Eat More Healthy Fish (But Do So At Your Peril!) Every day we’re bombarded with news of what foods are healthy and which ones we should not touch! Fish seems to be in both categories! What to do? Two recent studies have been controversially opposed to each others findings. One study determined that eating essential fatty acids found in many fish provides the early growing power for eyes and brains in babies in the womb. The study recommended that women of child bearing age…and people in general, should increase intake of these valuable nutrients to become and stay healthy. Another study, done almost simultaneously, found that pregnant women should abstain from eating most fish because of the high level of mercury, pcbs and many other toxins that could harm the fetus. In addition, they recommended that children not eat fish and that adults not eat many types of fatty fish more than once a month at best and more than once a week at worst. The worst and the best fish were listed and the ramifications were serious. First of all, the skin of fish was the biggest no-no as that is where the toxins lodge…stands to reason as that’s the part in contact with the toxic water of the oceans. Coastal fish should be avoided, again, due to the high levels of pollution close to the shores of most countries, and seafood…clams, oysters, lobster, etc…should be avoided like the plague because they are most likely to be contaminated. Shellfish are “garbage eaters” and snack on anything that is handy, and are therefore usually full of contaminants. Large fish are first on the list of banned food because they are at the top of the food chain and are most likely to eat other fish, thereby upping the toxins. The least toxic fish turn out to be those that do not eat other fish…essentially, vegetarian fish like sardines and herring. Also, fish from northern waters are less likely to contain mercury and PCBs for some reason. On the list of to-eat is wild salmon (not from a fish farm as the farmed salmon have much lower levels of Omega 3 Fatty acids. Mackerel is another fish that counts among the safer ones to eat. The worst of the large fish is Tuna which is used extensively in sushi. Shark and swordfish are not far behind and cod has also been found to be very high in pollutants. Red snapper isn’t much better. What has happened is that the seas are becoming depleted and the fish are eating more and more toxic smaller fish, narrowing the gap of healthy fish for consumption. Many of the larger fish are showing up on the endangered species, part of the problem being the toxicity depleting the reproductive organs. Luckily there are other forms of Omega 3 Fatty Acids in the food chain, and Flax Seed. Grapeseed Oil and Evening Primrose Oil are among the best. When I think of “fish oils” I immediately think of Cod Liver Oil, but it turns out that the levels of EFAs in cod are very low, so it’s worthwhile to steer towards the vegetable fatty acids. For women trying to get pregnant or are already expecting a child, the worry over this issue can be very distressing. Doctors basically recommend Efas, but do not mention which form is best or which can actually be harmful, so it’s very important to do extensive research to find out everything about all these different forms. Now, the waters have become muddier and it’s even more difficult to make an educated choice. Food and nutrition has become so complicated. It’s best not to take anyone else’s word for it. Learn everything you can about what’s healthy and not, and steer for the high ground. It may save your baby’s life or at the very least, make everyone healthier in the long run. Just remember that studies are not “Fact” they’re simply educated opinions combined with statistics that can be made to show anything that researchers want to bring out! Back to the Writing Index