Fish That Contain 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.

Fish that contain mercury. Most of these fish low in mercury species live on the sea floor and their flesh is white. 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. Fish are important in a healthy diet.

Before shopping for seafood familiarize yourself with the levels of mercury in fish. Seafood prepared from white fish is rich in proteins fats sodium potassium vitamins selenium magnesium and calcium. Federal state and local governments issue fish consumption advisories when fish are unsafe to eat. 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.

The table is sorted by mercury concentration mean ppm from fish with lowest levels of mercury to highest levels of mercury. Opt for organic farm raised seafood that contains lesser amounts of mercury such as wild alaskan salmon eel crab shrimp and catfish. You may also sort the table by species in alphabetical order. Whitefish is a fishery term that refers to multiple fish species like cod whiting and caspian kutum.

That makes it best to avoid eating large fish such as shark swordfish tilefish and king mackerel. 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. However some fish may contain mercury or other harmful chemicals at sufficiently high levels to be a concern. However some types of fish can contain high levels of mercury.

Fish and shellfish concentrate mercury in their bodies often in the form of methylmercury a highly toxic organic compound of mercury. Here are some low mercury fish choices and fish to avoid. All fish contain trace amounts 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. 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.