actually taking in a specific type of mercury called methylmercury that allows it to cross the blood brain barrier and affect important parts of your body. The fish that having the highest mercury content are ones that are higher on the food chain and therefore live longer. Because they live longer, they end up eating more fish, which means their internal concentration of mercury builds up to higher levels. Examples of higher mercury fish are tuna, marlin and swordfish. It is important to avoid these fish as much as possible because of the damage mercury can do to the brain, central nervous system and other vital organs. Mercury causes damage by binding with selenium and not allowing selenium to perform its important roles. like activating certain enzymes. Mercury binds with the selenium keeping it from activating selenium dependent enzymes that ultimately protect the brain and other parts of the body from oxidative damage. This then leaves the brain and central nervous system unprotected and leads to damage to these organs and organ systems. If you do eat fish containing mercury, it is important to be supplementing with selenium or getting it in your diet. Fish are a good source of selenium as well so as long as the fish have more selenium then mercury or you are supplementing with selenium then you are good to go. Most people are low in selenium but you can get selenium by eating 6-8 Brazil nuts a day.

 

 

The standard recommendation is 2-3 servings of fish, or 12 ounces per week. Below is a list of fish that are safe to eat because they are very low or  practically void of mercury. This is a great list for women who are pregnant because during pregnancy it is especially important to stay away from mercury. Mercury in pregnancy has the same affects on the baby’s brain and central nervous system as mentioned above. I recommend wild-caught fish because no hormones or antibiotics are used and the fish are able to eat what is natural to them. Wild-caught fish, however, may have more mercury, which is why you should focus on the lower mercury fish so that you make an overall healthy fish and seafood choice. These fish below are all under an average ppm of .1 of mercury in comparison with swordfish which has an average of .995 ppm.

 

 

So, now you know what kind of fish are safe, go to the store and pick up some yummy wild-caught fish so you can start getting in your vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids! 

 

Just to inspire you, I’ve added two fish recipes! My husband makes this Baked Pesto Fish, it’s delicious! I almost always make a version of this Pan Fried Fish. I hope you give them a try!