Increasing your fish intake is good for your heart and can reduce your risk of cancer. However, some fish can contain high levels of toxins. If the fish that you like to eat enjoys dining on other fish, their flesh will have a higher toxin load by the time it gets to your plate. Fatty fish and predators are the fish that have the highest risk of transferring toxins to you. These are a few tips to make sure that you’re getting the healthiest portion of fish.

Health Benefits

The primary health benefit of eating fish a few times a week, especially in place of red meat or fowl, is that it increases your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. This can reduce your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. A diet that contains regular intake of fish can also lower your risk of cancer and of developing Alzheimer’s. Fish is also an excellent source of low-fat protein and can even help you recover after a hard workout. Many women who suffer from severe cramps or PMS find that increasing their intake of healthy fish lessens their symptoms.

The Risks

While fish are known for mercury contamination, it’s important to consider the food chain when deciding what fish to eat. While fish is the most significant food source of mercury, a diet high in shark meat contains a lot more toxins than a diet high in salmon. Toxins build up in the tissues of predatory fish, which are fish who feast on other fish. Stay low on the food chain, and focus on shrimp, scallops and other mollusks, haddock, and trout.

Good Fish vs. Bad Fish

To limit your exposure to these toxins, carefully monitor what fish you consume. If you keep canned tuna in your cupboard, make sure you eat more canned light than canned albacore tuna. In fact, testing indicates that albacore tuna contains more than twice the amount of this toxin found in light canned tuna. You can safely eat two to three servings a week of salmon. While wild salmon has a slightly lower mercury count than farmed salmon, both types of harvesting show low levels of this toxin. Many diners find that wild-caught salmon simply tastes better. If you don’t like the smell of fish in your house after cooking, try using farm-raised salmon.

A diet high in fish is generally a healthy choice, but your geographic location may make it difficult for you to purchase healthy fresh fish. Flash-frozen fish is often a more cost-effective option if you live in a land-locked region. While nothing that you do to a piece of fish in the preparation stage can reduce the amount of mercury in it, you can improve the flavor and texture of frozen fish by thawing it gently in a bowl of cold water over the course of the day. This will keep the flesh tender as it thaws. Then you can prepare it as you would any fresh piece of fish.

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