![]() ![]() Fish like haddock, flounder, pollock, herring, as well as most shellfish, eat lower on the food chain and are therefore less likely to have much mercury in them." ![]() "However, you can significantly reduce your exposure by choosing species that are lower on the food chain. "Unless you get all your seafood tested, you cannot avoid mercury 100 percent," said Phillippi. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 8 to 12 ounces (227 to 340 g) per week. The Mayo Clinic recommends that women who are pregnant avoid eating any fish, while the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend 12 ounces (340 g) per week. ![]() There is a disagreement about how much fish pregnant women should consume. After eating the 6 oz (170 g) of fish, do not consume any more fish of any kind for the week. Limit consumption of white (albacore) tuna and any freshwater fish that isn't one of the safe fish listed above to 6 oz (170 g) a week or 1 to 3 oz (28 to 85 g) per week for children. Also avoid marlin, bluefish, grouper, Spanish and Gulf mackerel and Chilean sea bass. Some fish and seafood that are low in mercury, according to the National Resource Defense Council include:īe sure to avoid fish that are commonly high in mercury, which include tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, shark, swordfish and king mackerel, according to the FDA. The key to getting the health benefits with the least amount of mercury is eating fish that are low in mercury content or by obtaining DHA through dietary supplements such as fish oil and algal oil. The FDA recommends eating two to three servings (8 to 12 ounces or 227 to 340 grams) of fish each week. ![]() DHA is needed for vision (retina development), immune status, fetal and infant brain development and cognition and heart health," said Davis. "The problem lies in that fish high in methylmercury are also high in omega-3 DHA (docosahexaenoic) fatty acids, which are important for pregnant and lactating women and infants and children. While the answer to mercury contamination could be to avoid all fish and seafood, that wouldn't be a healthy choice. These birth defects can happen even if the mother doesn't seem to be poisoned.Ī study by the Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, found that eating food contaminated with methylmercury can even alter the chromosomes in humans. Pregnant woman who eat fish and seafood contaminated with methylmercury may have the increased risk of having a miscarriage, or having a baby with deformities or severe nervous system diseases. The toxicity of methylmercury may also have reproductive consequences. Mercury interferes with the calcium channels that cells, especially nerve and muscle cells, use to carry out their functions." When children are exposed to mercury, they may have developmental or muscle coordination problems. "Mercury poisoning can result in hearing and vision changes, personality changes, memory problems, seizures or paralysis. "Most notable are the effects of mercury on the brain," said Aimee Phillippi, a professor of biology at Unity College in Unity, Maine.
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