Risk of eating too much fish?
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Gaygirl2120
Posts: 541 Member
So I’ve been having tilapia with 2 meals a day as my source of protein for the past few weeks. But then I’ve been reading and it says that fish should only be eaten maybe twice a week. So if I continue this diet I’m scared that it’s going to eventually lead to health concerns. Does anyone have any input or experience with this?
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Replies
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It usually has to do with where the fish is sourced or farmed. Extra stuff could be in it for example with tuna it's possible to get too much Mercury.2
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That is the recommendation. Do you doubt the soundness of that, or (?) I don't imagine there are a lot of anecdotal stories. Lots of people eat more. Lots eat less. I have seafood maybe one or two times per week.0
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I'd normally, post a government site but chose this, since this' a public question that men'll also view! Whereas the government's sites're mostly, for women & children:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/10/can-eating-the-wrong-fish-put-you-at-higher-risk-for-mercury-exposure/index.htm3 -
Thank you!1
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Uhhhh... as a rd once told me, there is probably enough iodine in the fish to help counter any mercury issues. In would not worry about it. Jmho0
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Everything is "bad". I am sick of hearing it. I am from the time where they said butter will kill you and canola was "heart healthy" so I switched to canola oil and canola margarine. Within a couple months I gained 20 lbs, but I felt like I gained 100. The sides of my lips cracked, my tongue was white and I was too exhausted to even bend over.. at 19 years old! I have been a butter and olive oil person for a couple decades now with no problems like that.
I have eaten a lot of fish before because it's cheap and felt nothing but lighter and less bogged down. But if you are really worried about it, you could go vegetarian a couple times a week or switch up your protein once in a while.
I recommend tomato and bean dishes if you go veggie, as for me I don't tend to miss the meat.2 -
I have always tried to mix it up, Tilapia one day then Salmon, then Halibut or Snapper. Your body needs the Omega oils which are especially present in Salmon. I have eaten fish 4 days a week in the past with no problems, then again mine were always naturally sourced,(as in I caught them), I'm not sure about farmed fish.
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You read my mind. I think I’ll be doing one serving of fish & then a vegetarian dish.0
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SandSeaSkySoul wrote: »I'd normally, post a government site but chose this, since this' a public question that men'll also view! Whereas the government's sites're mostly, for women & children:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/10/can-eating-the-wrong-fish-put-you-at-higher-risk-for-mercury-exposure/index.htm
I'm sorry, I know this is off topic, but I am utterly confused. Who's government? Why are they mostly for women and children? When did this become a thing? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I have never heard this before. I didn't realize that someone's government didn't give a crap about men. Is it that the government only uses women and children populated studies? Or are they only providing information that's important to women and children? I am so confused!2 -
SandSeaSkySoul wrote: »I'd normally, post a government site but chose this, since this' a public question that men'll also view! Whereas the government's sites're mostly, for women & children:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/10/can-eating-the-wrong-fish-put-you-at-higher-risk-for-mercury-exposure/index.htm
I'm sorry, I know this is off topic, but I am utterly confused. Who's government? Why are they mostly for women and children? When did this become a thing? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I have never heard this before. I didn't realize that someone's government didn't give a crap about men. Is it that the government only uses women and children populated studies? Or are they only providing information that's important to women and children? I am so confused!
Regarding the fish recommendations they do single out women and children specifically because the excess mercury is stored in fat tissue and women and children tend to have a higher body fat composition, even at a healthy weight. Also there is the higher risk of issues with mercury and pregnancy.
Other than that, I am with you. The USDA and the FDA do not single out a specific gender unless there is a difference, then they state why the recommendations for men and women are different.2 -
SandSeaSkySoul wrote: »I'd normally, post a government site but chose this, since this' a public question that men'll also view! Whereas the government's sites're mostly, for women & children:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/10/can-eating-the-wrong-fish-put-you-at-higher-risk-for-mercury-exposure/index.htm
I'm sorry, I know this is off topic, but I am utterly confused. Who's government? Why are they mostly for women and children? When did this become a thing? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I have never heard this before. I didn't realize that someone's government didn't give a crap about men. Is it that the government only uses women and children populated studies? Or are they only providing information that's important to women and children? I am so confused!
Regarding the fish recommendations they do single out women and children specifically because the excess mercury is stored in fat tissue and women and children tend to have a higher body fat composition, even at a healthy weight. Also there is the higher risk of issues with mercury and pregnancy.
Other than that, I am with you. The USDA and the FDA do not single out a specific gender unless there is a difference, then they state why the recommendations for men and women are different.
Man, I was not getting it. Thank you. I didn't realize that it was strictly in regards to fish consumption. It makes sense but my brain went in a weird direction and extrapolated it to everything. I think I need more coffee.0 -
SandSeaSkySoul wrote: »I'd normally, post a government site but chose this, since this' a public question that men'll also view! Whereas the government's sites're mostly, for women & children:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/10/can-eating-the-wrong-fish-put-you-at-higher-risk-for-mercury-exposure/index.htm
I'm sorry, I know this is off topic, but I am utterly confused. Who's government? Why are they mostly for women and children? When did this become a thing? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I have never heard this before. I didn't realize that someone's government didn't give a crap about men. Is it that the government only uses women and children populated studies? Or are they only providing information that's important to women and children? I am so confused!
Regarding the fish recommendations they do single out women and children specifically because the excess mercury is stored in fat tissue and women and children tend to have a higher body fat composition, even at a healthy weight. Also there is the higher risk of issues with mercury and pregnancy.
Other than that, I am with you. The USDA and the FDA do not single out a specific gender unless there is a difference, then they state why the recommendations for men and women are different.
Man, I was not getting it. Thank you. I didn't realize that it was strictly in regards to fish consumption. It makes sense but my brain went in a weird direction and extrapolated it to everything. I think I need more coffee.
Naw, I was confused too and am fully caffeinated
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So I’ve been having tilapia with 2 meals a day as my source of protein for the past few weeks. But then I’ve been reading and it says that fish should only be eaten maybe twice a week. So if I continue this diet I’m scared that it’s going to eventually lead to health concerns. Does anyone have any input or experience with this?
Hey @Jax2120 and friends!
I’ve been eating a lot more fish in my diet to be healthier as well. Seems there are always articles to contradict each other! The one constant seems to be that wild caught and smaller fish have less pcp’s and mercury.
I used to eat swordfish and tilapia and I’ve moved to fresh wild salmon, mackerel and sardines and anchovies for protein and omega 3s.
Hopefully no articles will come out in 10 years against anchovies. ☺️
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SandSeaSkySoul wrote: »I'd normally, post a government site but chose this, since this' a public question that men'll also view! Whereas the government's sites're mostly, for women & children:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/10/can-eating-the-wrong-fish-put-you-at-higher-risk-for-mercury-exposure/index.htm
I'm sorry, I know this is off topic, but I am utterly confused. Who's government? Why are they mostly for women and children? When did this become a thing? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I have never heard this before. I didn't realize that someone's government didn't give a crap about men. Is it that the government only uses women and children populated studies? Or are they only providing information that's important to women and children? I am so confused!
Regarding the fish recommendations they do single out women and children specifically because the excess mercury is stored in fat tissue and women and children tend to have a higher body fat composition, even at a healthy weight. Also there is the higher risk of issues with mercury and pregnancy.
Other than that, I am with you. The USDA and the FDA do not single out a specific gender unless there is a difference, then they state why the recommendations for men and women are different.
Man, I was not getting it. Thank you. I didn't realize that it was strictly in regards to fish consumption. It makes sense but my brain went in a weird direction and extrapolated it to everything. I think I need more coffee.
Actually, the poster does seem to be going on about government sites giving information about everything for women and children only. I just decided to go on a tangent and bring some clarity to the subject of the thread, ie fish consumption.
BTW, this is just an intellectual exercise for me. I hate fish. I have always hated fish and I always will.1 -
Only oily fish should be eaten no more than 4 times a week for the general population. White fish can be eaten as much as you want.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/fish-and-shellfish-nutrition/1 -
Yes, farmed fish is not good. Tilapia is pretty much farmed ALWAYS in the US. If you switch to a different fish that is wild caught you'll be on a better path. Eating too much fish is not a health concern. Look at the Japanese who eat fish all day every day. As a culture they are much healthier than we are.
I'd switch to a different white fish if you need something not "fishy" tasting. I actually prefer salmon when cooking fish but my family loves cod so I cook that a couple times a week.1 -
amgreenwell wrote: »Yes, farmed fish is not good. Tilapia is pretty much farmed ALWAYS in the US. If you switch to a different fish that is wild caught you'll be on a better path. Eating too much fish is not a health concern. Look at the Japanese who eat fish all day every day. As a culture they are much healthier than we are.
I'd switch to a different white fish if you need something not "fishy" tasting. I actually prefer salmon when cooking fish but my family loves cod so I cook that a couple times a week.
The limits on fish are generally due to concerns about mercury. The Japanese do have a documented rate of mercury poisoning that is higher than the US.2 -
amgreenwell wrote: »Yes, farmed fish is not good. Tilapia is pretty much farmed ALWAYS in the US. If you switch to a different fish that is wild caught you'll be on a better path. Eating too much fish is not a health concern. Look at the Japanese who eat fish all day every day. As a culture they are much healthier than we are.
I'd switch to a different white fish if you need something not "fishy" tasting. I actually prefer salmon when cooking fish but my family loves cod so I cook that a couple times a week.
Eating too much fish absolutely could be a health concern depending on the type of fish. Large, predatory fish such as certain species of tuna, swordfish, and king mackerel have high enough levels of mercury that it is recommended that nursing mothers or any pregnant woman should avoid them altogether. For everyone else, it is recommended that you limit your consumption of those particular fish.0 -
amgreenwell wrote: »Yes, farmed fish is not good. Tilapia is pretty much farmed ALWAYS in the US. If you switch to a different fish that is wild caught you'll be on a better path. Eating too much fish is not a health concern. Look at the Japanese who eat fish all day every day. As a culture they are much healthier than we are.
I'd switch to a different white fish if you need something not "fishy" tasting. I actually prefer salmon when cooking fish but my family loves cod so I cook that a couple times a week.
'pretty much farm raised always' Yep, I don't know anyone that chooses to fish for Talapia.
"Hey, we've got a Talapia charter on Saturday. Hope to land a few monsters" is something you just don't hear!0 -
Tilapia is low in mercury, I personally don't worry about eating fish that are on the low end. Farmed fish tend to be higher in fat because of the diets they're fed but they're not "bad" for you unless you listen to looney tunes like Mercola. Wild fish in my opinion do tend to taste better. Here's a list of the best and worst fish for mercury levels:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/check-fish-for-mercury-before-buying-13006291
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