Americans are being encouraged to eat more fish and we are complying — to the tune of 4 billion pounds a year. With sushi restaurants popping up even in small towns, the amount of fish we eat is likely to grow. But should we be eating all that fish?
Higher intakes of omega-3 oils, the healthy oil found in seafood, have been associated with dramatic reductions in many ailments, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and arthritic pain and disability. In addition, omega-3 oils dramatically improve brain health. "Omega 3: Nature’s Miracle Panacea" explains how omega-3 oils help prevent depression and lower your risk of heart disease.
But many fish are high in mercury and also contain large amounts of PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, and herbicides. Recent alerts have been issued by the regulatory agencies, as well as physician groups, suggesting that pregnant women should avoid eating fish known to have high mercury levels. The elderly are also at high risk because age has weakened their cells, especially brain cells.
Independent studies have shown that the type of mercury found in seafood, called methylmercury (or organic mercury), is highly toxic to a number of organs and tissues, especially to the developing brain of fetuses and newborns. You can find much more information on the dangers of mercury in my newsletter "Mercury: Save Your Body From Nature's Deadly Poison.''
Some seafood is naturally low in mercury and is safer to eat. Safe varieties of seafood include:
• Clams
• Wild Alaskan salmon
• Shrimp
• Sardines
• Crabs
• Scallops
Some seafood is high in mercury and PCBs:
• Chilean sea bass
• Grouper
• Marlin
• Orange roughy
• Rockfish
• Atlantic salmon (farmed)
The EPA and FDA list four fish that should never be eaten:
• Tilefish
• Shark
• King mackerel
• Swordfish
Despite this warning, most seafood restaurants serve one or more of these toxic fish — and most grocery stores and supermarkets sell them — and never even warn pregnant women of the danger.
For more details on buying and eating fish, read my special report " Eating Fish: What You Need to Know.''
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