The Two Fish You Should Never Eat

















The Two Fish You Should Never EatFish is a healthy food—there’s no contesting that. It’s high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to have a balancing effect on mood. It’s a low-fat food that also happens to be a high-quality protein. Fish also has a pretty impressive array of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, B2, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, zinc, iodine, and magnesium. In fact, the American Heart Association actually recommends eating fish at least twice a week as part of a heart-healthy diet.

So, what’s the problem with fish consumption? Why is there an ongoing debate in health news circles about whether to eat or not to eat fish? In one word: mercury. High levels of this neurotoxin are definitely not good for you. But if you still want to eat some fish, what should you do?

Here’s a health tip, courtesy of researchers at the Insubria University in Varese, Italy: stay away from swordfish and shark. The Italian research team investigated the content of 169 news articles related to “mercury and fish consumption” that appeared from 1990 to 2010 in order to identify the coverage of benefits vs. risks associated with fish consumption. Hypotheses were made by the researchers on how the public might change fish consumption patterns as a result of media coverage. They determined that, depending on the information source, the public could: 1) reduce its fish intake; 2) increase its fish intake; or 3) become confused about the problem.

Their way out of this predicament? The media, in cooperation with scientists, public health nutritionists and dietitians, should place more emphasis on the existence of a few fish species with high to very high mercury levels and relatively low contents of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Two fish species that were mentioned as an example were swordfish and shark. This way, you should be able to make more educated decisions about how to maximize the benefits of eating fish while reducing possible risks from consuming mercury.

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(Originally published on Monday, October 8th, 2012
Food and Nutrition by for The Doctors Health Press)


  • ball scratcher

    what about tube steak ?

    • Mr. Nunya

      Hive ill you wint,,, fig! (Sorry, my "Eh" key is broken.)

  • cpmt

    what about fresh tuna fish? (or sushi?)

  • auggiedoggy

    Wow! Now I'll have to give up my daily regime of swordfish and shark. ;o)

  • obvious man

    Sharks can kill you two ways…by them eating you and by you eating them!

  • Dave

    To make it simple; the higher up the food chain the more mercury, the lower the food chain the less mercury. Swordfish and shark….higher on the food chain. Sardines….lower on the food chain. To answer cpmt; tuna is middle/upper on the food chain and varies with the breed of tuna.
    A number of mineral can regulate mercury, but Vitamin C, and spirulina are best for chelating mercury out of the body. This includes mercury tooth amalgams and mercury from vaccines such as the flu vaccine, which I would avoid like the plague. Take vitamin D3 and C to fight all flu.
    Another big problem with fish lately, is radiation due to Japan's nuclear plant.
    Wild caught fish is still better and healthier than farm raised fish. Too much antibiotics and un-natural GMO feed in farm raised, causing them to be unhealthy and dull looking. They have to put coloring agents in their feed to make them presentable for market. How sad is that?

    • CdnNrs

      Dave, I'm not sure what your health education background is, but advising people against the flu vaccine based on the infinitesimal amount of thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative in SOME (i.e. not all) flu vaccines, in the average 0.5 ml dose is irresponsible. Vaccines are a highly effective and historically safe means of preventing diseases that are significantly worse than any side effects of the vaccine itself. Ironically, the most effective way of avoiding contracting the plague (your yardstick of avoidance) once exposed would be immunization! Worst case scenarios: plague = death, treatment (antibiotics) = varies by drug and route, but can include permanent deafness, vaccine = temporary soreness at injection site.
      Influenza vaccination is strongly recommended for the population in general in order to protect those who cannot take the vaccine or for whom influenza could well prove fatal (children, elderly, immunocompromised).

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal

      http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

      http://www.cdc.gov/plague/prevention/index.html

      • Suzy Manville

        I agreed until he mentioned the flu vaccination as well. Although I am aware that it is based on prediction, every year they are improving upon it and sparing many of us from enduring the hellish three weeks or so the is "the flu". There is no logical or scientific reason to "avoid it like the plague". Even if we are healthy enough to survive influenza, many people are not. By protecting ourselves we are protecting them. I have seen the flu (and other infections) practically wipe out an entire wing at a nursing facility. Totally avoidable if people practice proper hygeine, avoid exposing weaker populations if they have been exposed to infections, and, of course, get vaccinated. All the naysayers will proudly boast they haven't had the flu or the shot in years. They are welcome. They are able to avoid the flu because others are getting the vaccination and decreasing their exposure to it, not because the flu shot doesn't work.

    • cpmt

      THANK YOU so much. I take note (will not get large fish… and I love sardines)

  • https://www.facebook.com/dean.charlwood Dean Charlwood

    stay away from the top of the food chain and you will be ok

  • https://www.facebook.com/dean.charlwood Dean Charlwood

    Stop trying to frighten people

  • https://www.facebook.com/docky.musicy Docky Musicy

    Nice and timely article….BUT the most dangerous food on the planet is HALAL food. islam is more deadly than mercury or cynide.

    For the last 1400 years the planet has been slowly and surely being poisoned by islam. HALAL foods are the first way that islam slimes into the system. It's all downhill from there…..Pure mental retardation…big–time mad behavior….women rights and education in peril…. law-lessness and job-lessness because of mental stunting. HALAL foods are the most dangerous on the planet. HALAL foods are bad for our planet and our children.
    HALAL FOODS HAVE TO BE BANNED.

    HALAL foods are the first of the creeping poisons that islam slithers in with into any civilised system…Then it's all chaos AND BLOOD…OUR BLOOD.

    DO YOU KNOW THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WORD FOR PEDOPHILIA OR

    CHILD-MOLESTATION IN ARABIC !!!

    Do you even know what that means ???

    Can you even imagine how dangerous that is ?

    Hence the stunting of the muslim psyche.

    Islam is coming. WE CAN SEE IT COMING !

    Islam has to be damned and banned.

    There is no other way.

    WE HAVE TO OPENLY START ASKING MUSLIMS WHAT’S THE

    ARABIC WORD FOR CHILD-MOLESTATION AND PEDOPHILIA.

    We have to watch their reactions …. It's

    so maccarbly funny…..THERE IS ABOLUTELY NO WORD FOR PEDOPHILIA OR

    CHILD-MOLESTATION IN ARABIC !!!

    What to do ? Not ask these questions ?

    Not even for the children ? Because muslim

    sentiments might be hurt ?

    Because the little ones’ screams are silent ?

    Because we don’t want to hurt

    We have to rescue the children.

    We have to REJECT and start banning ALL HALAL things.

    FIRST ON A PERSONAL LEVEL . HALAL makes only dirty-dirty islam prosper and education and good-manners and children's rights and women's equality all start going down the gutter.

    HALAL FOODS ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS AND IDEOLOGICALLY THE MOST SUICIDAL FOODS TO CONSUME BY HUMANS TODAY.

    START SAYING "NO" TO HALAL FOODS TODAY.

    START !!! HALAL EQUALS MENTAL AND SOCIAL POISON.

    • Guest

      That ignorance is what's poisonous :)

    • Dr. D

      Your ignorance is what's toxic.

    • b1aflatoxin

      GREAT! Wasting more of my time fighting an arrogant troll.

      I'm an American. My nation has been more negatively affected by heavy metals like mercury then by Islam! I think you are a child (because of your incredibly flawed logic) so I shall be kinder then if you were an adult. ….I'm already done with this fight and ready to move on. I feel sorry for you. You must be a bully or being bullied and thats not right. Anyway, the Arabic language is complex. Like all language, it's beautiful, both written and spoken. Like all languages Arabic is ever expanding.
      Here is proof that hate has blinded you.
      الاعتداء الجنسي على الأطفال

      التحرش الجنسي للأطفال وباللغة العربية!!!

      Put that in your translator and eat it!

      About Halal, I don't know what that is (I'll read about it) but since I'm curious about other cultures and creeds (not an angry child), I assume that its similar the concept of Kosher food. All of which benefit from ending bioaccumulation of mercury thru education about the various sources of heavy metal contamination.

      Misplaced fear and xenophobia is now loosing elections for the GOP in the US.
      Only through love and empathy for each other, and our environment can we change the misguided hearts ruled by fundamentalism around the world. Daemonizing people only strengthens fear and mistrust of western values.

      If you are an adult, I suggest that you get your information from a variety of different sources, and stay away from whatever is poisoning your ability to see with logic and reason. I suggest rereading 1 John 2:11.

      Good luck / حظا سعيدا

      • David Patton

        Truth was the highest ideal for most Americans, since our nation's inception.
        Now secular humanism has managed to replace truth with tolerance, and this

        is more toxic than lead or mercury for our society.

    • RK

      I'm not sure where you are getting your information, but I am pretty disgusted by the hate and racism you are spewing. This is clearly coming from a place of ignorance. Firstly, Halal and for that matter Kosher are centered on principles of cleanliness and humanity towards the animals that are sacrificed for people's well being. Both rituals entail a swift kill, so as not to poison meat with re-absorbed toxic blood, and not to release dangerous hormones released by stress and panic into the meat. The way that meats are handled must also be treated with cleanliness by the instruments, and people wielding the instruments.

      Secondly, this was an article about mercury and contaminants in seafood- where you found your platform to turn this into religious hate speak, completely baffles me. Pick a more appropriate place.

      The contributions of Arabs (including Jews and Moors, not only Muslims) are too many to list here. See this wikipedia article for lengthy discussion about their contributions to Science, Mathematics (Algebra comes from Islamic mathematicians' Al Jabr), Biological and Physical Sciences, Astronomy, just to name a few.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_in_the_medieval_Islamic_world

      Child Molestation and Pedophilia are wrong, no matter which faith or nation contains it. There have been numerous cases just this year of the crime being committed from Penn State to the Catholic Church to the Boy Scouts. Does your rant turn on American's too?

      And yes, there are arabic words for child molestation and pedophilia. There are plenty of free English:Arabic dictionaries on line. Do a little more research first.

      Below are a few links about Halal meat, for more information.
      http://www.squidoo.com/organic-halal-meat

      http://mideastfood.about.com/od/middleeasternfood101/a/halalfoods.htm

    • abarat

      seriously? an article about fish consumption and you post about your personal cultural views? way to go brains.

    • cpmt

      you don't have idea what you are talking about. at one time muslim were more open minded than christians, many centuries!! jewish, christians & arabs-moslems live together with no problems… only the last 60-70 years things have changed for the worse, before you are a fanatic, and give political ideas in the wrong forum please read your history and cultures.

    • cpmt

      you really must be a lonely men/person and with very narrow views and mind in life and other cultures, You should learn some languages and visit some countries, poor minded and fanatic cagarruta.

  • Kathleen Carlstedt

    So, what are some of the GOOD fish we should eat that contains the most Omega-3?

    • b1aflatoxin

      Salmon! Wild caught Alaskan Pink Salmon is great! In the can, frozen or fresh, you can't go wrong.

      Very high levels of Omega3. Pink and red salmon get their color from the zooplankton they eat (same for the pink flamingo). It's the zooplankton that gives the fish high levels of Omega3 and the reason that farm-raised fish does not since they eat hog feed (corn and soy). But farm fish is good for being low in fat maybe. I'm not slamming farm-raised fish.

      Sockeye salmon is red salmon (red in its freshwater cycle) is said to have very low levels of methlymercury. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockeye_salmon#Diet)

      But there are other fish too. I also like Sardines and Jack Mackerel as do the cats. Very cheap and very high levels of DHA Omaga-3's.

      Girls and women who would like to have kids someday MUST eat foods containing Omega-3's. You can not have a healthy, intelligent baby with out it.
      A baby's brain is made with Omega-3 from the mother. Moms have been storing Omega-3 in their thighs since childhood.
      I take a supplement at least once a day and eat salmon or mackerel and sardines 1-3 time a month. For the brain, heart and circulatory system.
      Goodluck :o )

  • gasthaus_krone

    Does McDonald-Restaurant sell shark meat??????

  • MrFlimsky

    If you smoke cigarettes, drive your car too fast, or lay out in the sun too much, don't worry about eating swordfish or shark. All risk management experts who deal in the food area say the benefits of eating seafood far out weigh ANY potential issues. And I've yet to see anyone who has mercury toxicity from eating too much seafood.

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