Why not just eat lots of fish?
In a perfect world, we would do just that: consume only organic fruits and vegetables, eat grass-fed meat and fowl, and dine on fresh, pollutant-free fish. However, in our industrialized world, we can no longer trust the purity of the seafood we eat.
In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration officially warned about the danger of mercury in seafood. These concerns are further echoed and amplified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which warns that industrial pollution is leading to residues of heavy metals (e.g. mercury) and organochlorine carcinogens (e.g. PCBs) in our seafood supply. For more details, see EPA’s Fish Advisories page.
The state of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) also issued a number of warnings regarding the health and safety of fish:
- Methylmercury in Sport Fish: Information for Consumers
- PCBs in Sport Fish: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
- Summary of the Chemicals of Concern Found in Fish
I find good way to understand just what’s happening to the safety of our seafood supply is to check out the Ocean’s Alive Fish Consumption Advisories. Not a pretty picture.
So,yes, theoretically you could eat lots and lots and lots of fish and gain great health benefits. But unfortunately, in this day and age, the risks far outweigh any potential benefits of doing so. Ω