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Fish Breakdown: Omegas and Mercury

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Fish is a great source for lean protein. Fish is part of a healthy eating plan. Fish provides much lacking omega-3 fatty acids to our diets. OK, I get it. Message received. Eat fish.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice weekly to help reach the recommendation of consuming 1.1 grams of omega-3 fats a day. Although fish is a great source of these healthy fats, you have to be careful about ingesting too much mercury, especially if you're pregnant. Expecting moms should stick to types of fish that have mercury levels of 1 part per million (ppm) or lower. The rest of us can safely consume fish with mercury levels that average 5.5 ppm. So take a look at the chart below to see where the fish you eat falls on the spectrum.

	Mercury in parts per million (ppm)	Omega-3s in grams per 3 oz. serving
Canned Tuna	.12	.17 - .24
Shrimp	below the level of detection	.29
Polluck	.06	.45
Salmon	.01	1.1 - 1.9
Cod	.11	.15 - .24
Catfish	.05	.22 - .3
Clams	below the level of detection	.25
Flounder or Sole	.05	.48
Crabs	.06	.27 - .4
Scallops	.05	.18 - .34

If you don't see your favorite seafood on the list then

Healthy Eating Tip: Text Your Fish

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:00:00 -0700

If you're worried about the mercury in fish that you're about to eat then you may want to try Fish Phone, a cool new tool for your phone. All you have to do is text the message FISH and the name of the fish in question to 30644. Withing seconds, you'll get a return text with the Blue Ocean Institutes's assessment and better alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns. It's pretty cool — I tried it out and got a pretty detailed text back immediately. I'll definitely be using this when I am picking fish in the future.

Source

Do You Worry About Mercury in the Fish You Eat?

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:45:00 -0800

Fish is one of those lean, healthy proteins that many of us are trying to eat. Many fish are great sources for the omega-3 fatty acids sorely lacking in the American diet. However, many fish contain high levels of mercury. Even the once-thought-safe fish of choice tuna has been found to contain dangerous level, be it canned or in its raw sushi form. What I want to know is . . .Source

Do You Worry About Mercury in the Fish You Eat?

Yes and I pay attention to how much fish I eat weekly.

No, I just eat fish.

No, because I don't eat fish.

Other — share the details in the comments section below.

How Much Tuna Is Too Much?

FitSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:30:00 -0800

With all the mercury scares going around these days, are you curious how much tuna is too much? I am.

The Environmental Working Group has created a tuna calculator that uses the FDA's guidelines for what constitutes a safe dose of mercury. It will calculate the maximum amount of canned tuna that you can safely eat each week and not exceed what the FDA considers a safe exposure level. All you have to do is enter your weight and the calculator does the rest. Pretty cool, especially if you eat a good amount of tuna.

How many cans per week are safe for you?

UPDATE: Pregnant Women and Fish

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:45:00 -0700

Last week there was an announcement from a health advocacy coalition (funded by the fish industry) that urged expectant and nursing mothers to eat more fish (12 oz. or more) for the safety of their babies. They said that the Omega-3s in fish are far more important to consume and that you shouldn't really worry about mercury levels.

The FDA and EPA however, are sticking to their stance. They feel these women should eat no more than 12 oz. of fish a week, and should be careful about mercury. Some fish contain high levels of this toxin, which could harm the nervous systems of developing fetuses and infants.

Fit's Tips: As a reminder, fish is a great source of Omega-3s, but it's not the only way to get your fill. If you do eat fish, stick to no more than two meals of it a week. Choose seafood with low levels of mercury such as salmon, tuna, sardines, oysters, and mackerel. If you're not into fish, flaxseed oil, flaxseeds, walnuts, soy products, canola oil, and enhanced foods such as Breyer's yogurt.

Source

Is it Safe to Eat the Fish I Catch?

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Many of us vacation by water, and you or someone you're with is bound to do a little fishing. You might be wondering if that fish you catch is safe to eat. Unfortunately, there are no national guidelines on this topic. It all depends on where you fish and if the water is polluted or not.

To find out that information, you can visit the EPA website, click on any state in the U.S., and you will be redirected to that state's specific guidelines. Obviously if you are unsure about the pollution levels of the water, DON'T eat the fish you catch - just release it back into the water.

To lean more about certain types of fish and their level of mercury, check out this helpful poster. It illustrates the level of mercury in many types of fish. For instance catfish is low in mercury, but swordfish is high. Which is good since catfish are a lot easier to catch.

Mercury is dangerous to ingest since it can build up in your bloodstream over time. High levels of it can lead to nervous system problems including brain and nerve damage, so you definitely want to avoid mercury whenever possible. While your body naturally removes mercury, the process can take up to a year. It is especially important for women who are planning on getting pregnant to be conscious about the fish they eat - high mercury levels can harm an unborn baby.

Fit's Tips: It is recommended that you limit your weekly fish intake to 2 servings a week, that is 12 ounces of fish total. If you are not sure about the mercury level of the fish you catch, just eat one serving of that fish but skip it for the rest of the week.

Source

Mercury and Fish: What's the Deal?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:00:00 -0800

I've heard people say that pregnant women shouldn't eat a lot of fish because of the mercury content. What's so bad about mercury and why is it in fish?

Although fish contain high-quality protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury.

Mercury occurs naturally in the environment, and can also be released into the air from pollution. The mercury falls from the air and accumulates in oceans, lakes, and rivers. Fish absorb the mercury since they live and feed in these waters, and the mercury builds up their bodies. That's why larger fish are the ones to watch out for when it comes to mercury, because they've had more time to accumulate it.

Some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. That's why nursing mothers, women who are pregnant, and those who are trying to become pregnant are advised to watch their mercury intake.

For everyone, elevated levels of mercury can lead to nervous system problems with brain or nerve damage. Mercury levels can be measured by blood tests, or tests using hair.

If you regularly eat types of fish that are high in mercury, it can accumulate in your blood stream over time too. The body naturally removes it, but it may take over a year for levels to drop back to normal. That's why it's important for women who are trying to get pregnant to think about their mercury intake beforehand.

Want to hear about some guidelines from the EPA? Then