You’ve probably already heard about high mercury levels in some types of fish, and even PCB’s in some fish too. However, this video goes beyond just mercury and PCBs and shows how your fish that you buy can be tainted with some pretty scary stuff!
And how about the fish they found being raised in sewage! Interesting. And the fungicide they found in some fish that can cause birth defects and cancer…
Now before you let this video freak you out and swear off fish or seafood for good, here are some things to keep in mind in order to make sure you’re getting healthier fish and seafood:
1. Most of these problems are always related to farmed fish. Stick to wild fish for the healthiest possible choices.
Besides farmed fish sometimes being tainted with harmful chemicals, farmed fish is many times fed an un-natural diet (fish are NOT meant to eat soy and corn pellets), and this reduces the nutritional value of the fish, and distorts the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio, making farmed fish less healthy for you.
2. Even if you stick to wild fish instead of farmed (which will help avoid many of the chemicals mentioned in the video), you can still overdose on mercury if you eat certain types of fish too often… fish that are high on the food chain accumulate the most mercury… so that would be large predatory fish such as tuna, swordfish, shark, grouper, king mackeral, tilefish, striped bass, etc… these types of fish bioaccumulate more mercury from pollution than smaller fish.
By the way, when it comes to canned tuna… white tuna (albacore) has higher levels of mercury than “light” tuna.
This doesn’t mean that you should never eat these fish (after all, I’m a sushi lover myself!)… your body can handle some levels of mercury in fish eaten on occasion (2-3 times per month), and if you’re healthy and eat a very clean diet with lots of detoxifying veggies, herbs, spices, and teas, your body can slowly eliminate the low levels of mercury. However, keeping these large predatory fish to 2-3 times per month max is a good idea. Note: pregnant women should consult their doctor for the entire list of fish to avoid during pregnancy.
3. Wild fish that are lower on the food chain can still be very healthy, but will have MUCH lower levels of mercury. This can include wild salmon (one of my favorite meals), pollock, trout, sardines, herring, and many types of shellfish.
Also, keep in mind that fish such as salmon, trout, sardines, and herring are super-rich in healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids (great source of DHA and EPA components)
Michael Geary is a nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and author of the internationally-popular “The Truth about Six Pack Abs” and publishes a fitness newsletter, Lean-Body Fitness Secrets e-Zine, that is enjoyed by over 460,000 subscribers in over 160 countries around the world. Check out these testimonials… click here.
