Eating fish everyday & get mercury poisoning OR die of a str

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  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Here's a really helpful website!

    http://www.howmuchfish.com/

    How Much Fish?

    Checked out a few of the items here. I have no way of verifying whether it's accurate but based on the site, I would be inclined to agree with msf74.

    I still think dosage is relevant, but I'd say you'd have to eat a pretty large quantity of fish for it to become a concern.


    It's based on Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency data.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    I think it's about as much of a problem as water toxicity unless you are pregnant or a child.

    This is from the website I posted above:

    "This calculator can also tell you how much fish is safe to eat, based on mercury standards from the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. The level of naturally occurring mercury in ocean fish, for instance, is insignificant in the portion sizes that consumers typically eat."

    Yeah, but, but....did you know smartypants that shellfish is an abomination according to Leviticus 11:12:

    "Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you."

    Nice site. Thanks for the link ;)
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Do you have any suggestions for different ways to cook the fish? My PT has me on a fish for dinner diet and I am extremely burnt out on it already. I've been using tilapia and I may get some salmon to bake or pan fry?

    Have you tried smoking it? Smoked fish = AMAZING. I don't have a grill, so I bought a ton of fish and had my dad smoke it all for me to eat throughout the week. It has a great flavor.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Mmmm... New England... there's a good place for a fishy diet! I wish I had more sources of nice fresh fish here in DC! If I lived in New England I would be gorging on haddock, cod, and lobster for sure!

    The frozen fish at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods is an environmentally friendly choice and very highly rated. It's in the clear packages right out side the fish section (Whole Foods) and in the freezer section in Trader Joe's (also clear package). Whole Foods has very strict sourcing guidelines for Seafood. Because it's flash frozen on board the ships it's considered a very environmentally friendly option (versus the expense and fuel used to ship fresh fish).

    I know it's not the *same* as fresh. It is just another good option to consider and it's nice to always have fish on hand. :)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I think it's about as much of a problem as water toxicity unless you are pregnant or a child.

    This is from the website I posted above:

    "This calculator can also tell you how much fish is safe to eat, based on mercury standards from the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. The level of naturally occurring mercury in ocean fish, for instance, is insignificant in the portion sizes that consumers typically eat."

    Yeah, but, but....did you know smartypants that shellfish is an abomination according to Leviticus 11:12:

    "Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you."

    Nice site. Thanks for the link ;)

    You're most welcome.

    All of the Jews in my family eat shellfish, abomination or not. :)
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    I still think dosage is relevant, but I'd say you'd have to eat a pretty large quantity of fish for it to become a concern.

    Yeah, pretty much.

    Some people go to crazy lengths so it's always worth highlighting the issue. At the same time discouraging people from eating fish isn't what we want to achieve.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I admit to cutting back on canned tuna and eating wild canned red salmon instead. But I also like swordfish, so I guess its a trade off.
  • BarreGirl
    BarreGirl Posts: 11 Member
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    Tuna fillet is as delicious as steak and I don't miss the steak.

    For Salmon I like to use a bit of butter/margarine/whatever you use and sprinkle lemon pepper on it. Broil/bake at 30 until pinky/brown. Very delicious.
  • mandy_lee86
    mandy_lee86 Posts: 103 Member
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    Do you have any suggestions for different ways to cook the fish? My PT has me on a fish for dinner diet and I am extremely burnt out on it already. I've been using tilapia and I may get some salmon to bake or pan fry?

    Have you tried smoking it? Smoked fish = AMAZING. I don't have a grill, so I bought a ton of fish and had my dad smoke it all for me to eat throughout the week. It has a great flavor.

    I have not! My dad also has a smoker, good idea.
  • jesspi68
    jesspi68 Posts: 292
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    You can always go catch your own from mercury free sources.

    This is what we do! Salmon, perch, crappie etc. yum.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I still think dosage is relevant, but I'd say you'd have to eat a pretty large quantity of fish for it to become a concern.

    Yeah, pretty much.

    Some people go to crazy lengths so it's always worth highlighting the issue. At the same time discouraging people from eating fish isn't what we want to achieve.

    Plus, the OP lives on the coast of Massachusetts. Supporting the local resources and economy is key. :) Many of the fisherman here are the 3rd or 4th generation in their families to earn their living from the sea. Buy from a small family owned fish market or a seafood share (like a farm share for seafood) or farmer's market if you can. I'm 20 miles from the ocean and all of the farmer's markets near me have seafood. :)
  • Vercell
    Vercell Posts: 437 Member
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    Wow I eat alot of fish cause I also dont like meat. Great info
  • jackieatx
    jackieatx Posts: 578 Member
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    I 100% understand what you're saying. I would be able to hit my protein intake for the day without tuna, because cheese would send me over the fat rainbow. Those people that warn you about your mercury intake... Do you warn them back about their corn and soy intake? Their chemical intake when they eat non organic foods? They can relax. They are taking in way worse than mercury on a daily basis.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Personally I hate sea food, but I'm cool with other people eating it, as long as they keep in mind sustainability. Just make sure you make wise decisions to keep fish populations healthy and keep the oceans alive. I know it's not something people often think about, but it's really important. I saw that somebody already posted a link to the different levels of Hg in different fish species, and I'm going to add on the link to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines for to help with sustainability.

    http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_regional.aspx

    (Can you tell I work at an aquarium?)
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
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    Since my husband has been fishing in a small lake up north of us all our fish is really fresh. I have about 10 bags in the freezer right now. Perch, Sunfish and Bluegill. Great on the grill. The lake has been tested and no mercury found so I feel real good about eating these guys. Best thing is there is more to come!! I really did not know how much fish has gone up. Went to a store here that has the Farm Bluegill and they wanted 16.99 a pound! Right now I have close to 15 lbs in the freezer. All it cost us was the sharing of gas to get up there (it's his friends cottage) and the worms and grubs for the poles.
  • _ylime_
    _ylime_ Posts: 661 Member
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    If you are concerned about mercury consumption I would limit the amount of fish, such as King mackerel, tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico), shark, swordfish, and tuna, that you eat. It sounds like you have a nice variety so I wouldn't be all that concerned...

    However here is some food for thought - I think it is best to provide people with some information and they can make an informed decision for themselves :)

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    "A variety of seafood should be consumed; individuals with very high consumption (≥5 servings/wk) should limit intake of species highest in mercury levels"

    "Mercury is a reactive heavy metal emitted from natural sources (volcanoes) and human sources (coal-fired electric power plants, gold mining, institutional boilers, chlorine production, and waste incineration). From the atmosphere, mercury cycles from rainwater into lakes and oceans, where it is converted by microbial activity into organic methylmercury. Inorganic mercury is poorly absorbed following ingestion, and elemental mercury does not readily cross tissue barriers. In contrast, methylmercury is readily absorbed and actively transported into tissues. Thus, methylmercury bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains and has greater potential toxicity than inorganic mercury.Concentrations of methylmercury in aquatic species depend on levels of environmental contamination and on the predatory nature and lifespan of the species. Larger, longer-living predators (eg, swordfish, shark) have higher tissue concentrations, while smaller or shorter-lived species (eg, shellfish, salmon) have very low concentrations (Table 2). Preparation methods have little impact on methylmercury content."

    ***There is a nice table in this article that depicts Mercury levels (among other things) in different fish species.


    Peer Reviewed Article on Fish Consumption:
    http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=203640


    Some helpful information on seafood safety:
    http://www.fishwatch.gov/eating_seafood/health_and_safety.htm



    Hope this is helpful.

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