How much mercury is in tilapia

Mercury Levels in Fish. What fish should I avoid? What if I ate one of the high-mercury fish? Is it okay to avoid all fish and just take omega-3 supplements? How can I eat fish low in Mercury? Can I get pregnant if…? Share this post:. Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter.

Share on linkedin LinkedIn. Share on email Email. Similar Post. Healthy Pregnancy. Although this practice drives down production costs, bacteria like Salmonella found in animal waste can contaminate the water and increase the risk of foodborne diseases. Another article reported that the FDA rejected over shipments of seafood from China from — , including shipments of tilapia. Several reports have revealed highly concerning practices in Chinese tilapia farming, including the use of feces as food and the use of banned chemicals.

Because of the concerning farming practices involving tilapia in China, it is best to avoid tilapia from China and look for tilapia from other parts of the world. When shopping for farmed tilapia, the best sources include fish from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Ecuador or Peru Ideally, wild-caught tilapia are preferable to farmed fish. But wild tilapia is very hard to find. The vast majority of tilapia available to consumers is farmed. Alternatively, other types of fish may be healthier and safer to consume.

Fish like salmon , trout and herring have much more omega-3 fatty acids per serving than tilapia. Additionally, these fish are easier to find wild-caught, which will help avoid some of the banned chemicals used in some tilapia farming. If consuming tilapia, it is best to limit your consumption of fish farmed in China. However, fish like salmon and trout are higher in omega-3s and may prove to be healthier alternatives.

It is a lean source of protein that is also high in several vitamins and minerals, such as selenium, vitamin B12, niacin and potassium. Plus, there have been reports of using animal feces as food and the continued use of banned chemicals at tilapia farms in China.

Because of this, if you choose to eat tilapia, it is best to avoid fish from China. Alternatively, choosing fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like wild salmon or trout may be a healthier and safer choice of seafood.

This is a detailed article about the health benefits of fish. Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, and can help protect against many diseases.

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Fish may be an anti-aging superfood, but all too often, eating the wrong kinds of fish can raise the level of mercury in your body. This is especially dangerous for pregnant and breastfeeding women because fetuses and newborns are very sensitive to mercury.

Learn about the mercury levels in fish, the best types to eat, and how much is considered safe. All fish contain trace amounts of mercury. For most people, the small amounts in fish do not pose a health problem. Some fish, however, contain high amounts of mercury—enough to cause damage to a developing fetus or newborn. That's why pregnant and nursing mothers must be very careful about the amounts and types of fish they eat.

Young children should also avoid eating fish high in mercury. There are three types of mercury: organic, inorganic, and elemental metallic. Methylmercury is an organic form of mercury that is highly toxic to humans. It's a metal that turns to liquid at room temperature, and over time, can slowly accumulate in the bodies of humans, fish, and other animals that eat fish.

Those with industrial occupations such as coal miners may also be subjected to methylmercury exposure and poisoning. Methylmercury is toxic to the central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord. It causes irreversible damage. The brains of unborn babies and infants are especially susceptible. How much damage is done depends on how much you are exposed to the chemical. The effects of methylmercury poisoning include cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, impaired mental functioning, impaired lung function, growth problems, and having a small head.

Mercury levels can gradually build up in adults, too—eventually becoming harmful to health. High mercury levels can cause permanent damage to the kidneys and brain.

For that reason, women who are planning to become pregnant may want to begin to avoid fish that are higher in mercury before they become pregnant. According to the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA , pregnant women and small children under age 6 should not eat more than two servings of fish each week—and should only eat the types of fish with a low mercury content. The mercury found in fish is methylmercury—but how does it get there?

Nutrition Nutrition Basics Protein. By Amy Liddell. Amy Liddell. Amy Liddell has been writing on health and medicine since She is also a biomedical scientist and studies human cancer. Her articles have appeared in scientific journals, medical textbooks and on health-related consumer websites.

Liddell holds a Doctor of Philosophy in biological and biomedical sciences from Harvard University. Raw Tilapia fish.