Toxins in Seafood
Many people are concerned about the amount of mercury in fish. Unfortunately, pollution affects all of our food sources, whether fish, fowl or fruit. Making better decisions about all of the food we eat is essential, and fish is no different. Reduce consumption of toxins in seafood by deciding how often to eat fish, which varieties to eat and from where the fish come.
In seafood, the worrisome toxins are mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins. Mercury enters the water supply typically through run-off from mines and industry. We know that large doses of mercury can damage nerves in adults and interfere with brain and nervous system development in a fetus or child. Even small doses of mercury have been shown to cause small changes in nervous system development. Some indicators suggest that mercury can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. PCBs and dioxins are often suspected of causing cancer, but a direct link has not yet been established, according to TH Chan School of Medicine.
In terms of eating fish, the levels of PCBs and dioxins are no more significant than the levels found in meat, eggs and produce for store-bought fish. One exception to this is locally caught, freshwater fish. Check local advisories for the amount of these fish you should eat.
“The easiest way to avoid concern about contaminants is simply to eat a variety of fish and other seafood,” according to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Medicine. Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish (sometimes called golden bass or golden snapper) do contain high levels of mercury—these fish should be eaten sparingly, and not at all by women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
What About Toxins in Salmon and Shellfish?
The Journal of American Medicine studied this topic, using data from the Environment Protection Agency and came to the conclusion that if 100,000 people ate farmed salmon twice a week for 70 years, 24 of those people would get cancer from the extra PCB intake. BUT, eating salmon twice a week would prevent 7.000 deaths from heart disease.
The good news for shellfish lovers is that shrimp, scallops and oysters are among the fish with the lowest levels of mercury. Crabs and crawfish are considered “low” level of mercury, just slightly higher than shrimp, scallops and oysters. This graphic from Consumer Reports is an easy reference for choosing seafood. The graphic shows the results of food safety experts who analyzed the FDA’s data on mercury levels in seafood. They identified many choices of seafood that you can eat several times a week without worrying about mercury exposure.
It’s important to note, though, that “Consumer Reports disagrees with the recommendations from the FDA and EPA on how much tuna women and children may eat. ([They] don’t think pregnant women should eat any.)“
Another interesting result from the Harvard study also lists “canned light tuna” as a better choice than Albacore (“white”) tuna, because the canned light tuna has less mercury than Albacore. Canned foods can be problematic because of the metal and can lining chemicals leaching into the food. Although Harvard lists canned tuna as an option, fresh fish is always better for you than canned.
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