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September 16, 2007
Eat Fish…Don’t Eat Fish. Which is it?
Nearly all fish contains small amounts of mercury, which isn't a health concern for most people. However, unborn babies and young children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of mercury because the nervous system is still developing. With this in mind, the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency have taken a better-safe-than-sorry approach to mercury in fish. They designed guidelines to keep mercury consumption far below levels shown to cause harm. By following these conservative recommendations, parents can safely include fish as an important part of a healthy diet.
Women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children 12 years and under can safely eat two meals per week of 6 ounces of cooked, ‘‘low mercury'' fish: cod, salmon, shrimp, flounder, canned chunk-light tuna, haddock, trout, pollock, squid, shellfish (except lobster) and catfish. Toddlers should eat smaller portions. Fish sticks and ‘‘fast-food'' sandwiches are commonly made from fish that are low in mercury.
The ‘‘medium mercury'' fish - striped bass, canned albacore (solid white) tuna, tuna steaks, halibut, lobster, bluefish, grouper - contain three times as much mercury as low mercury fish. One 6-ounce serving can be safely eaten once per week. In the United States, the EPA considers most fish caught in ponds or lakes to be ‘‘medium mercury.'' However, fresh-water fish in more industrial states, such as Massachusetts, may have higher levels of mercury that may not be safe because lakes tend to be more polluted and concentrated with industrial waste than the ocean. It is best to check either with local officials or check the Massachusetts Department of Public Health web site at www.state.ma.us/dph/ to determine the safety of local lakes for fish consumption.
The ‘‘high mercury'' fish - swordfish, shark, mackerel king and tilefish - contain nine times as much mercury as ‘‘low mercury fish.'' Children and women of childbearing age should not consume these fish.
All other adults can eat these higher mercury fish, in moderation, without health risks. It may be prudent for adults to limit their consumption of higher mercury fish to once per week and eat lower mercury containing fish most times.
The only cases of mercury poisoning from fish consumption occurred in Japan in the 1950s and 1960s during industrial accidents that polluted fishing waters with large amounts of mercury that far exceeded our local mercury levels. It is currently unknown if there are any long-term risks for adults consuming low levels of mercury in fish.
The general consensus is that any potential, small risk from mercury is offset by its nutritional benefits.
The American Heart Association continues to recommend that adults should eat at least two servings of fish per week because of the cardiovascular benefits.
Unfortunately, the issue of mercury pollution that jeopardizes our health and food supply was not addressed in these guidelines. Obviously, further restrictions need to be established to limit industrial release of mercury from coal-burning power plants, etc. into the environment.
Posted by Lisa at September 16, 2007 10:18 AM
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Comments
Excellent recommendations. Seafood is such an important part of the diet and is often neglected due to concerns of mercury. The decision of what fish to eat can be a challenge and often contradictory. At the very least, women should know that FDA and EPA have issued advisories about mercury contamination in commonly-sold fish.The problem is, this information is hard to find and is not usually available where it is most necessary: your supermarket.
Oceana, a conservation group focused on mercury is trying to get major grocery companies to post this government advice at their seafood counters. Thanks, in part to their work, Whole Foods, Safeway stores, and Wild Oats voluntarily agreed to post the FDA’s recommendations and they have had positive responses from customers and no loss in seafood sales. But other companies like Wal-Mart, Costco, and Giant have refused to do so. Oceana has a list of which companies care about their customers’ health enough to post this advice, as well as a list of companies that don’t. You can get the Green List and Red List at their website.
Posted by: Melissa at September 19, 2007 12:47 PM