Medical Questions » Other Problems Questions » Question No. 1394
| Question: | I' ve heard fish is high in mercury. Should one avoid eating it? |
| Answer: | Mercury, sadly, is a common pollutant in the world' s oceans. It bio-accumulates up the food chain, starting in plankton, which is then eaten by small fish, who are eaten by medium fish, who are eaten by large fish. These larger fish, which include shark, tuna and swordfish, live a long time and eat a lot of smaller fish, thus accumulating sometimes unhealthy levels of mercury in their tissues. As a result, government agencies around the world advise that such fish should now be avoided by pregnant women and eaten no more than once per week by everyone else.
Similar surveys have found that while most fish contain some mercury, the levels are low in smaller fish and are unlikely to pose a significant health risk. Fish provides quality protein in your diet without the saturated fat, and oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, herring and trout contain health-promoting levels of omega-3 essential fats. These fish should be eaten at least three times per week. |
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