Seafood high in mercury includes large, predatory, long-lived fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, tilefish (Gulf of Mexico), and bigeye tuna, which accumulate mercury as they eat smaller fish (biomagnification). Pregnant women, nursing mothers, women planning pregnancy, and young children should avoid these due to risks to fetal brain development, opting for low-mercury choices like salmon, sardines, and anchovies instead.
Fish that contain higher levels of mercury include:
Crustacea (including prawns, lobster and crabs) and molluscs (including oysters and calamari) are not a concern because they generally contain lower levels of mercury and are usually consumed less often than finfish.
Choose fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury such as salmon, trout, tilapia, cod, sole, sardines, shrimp, oysters, and other shellfish. For the most health benefits, choose fatty fish such as salmon, trout, herring, chub mackerel, and sardines. o These fish have healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, these include:
Worst: Fish High in Mercury
Imported swordfish. Imported marlin. Shark. Tilefish.
Trimming skin and fat and cooking method do not reduce mercury exposure. The only way to reduce mercury exposure is to reduce consumption of contaminated fish. Thus, the DSHS recommends eating smaller, younger fish that have had less time to accumulate mercury in their tissues.
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003), crab (. 065), and shrimp (. 009) are all relatively low in mercury. Other fish such as cod (0.111), halibut (0.241), sablefish (.
Symptoms of organic mercury poisoning from long-term exposure include:
The mercury removal efficiency depends on the cysteine concentration and its ratio to fish muscle. Using 1.2 wt% cysteine enables a reduction of mercury in canned Albacore tuna by 25–35%, depending on the fish product type and the exposure time of up to 2 weeks.
In the three leafy vegetables (i.e., lettuce, amaranth, and water spinach), water spinach contained the highest mercury concentration. Of the tested fruits (i.e., tomato, eggplant, pepper, cucumber, and cowpea), tomato had the highest mercury concentration.
But, there are healthy limits to eating fish since they may contain small amounts of mercury. These recommended limits vary by each person, such as children, pregnant women and healthy adults. It can take quite a while, from months to years, for the human body to process and clear mercury completely.
The mean Hg concentrations in muscle tissue ranged from 0.6 to 5.6 μg kg−1 of wet weight and the mean liver Hg concentrations were within the range of 0.8–16.4 μg kg−1 of wet weight, with lowest levels in chickens and highest in wild boars.
The unhealthiest fish to eat are typically large, predatory species high in mercury like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and imported tilefish, plus bluefin tuna, which are dangerous for brain/nerve health, especially for pregnant women and children; also, farmed salmon and some imported tilapia/catfish raise concerns for contaminants and antibiotics, while orange roughy and Atlantic cod are often cited for high mercury and overfishing/sustainability issues.
These non-game fish are the ugly, sucker-mouthed, snaggle-toothed, mottled menagerie of undesirables which includes suckers, gar, bowfin, snakehead, carp, buffalo, freshwater drum, and many others.
Levels of contamination
The danger level from consuming fish depends on species and size. Size is the best predictor of increased levels of accumulated mercury. Sharks, such as the mako shark, have very high levels of mercury.
A diet rich in various nutrients and vitamins has been shown to promote mercury elimination from the body. Some of these nutrients include selenium, glutathione, and vitamins, including vitamins C and E. Besides, green algae called chlorella is also helpful in removing mercury from the body.
Sardines are one of the most recommended fish if we are looking for mercury-free fish. The fact that they are very present in our cuisine facilitates their consumption, as almost everyone is accustomed to eating them either grilled or on skewers. They also provide a lot of protein and calcium.
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Symptoms of poisoning from elemental mercury
It is safe for everyone (including pregnant women) to consume canned tuna as part of their fish intake. Canned tuna generally has lower levels of mercury than tuna fillets because smaller tuna species are used and the tuna are generally younger when caught.
That makes it best to avoid eating large fish, such as shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel. As long as you avoid these higher sources of mercury, the benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risks of mercury in fish.