With all the talk of mercury and other toxins in fish, you might wonder what fish is healthy to eat.
It's a reasonable concern in these days of contaminated oceans.
Yet, the solution isn't to not eat fish, you need the omega 3 fatty acids they have.
Fish is your best source of DHA, an essential fatty acid that makes up about half of your brain.
Studies show getting plenty of omega 3's can boost your brainpower, your mood and protect you from dementia.
Yep, you need these nutrients and fish or fish oil is your best resource.
The Fish Problem It turns out there are some fish safe to eat 2-3 times a week and others best avoided altogether.
According to the FDA, pregnant and nursing women and small children shouldn't eat fish more than twice a week and some fish they should skip altogether.
This is especially true for pregnant or nursing women and small children as the mercury can be especially damaging to a fetus or newborn.
For the rest of us, low levels of mercury poisoning won't pose an immediate harm but it can build until it eventually damages the brain and even kidneys.
Think Size Larger fish tend to test off the charts for mercury and other heavy metals.
As a rule, if you think of larger fish like swordfish, tilefish and King mackerel, these fall into the category of "stay away".
So do shark and marlin.
This recommendation is for everyone according to the FDA.
On the other hand, small is good.
Anchovies, sardines and herring are all safe to eat 2-3 times a week.
So is wild caught salmon, scallops and canned, light tuna (canned).
Wild caught Vs.
Farmed Wild caught fish are generally safer than farmed because they've been able to eat a wider variety of foods and have had more exercise.
Think of wild salmon, they spend weeks swimming upstream to spawn.
All that exercise builds muscle.
Which do you think would be healthier? The fish who has spent the past months in a confined setting being fed engineered "fish feed" or the fish who just battled rapids upstream for the past several weeks and has eaten whatever he wanted? My bet is on the second.
It might seem a little complicated at first but you want to feed your family healthy foods and that means making wise choices at the fish market.
You might also consider supplementing with a high quality fish oil supplement.
It's a reasonable concern in these days of contaminated oceans.
Yet, the solution isn't to not eat fish, you need the omega 3 fatty acids they have.
Fish is your best source of DHA, an essential fatty acid that makes up about half of your brain.
Studies show getting plenty of omega 3's can boost your brainpower, your mood and protect you from dementia.
Yep, you need these nutrients and fish or fish oil is your best resource.
The Fish Problem It turns out there are some fish safe to eat 2-3 times a week and others best avoided altogether.
According to the FDA, pregnant and nursing women and small children shouldn't eat fish more than twice a week and some fish they should skip altogether.
This is especially true for pregnant or nursing women and small children as the mercury can be especially damaging to a fetus or newborn.
For the rest of us, low levels of mercury poisoning won't pose an immediate harm but it can build until it eventually damages the brain and even kidneys.
Think Size Larger fish tend to test off the charts for mercury and other heavy metals.
As a rule, if you think of larger fish like swordfish, tilefish and King mackerel, these fall into the category of "stay away".
So do shark and marlin.
This recommendation is for everyone according to the FDA.
On the other hand, small is good.
Anchovies, sardines and herring are all safe to eat 2-3 times a week.
So is wild caught salmon, scallops and canned, light tuna (canned).
Wild caught Vs.
Farmed Wild caught fish are generally safer than farmed because they've been able to eat a wider variety of foods and have had more exercise.
Think of wild salmon, they spend weeks swimming upstream to spawn.
All that exercise builds muscle.
Which do you think would be healthier? The fish who has spent the past months in a confined setting being fed engineered "fish feed" or the fish who just battled rapids upstream for the past several weeks and has eaten whatever he wanted? My bet is on the second.
It might seem a little complicated at first but you want to feed your family healthy foods and that means making wise choices at the fish market.
You might also consider supplementing with a high quality fish oil supplement.
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