Fish That Contain Mercury

That makes it best to avoid eating large fish such as shark swordfish tilefish and king mackerel.

Fish that contain mercury.

Federal state and local governments issue fish consumption advisories when fish are unsafe to eat. As small fish are eaten by larger fish up the food chain concentrations of mercury and pops increase so that large predatory deep ocean fish tend to contain the highest levels. And even though most freshwater and saltwater fish are generally considered safe to eat there are some saltwater fish that contain varying levels of contaminants like mercury pcbs and dioxins which they acquire from the water they live in and from the food they eat. Most of these fish low in mercury species live on the sea floor and their flesh is white.

The table is sorted by mercury concentration mean ppm from fish with lowest levels of mercury to highest levels of mercury. Remember the younger and smaller the fish the safer since the amount of mercury increases every time a larger fish eats a small fish. You may also sort the table by species in alphabetical order. That s because it s a great source of protein micronutrients and healthy fats.

Some fish however contain high amounts of mercury enough to damage a fetus or newborn. Fish contain vital nutrients including omega 3 fatty acids protein vitamins and minerals such as iron. Whitefish is a fishery term that refers to multiple fish species like cod whiting and caspian kutum. Seafood prepared from white fish is rich in proteins fats sodium potassium vitamins selenium magnesium and calcium.

Opt for organic farm raised seafood that contains lesser amounts of mercury such as wild alaskan salmon eel crab shrimp and catfish. However some fish may contain mercury or other harmful chemicals at sufficiently high levels to be a concern. Fda recommends eating 8 12 ounces of fish low in mercury per week. All fish contain trace amounts of mercury.

However some types of fish can contain high levels of mercury. These figures are measured in micrograms of mercury per 4 ounces of. 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 is why pregnant and nursing mothers must be very careful about the amounts and types of fish they eat. Before shopping for seafood familiarize yourself with the levels of mercury in fish. Here are some low mercury fish choices and fish to avoid.