The Fact's About Mercury-What's In Your Seafood?

Most of us enjoy a nice tasty seafood dinner from time to time. No matter if we're enjoying it at home with family or at a fine restaurant with friends. It may be surf and turf, mussels and linguine in white clam sauce or even a nice tuna steak that wet our appetites. We are often too busy licking our lips over our delicacies at the time, to realize the effects that seafood could be having on us. Maybe taking a moment out to think about the levels of mercury; contained within some of the seafood we have been eating lately will make us think a little harder about this fact. Than on the other hand, we may really not even care and just want to eat our meal in peace, without having to worry about everything little thing that is in our foods. This is all fine and dandy, but if you are concerned about mercury levels in certain seafood, than please by all means read on further.

For starters, Mercury is often introduced into the atmosphere or the environment through industrial pollution. It also occurs naturally in the environment around us. The fish and other seafood that we eat swim in the oceans and streams where methyl mercury enters the water. How does it do this you may be asking? Methyl Mercury as briefly explained falls from the air as a result of industrial pollution and winds up, or accumulates in our oceans and other bodies of water, such as streams and rivers.

The fish in turn as they feed in these various bodies of water, absorb this methyl mercury in the water. As they continue feeding, the more that it builds up inside of them. Depending on what type of fish or other shellfish it is, the methyl mercury levels will vary. That is why certain kinds of shellfish or other fish contain higher levels of methyl mercury than others. And as an end result-that is why overtime it is unhealthy for adults to consume fish with higher levels of mercury. In addition to adults, young children and a mother's unborn child can also be affected by mercury levels in fish.

Yes, Methyl Mercury over time can build up in your blood stream as a result of eating certain types of seafood that contain higher levels of this substance. Methyl Mercury is naturally removed from the body, but it may take a year or more for the levels in your body to return to a normal state. In a pregnant woman for example this may be dangerous, particularly if you have a taste for our gilled friends.

A good rule of thumb for women in particular is, if you are planning on getting pregnant, or are now pregnant-give up the fish! It does not necessarily mean that you have to give up all kinds of fish or seafood. Mainly fish that contain high levels of mercury. Shark and Swordfish are a few of the kinds of fish that contains high levels of mercury. If you have not acquired a taste for certain types of fish that contain low mercury levels. Than try the following, especially if you are pregnant...Pollock, Salmon, Catfish, Shrimp and canned light Tuna. The seafood named here are probably more beneficial not just to pregnant women, but to everyone who enjoys seafood.

It's also good to remember that all fish and other types of shellfish; do contain certain trace levels of methyl mercury. Usually this principle applies mainly to fish that are the largest or have lived the longest, which the later is sometimes difficult to determine. King Mackerel, tile fish and Swordfish as I touched upon briefly, contain not only the highest levels of methyl mercury, but also pose the greatest risk to an individual, again mainly to those pregnant moms that I spoke about in this article earlier.

A weeks worth of eating fish for example, does not effect the methyl mercury levels within ones body, in fact it changes the levels very little. Also if you consume a large amount of fish or other types of seafood that may contain high levels of methyl mercury during one week. Than all you would simply do is adjust the amount of seafood or fish that you eat over the next two weeks. Always remembering that six ounces of a Tuna Steak, used as an illustration here, would be enough for that first week. Tuna steaks do contain higher levels of methyl mercury than canned light tuna. Albacore Tuna, does however contain a slightly higher amount of mercury than tuna that is non-albacore. Something else to keep in mind, before choosing your fish and other seafood meals for the week.

Fish sticks on the other hand, may not have the nutritional value as other fish do; but when eaten as a fast-food snack, they often contain lower levles of mercury-something to keep in mind. So don't give up on McDonald's or Burger King too quickly. Another tip in helping you decide which fish to choose for the week, is to check the local advisories in reference to fish safety. These come in a variety of forms besides the local newspaper. And can include safety advisory information from fiends and family about fish caught in various rivers, lakes and other bodies of water in your area. Also your local health department, will have information about local levels of mercury ,in waters around your neighborhood, where the fish that you consume came from.

Another great source where you can find this information is at the FDA's (Food and Drug Administration) safety website. It references the mercury levels of different fish that you may have at one time been eating, or are consuming now. Their website is www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-megh.html. In addition to the FDA website, the Environmental protection agency (EPA) also has some useful information in reference to mercury levels in fish and related safety issues. Their website is www.epa.gov/ost/fish.

We should not be overly cautious when it comes to eating a variety of fish and seafood, even though governmental agencies do post warnings from time to time. It is necessary however to observe these warnings where relevant. Not only to protect not only your own health, but the health of your family and possibly that of an unborn child, if you are pregnant. Consuming fish is not a health hazard, or are small levels of mercury. It is the constant build-up of Methyl Mercury over time that can do more damage than good, particularly to an unborn child, or fetus where a child's developing nervous system may be damaged. So exercising caution during these instances; is where safety concerning mercury levels, should be brought out into the lime light.

Remember seafood...including Fish and other types shellfish are a very important part of all of our diets. And it is recommended that we eat fish at least two times per week, more if we can afford to. Fish is a very high quality protein that does not only contain many other essential nutrients, but also is low in saturated fat. To add it contains Omega-3 fatty acids, that provide a bevy of nutritional benefits for both young, old, pregnant moms and their unborn children. Simply put fish promotes good cardiovascular health and many other valuable health benefits, which many of us lack in our diets today.

And if you don't like the taste of some fish-than as a change try catfish or tilapia. These two kinds of fish have no fishy odor, as salmon would have for an example. As a last resort you can always turn to Fish Oil capsules to get the positive advantage that Omega-3 fatty acids provide. However there is not anything like taking the real thing to get the full benefits. In essence there is also nothing really fishy about mercury or fish either for that matter. Or is it all just about some old fish tale, told by a graying captain aboard a fishing trawler.

Taking note however of how much fish and what type you consume in the future, is all you really need to be concerned about. So if I put your in the mood for a taste of fish, than make yourself that tuna-fish sandwich that you have been longing for, over the past week. Or better yet, just take a break from the days activities and take the kids to visit Ronald MacDonald for some fish sticks.