Mercury in fish?

[xxleannexx]

hiya, ive recently gona abit mad on tinned mackeral in tomato sauce and started eating a tin a day, but then someone pointed out to me that i shouldnt eat too much even though its good for you as you shouldnt have too much mercury. i thought that was just fish like tuna and swordfish?? So do you reckon it is safe to eat quite abit of it or not? xxx

 

[RachieH]

Hiya Leanne

Tinned/canned Mackerel is fine, but should be limited.

You are supposed to completely avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and white snapper, tuna steak (fresh or frozen), orange roughy, Spanish mackerel, marlin and grouper because these fish are at the top of the food chain and contain the highest levels of mercury.
There are plenty of other fish you can eat safely that contain low levels of mercury and are high in healthy fats, such as — salmon, rainbow trout, and canned mackerel. Fish is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids — all of which are essential for your baby's development. The FDA considers these fish safe for pregnant women to eat twice a week.

 

[tinytoes]

i read we're meant to have fish about 3 times a week. MAckerel isnt high in mercury etc - that's the really big fish which eat the little fish (so end up containing all the mercury from each little fish!!).

Mackerel is great for the omega 3s. But maybe try and limit it to 2 or 3 times as RAchie said.