Like many foods, fish packs a good deal of baggage: conflicting advice on whether to eat more to benefit the heart and immune system, or to avoid fish that might be contaminated with mercury and other toxins.
Americans love to catch and cook our own fish or dine on fish raised locally in manmade lakes, ponds and fish “farms.” And fish is an excellent contributor to any healthy diet, containing protein, vitamins and minerals but generally lower in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol than red meat.
In addition, some types of fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found in some studies to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. Omega-3s may also protect against irregular heartbeat and help lower blood pressure levels. Other researchers are looking into the effects of omega-3s on arthritis, lupus and other autoimmune conditions.
Omega-3s are most likely to be found in fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Unfortunately, some of these fish are the same species that may be more likely to contain toxins such as mercury, PCBs and other chemicals. That’s because the contaminants tend to build up in fatty tissue.
So should you be concerned? Fish taken from polluted waters might be hazardous to your health. Eating fish containing chemical pollutants may cause birth defects, liver damage, cancer and other serious health problems. But experts say the risk of serious effects from eating contaminated fish is small. And there are several things you can do to decrease any potential risk:
- If you like to fish and eat your own catch, check local advisories to find out what types of fish are safe to eat and how much. If no local advice is available, limit your consumption of fish from local waters to about 6 ounces a week.
- Pregnant women, nursing mothers and children should limit how much fish they eat to avoid the harmful effects of mercury or other toxins. They should avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish altogether.
- Don’t eat raw seafood, particularly raw shellfish.
- Use fresh fish within two days, but preferably the day of purchase.
- Store frozen seafood no more than six months.
- Cook all fish thoroughly, allowing about 10 minutes of cooking time for every inch of thickness for medium-cooked fish.
Overall, most people don’t eat enough fish on a regular basis to worry about the risk of contamination – unless they happen to live near a water treatment plant or chemical refinery. In fact, most Americans probably should eat more fish. Two 3-ounce servings of omega-3-rich fish each week can provide health benefits that likely outweigh the potential risks.
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