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HOW SHOULD WE BE COPING WITH THE NEW WARNINGS ABOUT MERCURY IN SOME SEAFOOD?
by Douglas Gregory
University of Florida/Monroe County Cooperative Extension
A recent flurry of news and magazine articles, TV shows, and government announcements concerning mercury in seafood may have you wondering what is safe to eat and what risks are involved.
Although we may never get definitive answers on specific risks, there is a general agreement that the benefits of seafood consumption outweigh the risks. The important thing to remember is that it all depends on your current health condition, what fish you eat, and how often you eat a particular type of fish.
The main issue of concern in the recent stories is the levels of mercury in certain types of fish and risks posed to frequent seafood eaters, especially children and some women. The FDA recently announced that pregnant women and women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish because these fish tend to have higher concentrations of mercury than most other fish. The FDA also emphasized, however, that fish generally is still one of the most healthy foods people can eat, especially for women and children.
As in all the foods we eat, it is best to eat a variety of seafoods on a ongoing basis and not overindulge eating any particular type of fish.
Mercury in some seafoods has been an ongoing controversy over the past 25 years. The limited research done to date even provides conflicting evidence. However, the government agencies are taking a cautious approach to these issues regarding human health.
The fishing industry feels that the agency advisories are an over reaction. It may have been more helpful to consumers to specify consumption guidelines relative to size of fish or an acceptable level of consumption rather than a blanket advisory to avoid all products of a particular species.
If you particularly enjoy eating any of the above fish, you can get a wealth of information on mercury in fish and other seafood related issues at the following web sites:
Food and Drug Administration: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html
Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/ost/fish/
National Fisheries Institute: www.nfi.org
National Academy of Sciences: http://nationalacademies.org/headlines
In addition to the web sites above, our office can help you obtain more information on this and other seafood related topics.
Seafood remains an important part of a healthy, low cholesterol, low calorie diet. A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that eating fish also decreased risks of certain types of strokes in women.
Additional information on a variety of seafood safety and other marine topics is available from the University of Florida/Monroe County Cooperative Extension Service, 5100 College Road, Stock Island or call at 292-4501; fax = 292-4415; email = monroe@mail.ifas.ufl.edu or visit our web site http://monroe.ifas.ufl.edu Our services are free and available to all without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin.
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