Fish That Doesn T Contain Mercury

Some species of fish contain worrisome amounts of methylmercury a toxin that s especially dangerous to developing brains.

Fish that doesn t contain mercury.

Some fish however contain high amounts of mercury enough to damage a fetus or newborn. I mean who doesn t love sushi or a hearty seafood stew. All fish contain trace amounts of mercury. Nutrition experts often recommend seafood for kids and pregnant mothers since it is a rich source of vitamins minerals omega 3 fatty acids and proteins.

Fish and shellfish concentrate mercury in their bodies often in the form of methylmercury a highly toxic organomercury compound. Fish products have been shown to contain varying amounts of heavy metals particularly mercury and fat soluble pollutants from water pollution species of fish that are long lived and high on the food chain such as marlin tuna shark swordfish king mackerel and. That s because it s a great source of protein micronutrients and healthy fats. But there s a catch.

However some types of fish can contain high levels of mercury. Safe for kids and pregnant women. Here are some low mercury fish choices and fish to avoid. Before shopping for seafood familiarize yourself with the levels of mercury in fish.

The conclusion that i came to after reading everything i could about mercury and fish is that even though many of these popular saltwater fish have high mercury levels it doesn t mean you should stop eating these fish. The unborn baby is most sensitive to the effects of mercury particularly during the third and fourth months of gestation. Mercury is released into the atmosphere from burning coal oil and natural gas metropolitan and medical wastes forest fires among many other sources. For most people the small amounts in fish do not pose a health problem.

Fish is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. That s why women who are or could become pregnant and young children shouldn t eat high mercury fish such as swordfish shark king mackerel and tilefish. Fish that contain high levels of mercury include shark orange roughy swordfish and ling. In fact the majority of people in america need to eat more fish not less fish.

That is why pregnant and nursing mothers must be very careful about the amounts and types of fish they eat. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air water and food.