5 Types Of Fish You Should Avoid Eating
Although fish is one of the healthiest foods to add to your diet, not all seafood is sustainable — or safe to eat in large amounts. (Photo: Getty Images)
Eating seafood is supposed to be healthy ─ right? Well, that depends. “Marine pollutants pose increased risks to environmental and human health,” says Brian Clement, co-director of the Hippocrates Health Institute and author of “Killer Fish: How Eating Aquatic Life Endangers Your Health.” In addition, many species are now severely overfished, or caught using questionable practices that harm other species. Some of these fish may be contaminated with metals, industrial chemicals, pesticides or parasites. Other risks include food-borne illnesses, fraudulent marketing and unsustainable fishing methods. Read on and find out which fish may be best to avoid.
1. Swordfish “Swordfish contains high levels of mercury,” warns Frankie Terzoli, a previous winner of the Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen and a contestant on Top Chef. “And keep in mind that mercury levels accumulate over time,” adds Clement. “Therefore, older and larger fish, such as swordfish and sharks, carry around abundant toxins they absorb from eating smaller sea animals.”
Additionally, most swordfish are caught using long lines, a method that also catches threatened or endangered creatures, including turtles, sharks and seabirds, earning imported swordfish an “Avoid” designation by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Swordfish caught by handline or harpoon in the U.S. and Canada, are a better environmental option, although they may still contain low to moderate amounts of mercury.
Related: The Worst Chemicals in Your Food
2. Escolar Often sold as “white tuna,” escolar is considered outrageously delicious, however eating too much of it can cause keriorrhea ─ an unpleasant form of diarrhea. Escolar contains an indigestible fatty substance called gempylotoxin, which gives the fish its lusciously buttery taste and texture, but it can cause intestinal problems if a diner overindulges. Keep this in mind when ordering or buying the fish and stick to a serving of 6 ounces or less.
3. Mahi-Mahi Seafood lovers should proceed with caution when it comes to mahi-mahi. This fish is a member of the Scombridae family and can cause histamine poisoning, or scombroid poisoning. If not refrigerated properly, bacteria breaks down the amino acid histidine in the fish, forming histamine, which can cause an illness that resembles an allergic reaction.
“This fish is a histamine producer if not cared for throughout the supply chain,” says chef Frankie Terzoli. Some mahi-mahi with unusually high levels of histamine will not appear spoiled at all, while others may have a bad odor or a honeycombed appearance when cooked. Other fish in the Scombridae family include tuna, mackerel, skipjack and bonito. Buying from reputable sellers may lower the chance of contracting the illness.
4. Orange Roughy Orange roughy can live up to 149 years. Despite being the longest-living fish, the global stock of orange roughy is low due to their slow reproductive cycle and overfishing. “Although ocean fishing has become extremely regulated,” says Terzoli, “stock has not recovered from the boom in popularity of this fish.” The orange roughy has been given the “Avoid” ranking by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch because of overfishing and the damaging trawling method that fishermen use. Additionally, the Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory, warning of high mercury levels in orange roughy.
Related: 13 Surprising Vegetarian Sources of Protein
5. Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish) If you want to eat this fish, be very choosy about where it comes from. Chilean sea bass is threatened by overfishing. It’s in high demand but global stocks are shrinking. Terzoli recommends avoiding the fish altogether for these reasons. In particular, stay away from those from the Crozet Islands, Prince Edward and Marion Islands, and Chile, where overfishing is rampant.
In addition, these places have no recognized stock assessment and other species are often caught and threatened as part of the harvest. As an alternative, choose longline-caught Chilean sea bass from Macquarie Island in the South Pacific, the Falkland Islands, off the coast of Argentina, or the remote Antarctic Heard and McDonald Islands.
The original article “13 Types of Fish to Avoid" appeared on LIVESTRONG.COM.
By Lynette Arceneaux
Read more from LIVESTRONG.COM:
