How much fish should moms eat?
Today the National Healthy Mothers, Health Babies Coalition issued an advisory saying that women who are pregnant, want to become pregnant or are breast feeding should eat 12 or more ounces of fish per week – fish like salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. The reason: to increase their intake of omega-3 fatty acids to levels that can have health benefits for women and their children.
The Washington Post reports that this somewhat contradicts government guidelines from the FDA and EPA, issued in 2001 and 2004, which noted that some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury, which can harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. The FDA and EPA say such women should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury. The feds also say women can eat up to 12 ounces per week of seafood that is low in mercury, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollack and catfish.
(Editor's Update, Oct. 5: One of our readers pointed out that NPR discovered that the coalition issuing this advisory received money from the National Fisheries Institute and listed on its Web site "member organizations" that disagreed with its fish "advisory.")
This coalition says eat more; the government says eat less. I guess women can hedge their bets and eat just 12 ounces per week. Here's the green angle: Make it sustainable, low-mercury seafood. Some fish species are hugely overfished and could disappear in 40 years. Here's a rundown on the low-mercury fish mentioned above and which fisheries are sustainable:
- Choose wild Alaskan salmon, not Atlantic salmon
- Get Atlantic mackerel, not king mackerel or Spanish mackerel (for mercury reasons)
- Pollack caught in Alaska is best
- All sardines are okay
- Avoid bluefin tuna because it is high in mercury and being overfished. There are many other types of tuna; check the guides linked to below for more info. When buying canned tuna, choose "light" skipjack tuna over "white" albacore tuna. Skipjack tuna does not pose health problems. Environmental Defense recommends limiting yellowfin (ahi) tuna consumption to three times per month, due to mercury.
- Catfish are okay to eat (healthy and not overfished)
Wondering about the source of this new health advisory? The National Healthy Mothers, Health Babies Coalition has some 150 64 members, including drug companies, insurance companies, the March of Dimes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Editor's Note, Oct. 5: NPR reported yesterday that the American Academy of Pediatrics had no idea they were being associated with the fish guidelines -- guidelines with which they disagree. So the coalition removed them -- and some other groups -- from the 'Our Members' section of the coalition Web site.)
If all of this fish information seems confusing, well, it is. Nutritionist Marion Nestle agrees that choosing the best fish is quite a puzzle. In this video, 'Is Fish Really Good for You?', she recommends carrying a fish advisory card to the market and to restaurants. I do too. You can find fish-guide cards at the Monterey Bay Aquarium site and from the National Audubon Society. Environmental Defense has a fish database that lists health concerns. They also have a pocket seafood selector card you can print.
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