Is Fish Really a Healthy Food?

For years we have been told that fish is a healthy food, but that is not always the case!   Unfortunately, both freshwater and saltwater fish are increasingly loaded with toxic chemicals making a very healthy food very unhealthy.    The good news is that you can find fish that is not toxic and provides all the many health benefits of fish without the toxins.      The key is knowing how to ask the right questions to know what you are eating.

First it is important to understand that predator fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tuna can be very high in toxins such as mercury.   Also fish that live for extremely long periods of time accumulate more mercury like Tilefish.  Mercury is not something to play with – it is one of the most if not the most potent neurotoxin on the planet.   The larger one of these predator fish is the more mercury it contains.  For these reasons it is best to completely avoid shark, swordfish, Pike, and tilefish because they always have large levels of mercury because of their size or longer lifespan.  Smaller and younger line caught tuna is much lower in mercury, and there are brands available that line catch tuna and insure that they have lower levels of mercury including “Wild Planet” and “Safe Catch” Tuna.    

The Dangers of Farm-Raised Fish

Farm raised fish (which is most of the fish in the super market) is the most toxic food on the planet!   This includes most catfish, salmon, and tilapia you see in super markets and restaurants!    Farmed raised fish are fed a concoction of pesticides, antibiotics and other drugs and chemicals.     According to researcher Jerome Ruzzin Ph.D., from Norway, farmed salmon is one of the most toxic foods in the world and contains over 5 times more toxins than any other food product tested!  Most of the toxins in farmed fish are from the food used to feed these fish.  The pellets they are fed contain dioxins and PCB’s to name a few of the worst toxins.    Bottom line:  avoid all farm-raised fish like the plague!

What about Freshwater Fish?

Unfortunately many freshwater rivers, lakes, and streams are highly polluted and fish from these waterways are chock full of toxins like their farm-raised brothers.    Most large rivers in the US are highly polluted including the following top 10 most polluted waterways in the US:  the Ohio River, the Mississippi River, the New River, the Savannah River, the Delaware River, the Muskingum River, the Missouri River, the Shonka Ditch, Tricountal Canal, and the Rock River.   Lakes are often no better including all the Great Lakes which are highly polluted.    So unless you know for sure where a freshwater fish was caught and know the body of water is clean you are best to avoid freshwater fish.  

What fish should you eat?

Despite the challenges in finding healthy fish it can be done and it is definitely worth the effort.     Healthy varieties of fish include Alaskan Salmon often referred to as “Wild Alaskan Salmon”.     Alaska watches how companies throw their name around so if it says “Alaskan Salmon” it is indeed from Alaska and it is some of the healthiest fish there is and none of it is farm-raised.    Alaskan Salmon is high in omega 3 fatty acids and other nutrients such as astaxanthin (a potent antioxidant in salmon that helps give them their red color).   Canned Alaskan Salmon is easy to find and allows you to obtain the benefits of eating this healthy fish when fresh caught is not available.    Best products include BPA free cans like “Wild Planet” or “Vital Choice” brands.  For the record "Atlantic Salmon" is a code word for farm raised salmon so avoid it and only eat "Alaskan Salmon".

Smaller tuna is also a great choice and there are brands that only use smaller line caught tuna including “Wild Planet” and “Safe Catch” brands.   Both use BPA free cans as well.     Like Salmon tuna is chock full of protein and Omega 3 fatty acids.

Smaller fish such as sardines and anchovies are also fantastic – loaded with omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, protein and very low in toxins because of their small size and very short lifespan!   They are also very easy to find and brands with BPA free cans include “Wild Planet”, “Crown Prince”, “Ocean Prince”, and “King Oscar”.