Why I won't eat fish (seafood)

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taem
taem Posts: 495 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I read on the boards that fish is great for us because of the nutrition and fats they can offer.

Here is a video on mercury effects on neurons (not human I don't think)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6E-OUMVMNI&NR=1

Here is the FDA response on mercury for pregnant women.
http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/product-specificinformation/seafood/foodbornepathogenscontaminants/methylmercury/ucm115662.htm

I can't believe the FDA wants pregnant women to feel safe eating fish!
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Replies

  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    I get so incredibly tired of people overblowing the Mercury thing way out of proportion.

    You have to eat an insane amount of fish including tunafish over a long period of time (YEARS) to be affected by the mercury.

    It's getting really ridiculous. It's like people not wanting to use smartphones anymore because of the cancer thing.
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
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    Yep I agree - the media has blown this out of proportion and it not accurate. Stop believing everything you read unless it's from a published peer reviewed journal article because they will express the limitations of the study, unlike the media.
  • evesacks
    evesacks Posts: 94 Member
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    Get your hair tested if you are worried.

    I'm going to get mine done (waiting for next haircut as don't want to hack a chuck off myself.
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    I get so incredibly tired of people overblowing the Mercury thing way out of proportion.

    You have to eat an insane amount of fish including tunafish over a long period of time (YEARS) to be affected by the mercury.

    It's getting really ridiculous. It's like people not wanting to use smartphones anymore because of the cancer thing.

    Here is a New York Times article on the recall on sushi because of the mercury levels being too high.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/dining/23sushi.html

    Thanks for your opposing opinion. Do you eat fish? I can respect your views.
  • AliDarling
    AliDarling Posts: 373
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    I won't touch it. it smells bad, theres too much mercury, not to mention all the crud thats been going into the ocean for the last 50 years, and shell fish do not clean their houses. nope, too many unknows and crabs espically have all kinds of parisites. nope, i'll stick with chicken.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    I eat fish yes. I eat tuna, salmon, catfish, tilapia, etc. I have been eating fish for over 30 years, quite often.

    I guess I'm gonna die from mercury now right?
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    I eat fish yes. I eat tuna, salmon, catfish, tilapia, etc. I have been eating fish for over 30 years, quite often.

    I guess I'm gonna die from mercury now right?

    No, I just wanted to know if you ate it. Thanks.
  • DizzieLittleLifter
    DizzieLittleLifter Posts: 1,020 Member
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    There are a lot of SAFE fish one can eat. I wouldn't stop eating all fish, heck I even eat Tuna once a week. If you go that route you might as well ban beef, because of cholesterol and mad cow. I'm not seriously suggesting this btw, just making a point that there are endless studies out there that point to one food being harmful in one way or another. Research the risks and make your own decisions.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    I won't touch it. it smells bad, theres too much mercury, not to mention all the crud thats been going into the ocean for the last 50 years, and shell fish do not clean their houses. nope, too many unknows and crabs espically have all kinds of parisites. nope, i'll stick with chicken.

    Sparta.jpg
  • carlxo21
    carlxo21 Posts: 143 Member
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    I think people are a little overly concerned with the whole mercury thing. It is closely regulated by the FDA and small amounts of mercury are not going to harm you. I eat seafood whenever I can! I am not worried about mercury. A lot of people choose not to eat it because of this reason but I have never seen or heard of anyone becoming very harmed by it. I guess it could make a difference if you were eating mercury-laden fish all the time though.

    my silver fillings have mercury in them. and they still use them. i think it's more about amounts than actual exposure
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    There are a lot of SAFE fish one can eat. I wouldn't stop eating all fish, heck I even eat Tuna once a week. If you go that route you might as well ban beef, because of cholesterol and mad cow. I'm not seriously suggesting this btw, just making a point that there are endless studies out there that point to one food being harmful in one way or another. Research the risks and make your own decisions.

    But here is the thing. Would you rather have brain damage or heart disease? You can fix cardiovascular disease, you can't fix your brain.

    Here is another new york times article on mercury, it is a bit more recent.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/health/research/14hazards.html?ref=mercuryintuna
  • foremant86
    foremant86 Posts: 1,115 Member
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    i don't eat fish because it tastes like fish lol...well accept tuna...that's not so bad.
  • ehs5mw
    ehs5mw Posts: 65
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    If we are going that route, tilapia and catfish may not be healthy for us according to some recent research. The cons may outweigh the pros nutritionally.

    If one is worried about parasites, chicken probably isn't all that safe compared to fish, though I would want to look for some research in this area.

    For the record, I eat lots of types of animals. I also read research papers, opinion pieces, and other articles with a grain of salt, so to speak. Everyone has an agenda. It's pretty difficult to find "unbiased" reports. People are funny like that.
  • ehs5mw
    ehs5mw Posts: 65
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    But here is the thing. Would you rather have brain damage or heart disease? You can fix cardiovascular disease, you can't fix your brain.

    I've known for a while that my brain was without hope.
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    If we are going that route, tilapia and catfish may not be healthy for us according to some recent research. The cons may outweigh the pros nutritionally.

    If one is worried about parasites, chicken probably isn't all that safe compared to fish, though I would want to look for some research in this area.

    For the record, I eat lots of types of animals. I also read research papers, opinion pieces, and other articles with a grain of salt, so to speak. Everyone has an agenda. It's pretty difficult to find "unbiased" reports. People are funny like that.

    You are right. Even the US agencies are at odds with each other, the FDA and the EPA.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/opinion/23tue3.html?ref=mercuryintuna
  • lazirlott
    lazirlott Posts: 42 Member
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    My husband and I both come from long lines of commercial fisherman all of our family and anscestors eat fish, shrimp, crab, & oysters ALOT. Just like a farmer eats what he grows, its like "free" and yummy groceries. No one in our family history (and we have fishermen dating back to BEFORE 1900) has had any health repercussions from eating too much seafood.
  • kathyhull
    kathyhull Posts: 327 Member
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    Oh dear. I eat tuna at least 4 times a week - high protein, good mixed with lots of chopped vegies. Guess I better get my hair tested. Sadly, it's always something. I happen to use sweet-n-low in my coffee too - 2 packets a day. Hey, I gave up smoking. I'm running 3 -4 times a week, walk a lot more than I used to. I've even cut back on my wine and margaritas. Please don't make me give up everything!!
  • fromaquasar
    fromaquasar Posts: 811 Member
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    This is why I don't eat fish or seafood http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jun/03/fish-stocks-information-beautiful - look at the animated infographic at the bottom.
  • ehs5mw
    ehs5mw Posts: 65
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    My husband and I both come from long lines of commercial fisherman all of our family and anscestors eat fish, shrimp, crab, & oysters ALOT. Just like a farmer eats what he grows, its like "free" and yummy groceries. No one in our family history (and we have fishermen dating back to BEFORE 1900) has had any health repercussions from eating too much seafood.

    Please don't take this seriously, but:

    Are all of your ancestors still alive then?
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/fish-intake-and-mercury.html

    Look at the chart on Lyle's page, and then read below.

    /thread

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