The Risks and Benefits of Eating Seafood at He's Fit

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The Risks and Benefits of Eating Seafood

Posted January 24, 2008 at 03:45 PM by Denise Musumeci

Section: In The News, His Health, Physical Health, His Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Diets, Supplements

lobster Many people eat fish because it is low fat and contains oils that keep the heart healthy. Recently, however, there have been reports about high levels of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, which may adversely affect your health. Should people consider giving up seafood, or is it still safe to eat it?

Seattle cardiologist Florence Sheehan, M.D eats seafood a lot because her family has a history of high cholesterol. Lately, she has been scanning health articles to determine the safety of seafood. “The key is to place the benefits and risks into perspective,” Sheehan says. “Lots of varieties of fish are safe. It’s just that some types of seafood can be risky for certain groups of people.” Let’s weight the benefits versus the risks of certain types of seafood.

A study of farm salmon vs. wild salmon shows that the farm salmon found in most grocery stores has higher levels of cancer-causing PCBs than wild salmon. But two more recent studies found that both farm-raised and wild salmon all contain between 8 and 11.5 parts per billion of PCBs, a very small amount. Cornell University seafood specialist Ken Gall says that high doses on PCBs, such as those that occur during industrial accidents, are dangerous for the environment, but it is uncertain that very small amount, such as those found in salmon, can cause cancer. Many medical experts feel that the benefits of eating salmon far outweigh the risks because salmon contains high amounts of omega-3 fats that are good for the heart and brain. Salmon is also low in mercury, which is poisonous in humans.

Mercury consumption is another risk we take when we eat fish. The FDA advises against the ingestion of mercury in pregnant women and in children, since it causes damage to a developing brain. Due to high levels of mercury, pregnant women should avoid four types of seafood: swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel. Even if you are not planning on becoming pregnant, it is wise to know about mercury content. Internal medicine specialist Jane M. Hightower, M.D. studied 123 patients and found that steady diets containing high-mercury fish cause symptoms such as headache, hair loss, and lack of concentration. These symptoms subsided when the patients discontinued their use of high-mercury fish. Pamphlets and information regarding mercury and PCB’s can be found in your local grocery store in the seafood department.

The key to eating fish right is to be mindful of the type of fish you eat. If you eat swordfish everyday, for example, you could develop mercury toxicity and face serious health problems. However, if you eat it once in a while and trade off with fish that have low levels of mercury or PCBs, then you will be able to enjoy the benefits of eating fish without the risk of toxicity. Popular low-mercury fish include shrimp, salmon, catfish, tilapia, flounder, scallops, trout, herring, crawfish, mullet, oysters, perch, sardines, squid, white fish, and anchovies.

Some of the benefits of eating fish include reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and lower blood pressure. By eating fish, you are also substituting a fattening meal like a steak or burger with something less fattening and better for you. If you still want to get the benefits of eating fish, but are wary of the possible risks of mercury intake, taking fish oils is an option. Fish oil does not contain a significant amount of mercury or PCBs and is recommended for people with heart disease.

In the end, the benefits of seafood greatly outweigh the dangers. Ingesting small amounts of mercury or PCBs are not harmful to the body. Just be careful of how much mercury you ingest by limiting the amount of swordfish and other high-mercury fish. Try substituting it for shrimp or scallops. If you are not a seafood lover or are concerned about toxicity, eat fish oil capsules to gain the benefits of seafood. Also be cautious of eating the fish you may catch for sport, since runoff from sewage treatment facilities and other industrial plants contain toxic amounts of mercury. Keep in mind that the smaller the fish, the fewer contaminants. By being aware of your seafood intake, you can enjoy a less fattening meal without worrying about dangers to your health.

Research sources and for more information: [CNN.com]

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48 Responses to “The Risks and Benefits of Eating Seafood” (Leave a reply)

Celebrity Foods from Los Angeles said:

Very interesting blog. Florence Sheehan, M.D states it right by saying that we need to balance the benefits against the risks. Thanks for the information.
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Roselin from Atlanta said:

Amazing stuff.. and well written ... lot of eyeopeners and what to & what not and esp with PCB’s.. Thanks
May 24, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Reverse Mergers Info from USA said:

It’s good to know this information about seafood. You often hear about the benefits of eating fish, but don’t always hear the potential negative side and about mercury that can be found in the fish. For the most part I don’t think we should be worrying about ingesting mercury, but it’s something to keep in mind.
June 2, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Date from USA said:

There are some toxin often founded in a prawns last time.
June 25, 2008 at 06:19 AM
Ramen noodles from LA said:

Very interesting article, i think seafood tastes so good but yeah, they’re are risk, even if you don’t have allergies. I think that people should be more aware of this.
June 29, 2008 at 02:13 AM
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It is striking how much greater both the amount of the evidence and the size of the health effect are for health benefits, compared with health risks. Seafood is likely the single most important food one can consume for good health.
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September 23, 2008 at 09:08 AM
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There is a product I have head of called Waiora that is supposed to help remove heavy metals (Mercury) from the body. So maybe if you are a big fish eater it may be of use, I think it is quite expensive though.
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December 20, 2008 at 03:27 AM
Tower Defense from USA said:

Lots of varieties of fish are safe. It’s just that some types of seafood can be risky for certain groups of people.” Let’s weight the benefits versus the risks of certain types of seafood.
January 20, 2009 at 09:38 AM
Cali from UK said:

The rate at which the sea is being trawled there wont be much fish left soon let alone fish with high levels of mercury.
February 7, 2009 at 01:37 PM
Lasik Guide from Colombo, Srilanka said:

Sea food contains lot of calcium, That is good for our bones & eyes.
However, if the amount of calcium excess the limit, that also will be a problem for us, So, we have to have a limit on having sea foods.....
February 12, 2009 at 05:02 PM
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Yes, you are correct, eating seafood is good, but there should be a limit too, is it?
However, if we take more small sea foods, that will be great than other foods.....
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People always hear the benefit of eating fish but no one knows the side effect which occurred from mercury, which is inside fish. People should aware and be balanced when eat seafood next time.

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April 1, 2009 at 10:54 PM
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It is my pleasure to read a nice article here. However, I think that eating small seafoods will not cause any risks. I have read on a magazine called <A HREF=http://www.tokyo-forum.com>tokyo travel</A> that small sea fishes are having lot of nurtitions than the big ones. So, better to get more small fishes or other small sea lives instead of having big ones as whales or etc :), Smith
April 8, 2009 at 02:49 AM
Smith from TN, USA said:

It is my pleasure to read a nice article here. However, I think that eating small seafoods will not cause any risks. I have read on a magazine called tokyo travel that small sea fishes are having lot of nurtitions than the big ones. So, better to get more small fishes or other small sea lives instead of having big ones as whales or etc :), Smith
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June 17, 2009 at 08:21 PM
Phonics said:

I think there are more benefits than risk so discussing benefits is more worthy. Seafood has very little fat of any kind and what it does have is mostly unsaturated fat. Eating fish two or three times a week can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

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June 23, 2009 at 02:59 PM
Phonics said:

I think there are more benefits than risk so discussing benefits is more worthy. Seafood has very little fat of any kind and what it does have is mostly unsaturated fat. Eating fish two or three times a week can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

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June 23, 2009 at 03:00 PM
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I really don’t believe that seafood can harm people who ate it, because I grew up in a tropical country where our main diet is fish. We ate most of the recommended fish, but seldom eating those unrecommended fish. Fish is good for the body a long as you have balance intake of each.

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June 27, 2009 at 11:42 AM
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Yeah, they have the risk, so I don’t want to eating sea food now
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Though some species of fish around the world’s are likely to be contaminated with mercury, PCBs and other toxins, the benefits of eating seafood continue to outweigh the risks. An ounce of almost any type of seafood typically has about 6 grams of protein. Seafood also contains minerals and vitamins, although not in great supply.

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I think seafood many benefits for your health..I like this food..
July 24, 2009 at 11:15 PM
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Thanks. I already am afraid to eat fish.
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Seafood has high levels mercury, can be fatal
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Very interesting post. It makes me wonder if I might be consuming too much fish. I eat tuna almost everyday and have for years. I don’t feel any negative side effects. I found this page that shows how much tuna you can safely eat http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

It looks like I’m eatting way too much!

Thanks for the information. It will be very useful.
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