If You Eat This Much Fish In a Week, Your Health Could Be In Danger

Go fish.

fishIryna Denysova

When it comes to cooking seafood, there are plenty of delicious and healthy options. As tasty as a fish dish can be, you may have to temper just how much you eat in a week.

The USDA recommends eating eight ounces of seafood each week, but how much is too much? When it comes to what fish is safe to eat, it really all comes down to what you have access to.

One of the most popular seafood choices in America is canned tuna, and that’s exactly the stuff you want to avoid in bulk because of its high concentration of mercury. The FDA and EPA recommend just one serving of canned tuna per week.

Currently, the average American consumes about 2.7 ounces of seafood each week, so as a whole, the country is pretty safe from sickness at the moment. But if you’re looking to benefit from the countless health perks of a more pescatarian diet, your best bet is to follow the FDA’s seafood mercury level guide. (Don’t miss this cheat sheet of the fish with the most omega-3 fatty acids.) 

Some notable fish that are considered the “Best Choices” on the list include anchovies, clams, catfish, salmon, and scallops—the FDA recommends two to three servings per week. In the “Good Choices” category (eat once a week), you can find Carp, Bluefish, Monkfish, and Snapper. There are only seven fish the FDA recommends avoiding due to especially high mercury levels: Shark, King Mackerel, Marlin, Orange roughy, Swordfish, Tilefish, and bigeye Tuna.

Aim for eight ounces, and keep mercury levels in mind. It’s not like you’re in the royal family, you can eat as much shellfish as you want, as long as you’re smart about it. Bottom line: Don’t eat more than one can of tuna; anymore than that, and you’re asking for trouble. Next in food safety: see if it’s safe to eat expired eggs. 

[Source: Women’s Health]