He loves Tilapia, he loves it not!!!!

msnewbootie
msnewbootie Posts: 240 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hey Everyone:
Tilapia, good or bad???
A friend expressed some concerns over me eating tilapia on a daily bases. She based her concerns on recent reports that link excessive consumption of fish to mercury poisioning. I disagree for two reasons
1. I watched bodybuilders eat tilapia daily for weeks at at time
and
2. The same nutrition drs of the world advised us to drink plenty of water, then turned and said, "too much water can be bad for you"!
But, what do you all think?

Replies

  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    I cannot speak for the health concerns regarding eating tilapia daily, but I just wanted to point out that most tilapia sold in the US is farmed in China, Taiwan, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, etc where the raising conditions are typically BAD... We're talking pollution, very little regulation so there can be a lot of viruses and disease in the fish, etc... So make sure your tilapia is farmed in the US!
  • pnieuw
    pnieuw Posts: 473
    I dont' eat fish..don't like it, however, tilapia isn't a high mercury fish. Check this link:

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115644.htm

    Tilapia don't retain mercury in their bodies, so if that is your concern, you should be ok..however...

    Read more here:

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115662.htm
  • rice161
    rice161 Posts: 59
    Everything I've read indicates that up to 12 oz in one week (3 servings) is absolutely fine and some sites say unlimited is OK. Tilapia is not a fish that feeds on other fish like swordfish or mackerel. Those have their own mercury consumption then eat fish that already have some too so you should limit those type. I eat tilapia at least 1-2 times per week myself. Enjoy it!

    Consider this article on limits:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fish
  • rachelllk
    rachelllk Posts: 63
    I actually looked this up earlier today!
    Here's what I found most helpful: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/edp/mercury_brochure.pdf
    You have to look all the way to the right and it tells you what has the most - least mercury and how often it's "safe" to eat!
  • msnewbootie
    msnewbootie Posts: 240 Member
    I cannot speak for the health concerns regarding eating tilapia daily, but I just wanted to point out that most tilapia sold in the US is farmed in China, Taiwan, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, etc where the raising conditions are typically BAD... We're talking pollution, very little regulation so there can be a lot of viruses and disease in the fish, etc... So make sure your tilapia is farmed in the US!

    Wow...I will surely check the package the 2nd I get off...can u say YUCK!!! I hope this isnt the case for me, but thanks for ur input!
  • rachelllk
    rachelllk Posts: 63
    by the way it's for pregnant women and young children...you're obviously neither, but I figured the recommendations would be most strict for kids and women who are preggers
  • msnewbootie
    msnewbootie Posts: 240 Member
    I dont' eat fish..don't like it, however, tilapia isn't a high mercury fish. Check this link:

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115644.htm

    Tilapia don't retain mercury in their bodies, so if that is your concern, you should be ok..however...

    Read more here:

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115662.htm

    Thanks. I just checked and under Tilapia it had N/A for mercury! U Rock!!!
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    I cannot speak for the health concerns regarding eating tilapia daily, but I just wanted to point out that most tilapia sold in the US is farmed in China, Taiwan, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, etc where the raising conditions are typically BAD... We're talking pollution, very little regulation so there can be a lot of viruses and disease in the fish, etc... So make sure your tilapia is farmed in the US!

    I disagree with that one. I've been eating different types of tilapia and it doesn't made any difference on my body. In fact I love it. Also just because it was farmed from your country (I'm not fr US nor from any english speaking country, btw) doesn't mean its safe and raised clean.
  • msnewbootie
    msnewbootie Posts: 240 Member
    Everything I've read indicates that up to 12 oz in one week (3 servings) is absolutely fine and some sites say unlimited is OK. Tilapia is not a fish that feeds on other fish like swordfish or mackerel. Those have their own mercury consumption then eat fish that already have some too so you should limit those type. I eat tilapia at least 1-2 times per week myself. Enjoy it!

    Consider this article on limits:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fish

    Thanks
  • princess4mimi
    princess4mimi Posts: 192
    I dont' eat fish..don't like it, however, tilapia isn't a high mercury fish. Check this link:

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115644.htm

    Tilapia don't retain mercury in their bodies, so if that is your concern, you should be ok..however...

    Read more here:

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115662.htm

    Thank you for this link :-)
  • msnewbootie
    msnewbootie Posts: 240 Member
    I actually looked this up earlier today!
    Here's what I found most helpful: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/edp/mercury_brochure.pdf
    You have to look all the way to the right and it tells you what has the most - least mercury and how often it's "safe" to eat!

    Thanks
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Wow...I will surely check the package the 2nd I get off...can u say YUCK!!! I hope this isnt the case for me, but thanks for ur input!

    Just something else to think about when you buy fish... If there are scales still on the fish in the packaging, that is a GOOD sign! Sometimes companies will remove the scales before packaging their fish to remove all the nasty growths or sores due to water pollution, broken skin from fish bites from being in too close quarters, etc. This can be a problem with farmed fish (mostly ones that are raised outside of the US) since the companies will try to squeeze in as many fish as possible in the smallest space possible to maximize profit. Unfortunately this means that the fish basically have no room to swim all their lives, so you can imagine that their scales don't look as good as wild fish who can roam free. :ohwell:
  • icerose137
    icerose137 Posts: 318 Member
    Small farmed fish tend to have no mercury. It's the bigger long lived fish such as tuna, shark, sailfish ect. that tend to accumulate the mercury.

    And thankfully our farmed fish is done within the state so no worries on that icky stuff.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    I disagree with that one. I've been eating different types of tilapia and it doesn't made any difference on my body. In fact I love it. Also just because it came from your country doesn't mean its safe and raised clean.

    May not be making a difference now but things can build up over time... My policy and goal is to eat as cleanly as possible so I like to know where my food comes from.
  • msnewbootie
    msnewbootie Posts: 240 Member
    by the way it's for pregnant women and young children...you're obviously neither, but I figured the recommendations would be most strict for kids and women who are preggers

    Makes sense...restrictions would b much higher for them!!!
  • msnewbootie
    msnewbootie Posts: 240 Member
    Thanks again! Obviously, I am not a fish eater...but I have started including tilapia on my menu as part of healthy eating!
This discussion has been closed.

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