Does tilapia contain mercury and how to choose fish?

Fish in particular or seafood in general contain very high levels of protein, omega-3 and other nutrients such as iron, potassium and vitamin B. However, now there are many housewives worried about the toxic mercury contamination of these foods. They often wonder if tilapia contains mercury, cobia has mercury when choosing.

To ensure the health of you and your family, we should pay attention to how to choose the right fish. Especially before the current situation of mercury appearing everywhere. As we all know, inorganic mercury can dissolve even in fresh water and sea water, forming toxic mercury compounds.

These compounds stick to phytoplankton and unicellular algae, which are also the main food chains of fish and many other aquatic species. This mercury content will then be "stored". So if we process them into food, we will also invisibly consume that amount of mercury.

Does tilapia contain mercury? Does cobia have mercury? This is a common question from housewives

Research published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine & Public Health (USA) in 2012 has shown that high levels of mercury can damage the central nervous system. Besides, it also causes bad effects on the brain, reducing the ability to concentrate as well as memory impairment, the appearance of shaking symptoms and visual impairment.

The same year, the American Journal of Biology and Biotechnology also reported that mercury exposure can increase the risk of heart disease. Researchers think this is because mercury increases the production of free radicals, while antioxidants in the body decrease, causing oxidative stress.

So do the seafood we often eat like tilapia contain mercury? In fact, there is a rule to avoid using mercury is to choose according to the size of the fish or other seafood. Smaller varieties such as salmon, sardines, scallops and shrimp have much less mercury than tuna, swordfish, etc.

Mercury can impair memory as well as concentration

If you are still wondering if tilapia contains mercury or cobia has mercury, please refer to the following statistics table.

• Seafood with the lowest mercury content: anchovies, Atlantic and Pacific tilapia, scallops, crabs, crayfish, oysters, mullet, scallops, tilapia… This is the group in which they belong. We should eat about 2-3 times per week.
• Seafood with moderate mercury content: buffalo fish, sea bass, snapper, cobia… This group you can enjoy once a week is enough.
• The type of seafood with the highest mercury content: bigeye tuna, orange fish, shark, swordfish… We should avoid using processed foods from this group.

Fish and many other types of seafood are foods that are rich in omega-3s useful for the body and delicious. However, for the best for the body, we should choose fish and seafood that contain less mercury. The groups of fish that are assessed to contain high levels of mercury should be avoided as much as possible. Especially the group of pregnant women, nursing mothers or those who are planning to become pregnant must be more careful when choosing.

The amount of mercury retained in fish can adversely affect health when consumed by the body

The FDA recommends that pregnant women, women of childbearing age, breastfeeding, and young children stay away from tuna, shark, swordfish, and tilefish. In addition, you should only consume 2-3 servings of fish per week and should not eat fish organs or fish liver oils. Because vitamin A contained in them can be harmful to the health of children.