Fish and Mercury Poisoning

EccentricDad

I love fish, but because of mercury poisoning and heavy metal toxicity I eat it 3 times a week Max. What is your knowledge of mercury poisoning and fish? Am I being too limiting or am I doing it just right?

melaniecheeks

I think it depends a lot on what sort of fish (some absorbs mercury more than others), and where it was caught. So it's difficult to give a blanket answer.

Nina2503

These days all we hear is 'oh dont eat that because of this'...or 'dont eat that because of '.........

We breathe fumes, we drink water full of chemicals, most food commerically available has been tampered with in some way.

if we stopped everything that was bad we would probably never eat, breathe or leave the house.

It is your diet and your health and you have to make the judgement call after reading all the available informaton

Personally I eat fish twice a week, but avoid tuna in the main due to the high levels. it will depend on the fish and where it was caught. I hear that fish in the Japanese waters is particularly suspectible to high levels.

yarwell

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishshellfish/outreach/advice_index.cfm

ilovedeadlifts

I do a can of wild caught tuna every day and have pretty much done that for two years.

taylor5877

munching on a can of albacore right now, and I'm a toxicologist fwiw.

drmerc

DonniesGirl69

I eat fish/seafood almost exclusively. It depends on the kind of fish you're eating. Not all are going to cause mercury issues.

http://www.ewg.org/safefishlist?tag=2012FishAd&gclid=CPb8vPTVwbICFUeRPAodqg4A4w

JenniferNoll

I wonder how many people will get the mercury connection to the Mad Hatter.

taylor5877

I wonder how many people will get the mercury connection to the Mad Hatter.

I personally was rolling my eyes to myself because it is/was a different form of mercury than what is found in fish...but that's me.

lyttlewon

We talked about this in Geology, because there is toxins in the lakes here due to mining, and I learned something new. You are not supposed to cook the fish in their own fat. If you allow the fat to drain away the metals will too, because they are stored in the fat cells. Grilling is the best. PCBs are a big contaminant people don't really even hear about IRT fish. I rarely eat it, maybe once every two months.

JenniferNoll

I wonder how many people will get the mercury connection to the Mad Hatter.

I personally was rolling my eyes to myself because it is/was a different form of mercury than what is found in fish...but that's me.

Methyl mercury is the type of mercury that leaches into the water table and ends of in fish, but hatmakers used mercury in the old days to shape felt. Still had the same basic effect as huge amounts of methyl mercury in the human body. HORRIBLE neurological problems, sometimes misinterpreted as drunkeness or insanity. Thus the term: Mad as a hatter.

EccentricDad

I wonder how many people will get the mercury connection to the Mad Hatter.

I personally was rolling my eyes to myself because it is/was a different form of mercury than what is found in fish...but that's me.

Methyl mercury is the type of mercury that leaches into the water table and ends of in fish, but hatmakers used mercury in the old days to shape felt. Still had the same basic effect as huge amounts of methyl mercury in the human body. HORRIBLE neurological problems, sometimes misinterpreted as drunkeness or insanity. Thus the term: Mad as a hatter.

Mercury isn't the only thing that wrecks havoc on neurological and nervous systems. Anyone with a food allergy/sensitive would experience a similar thing.

But Methyl mercury can be sorted out naturally I read. If I am an adult male, should I really be concerned about it or is it just for young kids and child bearing women? Like I said, I like my fish and I'd eat it 3 times a week and would 7 times if I could.

felice03

If you start your own fish farm then you you could control the amount of toxins seeping into your fish AND lower your grocery bill!

Espressocycle

Unless you are a pregnant woman, I wouldn't worry about it. the smaller the fish, the less mercury. Light tuna over albacore.

fastforlife1

Small fish like sardines are very healthy with little mercury.

tommygirl15

I work at the seafood restaurant/fish market.
I've been told there that the fish that are highest in mercury are tuna (the fresh stuff, not canned), swordfish, mackerel.

Though I have easy and free access to eating all these fish, I never do. Salmon is a excellent choice for low mercury - I eat salmon twice a week at least.

sheclimbsrocks

Mercury is a neurotoxin and developing children and fetuses are the most vulnerable populations. As a full grown person, you are not going to be as impacted. Children under 12 and pregnant / nursing women are advised to avoid the larger and older predatory fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish. The vulnerable groups are supposed to limit consumption of canned tuna and it is noted that albacore tuna has higher Hg content than light tuna. I believe tuna steak also has more Hg than canned tuna.

There was an interesting article today about the high mercury content of tuna in school lunches:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=canned-tuna-may-contain-excessive-mercury

This is the advisory for vulnerable populations:
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishshellfish/outreach/factsheet.cfm#key

jmmcguirerd

Hi – Quite a few people are confused about this, and as a dietitian with the National Fisheries Institute, I’d love to clear the water. Here’s the official seafood advice from the Food and Drug Administration and Dietary Guidelines:

-For the general population: Eat a variety of fish twice a week, and there are no fish to limit or avoid because of mercury.

-For women who are or may become pregnant, nursing moms, and young kids: The nutrients in fish are especially important for you, so eat a variety of fish twice a week. Half (6 ounces) of the fish you eat every week can be white albacore tuna. There are four fish to avoid that you probably aren’t eating anyway: shark, tilefish, king mackerel, and swordfish.

The more we learn about the good things eating fish does for your body, the more doctors and dietitians are focusing on the health risks of not eating enough fish. Just like with fruits and vegetables, eating a variety is going to give you the most nutrients.

For a look at what plenty of seafood looks like in the real-life diet of a registered dietitian (me!) visit my www.BlogAboutSeafood.com.

Sincerely,
Jennifer McGuire, MS, RD
National Fisheries Institute