Wise Shopping

A few words about safe fish. Fish and seafood are a good source of protein and nutrients and are an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Because of mercury, however, I recommend eating limited amounts, especially pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children. The EPA recommends no more than 8 ounces per week for the latter group. Mercury is most harmful to the developing brains of unborn children and can affect cognitive, motor, and sensory functions in small children. Tuna, a favorite of children, is one of the worst. Most of the mercury in fish and seafood is a direct result of coal-burning power plants. The mercury is spewed into our atmosphere with other carcinogens and then put into our streams, rivers, lakes, and seas through rain, snow and runoff. There it is transformed into methylmercury, which is toxic. One way to lower these toxic emissions is to reduce our need for electricity. Replace all light bulbs with energy efficient ones, unplug all appliances with digital readouts, and do not leave cell phone and other chargers plugged in when not using them. One by one, we can all make a difference so that our next generation will not wonder what fish tastes like. Sources of commercial fish with lower levels of mercury are: Catfish, Crab, Flounder, Grouper, Haddock, Herring, Lobster, Ocean Perch, Oysters, Rainbow Trout, Salmon, Sardines, Scallops, Shrimp, Sole, Spiny Lobster, and Tilapia. Note: the larger the fish the more mercury. For more information on coal-burning power plants visit: www.questionofpower.org. For more information on mercury visit: www.cfsan.fda.gov/seafood1.html