Fish – the good, the bad and the ugly
FISH – One of the healthiest foods in the world… right?
Fish can be an amazing source of easily digestible protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, zinc, tryptophan, selenium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. However, as most of you may be already aware, many species of fish contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals such as mercury, antibiotics and pesticides. The purpose of this blog is not to turn you off fish, but just to make you a little more mindful of how to choose the HEALTHIEST and most sustainable fish currently available.
Why do some kinds of fish contain toxic contaminants and others don’t?
Fish ingest chemicals and environmental contaminants from polluted rivers and run-offs. The larger a fish and the higher up the food chain it is, the more likely it is to contain dangerous levels of these chemicals (aka bio-accumulation). A word of warning about farmed fish and aquaculture… chemicals and antibiotics are used in fish farming to prevent disease and parasite infestations, hence the added detriment in farmed varieties of fish and the higher levels of antibiotic residue.
What about imported versus domestic fish?
Astonishingly, seafood imports from Vietnam increased $10 million in the last financial year to $162 million! Recently, there has been government level testing conducted which have confirmed my suspicion about the quality imported fish. Not only have suspicions been raised over the heavy metal contamination levels, more recently alarms have been raised over the escalating number of Asian fish imports containing a banned antibiotic, ‘Enrofloxacin’. Food Standards Australia and New Zealand have also found fungicides (ie. malachite green) in both domestically and imported farmed fish, and questions have been raised about dioxin and PCB (plasticisers) levels in imported fish. Yikes!! I don’t know about you, but I don’t order a fillet of fish expecting it to come served with some antibiotics, heavy metals, PCBs and dioxins!When it comes to the antibiotic levels, although they have been found to be ‘low’, consistent intake can alter the delicate micro-biome in our guts (see previous post on the ‘Ecosystem in Our Gut‘) and leave us with an increased likelihood of antibiotic resistance, not to mention the effect it may have on our immune system over time. With so many things in life, we need to weigh up the benefits versus the risk. In this case, the risks of consuming imported fish (especially Asian imports) outweigh the benefits.
What about sustainability?
I worry about the health of our oceans and the level of waste found in our precious waterways. If we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy wild fish, we MUST support sustainable fishing practices. Generally, small fish such as anchovies, sardines and herring are more sustainable than larger fish. This is great for the health conscious as these fish are also amongst the best sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, and are far less likely to contain heavy metals! Check out the Choice sustainable fish table (click here) for more info.
