Frightened of Fish?

Don't Be Fish-Phobic. Armed With a Few Facts, You Can Make Good Choices.

Salmon is part of the best practices diet for fish eating.

Photo: Gloria Dawson / The Daily Green

By Annie Bell Muzaurieta

If you've been scared to eat fish due to the recent news about mercury levels found in raw tuna, you're not alone: New York magazine reported Japanese restaurants in New York City saw big drops in business after the story came out.

It's important to remember, however, that no food is perfect, and fish still offers plenty of benefits, according to an article in Newsday.

The author suggests bearing a few things in mind. First, mercury levels are reversible. Marion Nestle, chairwoman of NYU's Department of Nutrition and Food Studies (and The Daily Green blogger) tells the paper that mercury has a "very fast" half-life of 3 months. Half-life is the time it takes for a given substance in the body to decrease by 50 percent. The writer explains: "If you refrain from ingesting mercury, after three months your level will be halved. Three months later, it will be halved again. In a year, it will have decreased by about 94 percent."

The writer also suggests diners should not stop eating fish, since most fish is a lean source of protein and provides omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

You should pay attention to fish size, since larger fish have more mercury, and eat a wide variety of fish, since each type has its own benefits and risks (farmed salmon has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, but also high levels of contaminants because of their diet of processed foods).

The author concludes: "The best you can do is eat a wide variety of foods, stay away from processed foods, and read In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan."

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