We know there are so many positive things about incorporating fish into your diet:
- Lean protein
- Lighter food option
- Omega 3
- Lower in fat than any other source of animal protein
There are also some negatives that you need to be aware of. I have made a list of fish to avoid and the reasons why:
Fish you should never eat:
I was quite sad to find out this fish should be avoided as it is one of my favourites. It has very high mercury levels.
Just to gross you out, the fish feed that is fed to these farmed salmon consists of chicken, duck and pig feces. This alone could be the reason why farmed salmon has 10 times the amount of cancer causing pollutants in comparison to the wild salmon. ALWAYS go for the wild option!
If that isn’t enough to put you off, the waters that these farmed salmon reside in are also often filled with pesticides, feces, bacteria and parasites.
A study where mice where fed farmed salmon showed weight gain and diabetes so if I were you I would stay well away.
You can easily tell if the salmon you buy is farmed or not by the colour:
Catfish might not be the most common item on the menu but it is growing in popularity. Beware as this is one of the dirtiest items on the menu as about 80% of it contains the bacteria responsible for food poisoning. Farmed catfish are also treated with antibiotics, pesticides and disinfectants so when consumed by us these drugs get into our system as well.
Imported farmed Shrimp
Most imported shrimp – about 90% is treated with a high oestrogen containing food additive. This increases the risk of breast cancer in women and reduces sperm count in men.
The shrimp pond waters are often treated with cancer causing pesticides and another linked with ADHD and Parkinson’s disease.
Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna
This is a large deep sea predatory fish that has very high levels of mercury so is best avoided. Mercury can cause neurological issues and has been linked with individuals getting symptoms of an uncontrollable tremor, numbness or pain in certain parts of the skin.
Swordfish is also a large predatory fish that contains high levels of mercury so is best avoided.
King and Spanish Mackerel
King and Spanish mackerel also contain high levels of mercury so is best avoided.
Grouper, again has high levels of mercury.
Apparently eating tilapia is as bad as eating bacon and worse than eating a hamburger but recent studies have found that eating this type of farmed fish can increase the risk of inflammatory disease.
This are the reasons specifically associated to health. However, there are many other reasons to avoid the fish mentioned above. These include the following:
- Extinction due to heavy fishing
- Disturbing the natural food web
- Reducing species
- Farming is destroying river life and wetlands
- Some fish is sourced from locations where unsustainable fishing practices are common
- Imported fish is associated with a slavery network in Thailand
If you are concerned about the environment these fish should also be avoided but they do not pose as a health risk:
- Atlantic cod
- Atlantic flatfish
- Imported king crab
- Orange roughy
Not to worry, there are some fish types that are fine for you to eat and benefit your health, please see the list below:
Healthy fish options:
- Wild caught Alaskan salmon
- Pacific sardines
- Atlantic mackerel
- Albacore Tuna
- Black cod
These fish are all farmed sustainably and contain far less contaminates. When you add these fish into your diet you will gain higher levels of omega 3 which is great for your health.
I hope I haven’t completely put you off from eating fish as I have also mentioned the great benefits it has. However, if you are put off and fish just isn’t for you any more you can still have fish oil supplements so that you don’t miss out on the omega 3. The oils are taken from both fish caught for human consumption but also animal consumption. Please do make sure to only buy capsules made from purified fish oil or you may be exposed to contaminates.
It is not always immediately obvious as to which fish oil is purified so I have create a small list of recommended brands:
- Omega 3 1000 mg 1 year supply by Nu U Nutrition
- Pharmepa Restore 1000 mg pure EPA Omega 3
- Wild Nutrition Pure strength Omega 3
Benefits of Omega 3:
- Fights depression and anxiety
- Improves eye health
- Connected with promoting brain health during pregnancy and early life
- Improves risk factors for heart health
- Reduces symptoms of ADHD in children
- Reduces symptoms of metabolic syndrome
- Fights and reduce inflammation
- Fights autoimmune disease
- Improves mental disorders
- Fights age related mental decline including Alzheimer’s
- Helps prevent cancer
- Reduces Asthma
- Reduces fat content in the liver
- Alleviate menstrual pain
- Improves sleep
- Good for your skin
Are you sold yet? I am!
If you are vegan or vegetarian and fish and capsules wont work for you, fear not as you can get Omega 3 from other sources including:
- Wheat germ
However, they are not quite as good as the omega 3 found in fish.