Scary News About Seafood: We're not eating enough
Here’s some scary news about seafood: Most of us are not eating nearly enough of it. A whopping 80 to 90 percent of Americans do not get the recommended minimum of 8 ounces weekly, according to a recent USDA analysis. That means the vast majority of us are not reaping seafood’s health benefits and are probably worse off for it. Eating fish dramatically reduces the chances of dying of a heart attack, improves children’s brain development, slows brain aging, lowers the risk of depression and mood disorders, can help with weight management and more. Then there are seafood’s culinary attributes — it’s one of the quickest-cooking proteins, there is an incredible variety to choose from, and it is the center of many fantastically delicious dishes.
So why are we passing on the bounty of the sea? The reason, at least in part, has to do with fears about it, from highly publicized stories about mercury contamination to feeling intimidated about purchasing and preparing it. I hope that after reading what follows, the only fish fear you will face is FOMO — fear of missing out.
Fear of mercury: You’ve probably heard that fish contains various amounts of mercury, a heavy metal and environmental pollutant that can accumulate in our tissues and, in excess, cause neurological damage. That is scary stuff, for sure. But letting that steer you away from fish is a mistake, because the upsides of eating it far outweigh any potential risks. Besides the multitude of health benefits mentioned above, largely attributed to the healthy omega-3 fat in it, fish is extremely rich in the essential mineral selenium, which, it turns out, binds with mercury and may help neutralize mercury’s effects. Scientists are taking a closer look at mercury-selenium ratios in fish rather than mercury alone in assessing the risk of contamination, and most ocean fish have more selenium than mercury.
The relative benefits of eating seafood are so clear and compelling that the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency recently changed their recommendation for pregnant women and young children from a cap on fish consumption, which unfortunately led many to avoid it altogether, to a recommended minimum of 8 ounces, and up to 12 ounces, a week.
