June 1, 2009
By Jessica Forbes MS, CCN
It’s barbecue season and I’m getting a lot of questions from people about which seafood is the safest to eat, so I thought I’d post some info in this week’s blog. The contaminant that is of most concern in fish is mercury, so this list focuses on that. The data below is compiled from www.nrdc.org.
High Mercury Levels – Limit consumption to once/month
Bluefish, Grouper, Mackerel, Marlin, Orange roughy, Seabass, Shark, Swordfish, Tilefish, Tuna (Ahi, Yellowfin, Bigeye, Albacore)
Medium Mercury Levels – Limit consumption to once/week
Bass, Carp, Cod, Croaker, Halibut, Lobster, Mahi mahi, Monkfish, Perch, Sablefish, Skate, Snapper, Tuna (Canned Chunk Light, Skipjack), Sea Trout
Low Mercury Levels – Eat as often as desired
Anchovies, Calamari, Catfish, Clam, Cod, Crab, Crawfish/Crayfish, Flounder, Haddock, Hake, Herring, Mackerel, Mullet, Oyster, Perch, Plaice, Pollock, Salmon, Sardine, Scallop, Sole, Tilapia, Trout, Whitefish, Whiting
For those of you who don’t want to carry a list of seafood in your pocket when you go grocery shopping, I wanted to include some general rules when buying fish to help you make the right choices.
1. Wild caught fish is almost always better than farm raised fish. The only exception to this rule is wild caught fish from polluted waters.
2. Fish from cold water, such as Alaska, will have less mercury than fish from warm water, such as Asia. Due to ocean currents there tends to be less pollution in colder water.
3. Larger predatory fish will have accumulated more mercury than smaller fish. This is due to the simple fact that they are eating more fish over a longer period of time, and storing that mercury in their bodies.
It has been proven over and over again that the benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks, so don’t be afraid to make seafood a regular part of your diet!
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Hello-
People are confused about seafood advice, so here are a few important points on the topic.
1) Seafood advice, like all nutrition advice, should always come from a registered dietitian, doctor, or qualified health organization. NRDC is an environmental group.
2) For the general population, there are no species of fish to avoid. Simply eat a variety of fish at least twice a week, especially oily fish like salmon, tuna, trout, and sardines.
3) The only population that has special seafood advice is women who are or may become pregnant, nursing moms, and young children. For this group, there are just four fish to avoid: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.
4) Most Americans, especially pregnant moms, eat far too little fish to reap the health benefits. Limiting or avoiding seafood can contribute to an omega-3 and vitamin D deficiency, so it’s important to aim for at least two servings of fish per week.
For more info on how to get plenty of fish, check out the real-life diet of a registered dietitian (me!) at http://www.blogaboutseafood.com.
Sincerely,
Jennifer McGuire, MS, RD
National Fisheries Institute
Reply
Comment by Jennifer McGuire, MS, RD — June 2, 2009 @ 2:40 pm