Mercury, PFAS, and PCB in fish?
Almost all fresh water fish in the US tested contained PFAS, a harmful toxicant.. In addition, mercury, PCB, dioxins are also commonly found in fish. What should you do? Learn here.
Fish has traditionally been thought of as healthy because it is a great source of lean protein, minerals like selenium, and omega 3, which is important for brain health and also anti-inflammatory.
However, it is safe to say that fish and seafood are not what they used to be 70 years ago before chemical production ramped up exponentially, especially in the US.
Significant chemicals discharged from urban, industrial, and agricultural sources have entered water bodies; our oceans and waterways are now contaminated with:
Mercury from things like coal burning
PCB/Dioxins from electrical manufacturing (and despite the fact these were banned in 1979, they are still widespread in our environment because these chemicals are known as persistent organic pollutants - they do not break down easily, persist in our environment, and accumulate up the food chain).
Pesticides from agricultural runoff
And now freshwater fish in the US have been found to contain PFAS - a group of 12,000 chemicals used to make products slipper (non-stick pans), water/stain resistant (clothing, carpet, and more)
It is no surprise then, that these chemicals have found their way into seafood, and the higher up the food chain (i.e. the bigger the fish) the higher the level.
So, is fish still healthy? Do the benefits still outweigh these potential pollutants?
This depends on your bio-individual nutritional needs, toxic load, detox capacity, and stage in your life. For example, pregnant women and children, or anyone with an already high toxic load should probably be more cautious than a healthy adult who is already taking steps to reduce their environmental exposure.