FISH AND MERCURY: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILDREN

Fish are part of a healthy eating pattern and provide key nutrients during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or early childhood to support chlorella detox a child’s brain development:

• Omega-3 (called DHA and EPA) and omega-6 fats
• Iron
• Iodine (during pregnancy)
• Choline

Choline also supports the development of the baby’s spinal cord. Fish also provide iron and zinc to support children’s immune systems. Fish are also a source of other nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium.

Eating fish can provide other health benefits too

Fish intake during pregnancy is recommended because moderate scientific evidence shows it can help your baby’s cognitive development.

Strong evidence shows that eating fish, as part of a healthy eating pattern, may have heart health benefits. Healthy eating patterns that include fish may have other benefits too. Moderate scientific evidence shows that eating patterns are relatively higher in fish but also in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, lean meats, and poultry, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils, detox pack  and lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains are associated with:

• Promotion of bone health – decreases the risk for hip fractures
• Decreases in the risk of becoming overweight or obese
• Decreases in the risk for colon and rectal cancers

Choose a variety of fish that are lower in mercury

While it is important to limit mercury in the diets of those who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children because of its potential effect on developing brains, many types of fish are both nutritious and lower in mercury.

This chart can help you choose which fish to eat, and how often to eat them, based on their mercury levels.

Table 1 – Which fish to eat?

To prevent children from exceeding the RfD for mercury, these are recommended serving sizes (after rounding) of fish for various age groups when eating fish 2 times a week from the “Best Choices” category:

Age 2: 1 ounce per serving
Age 6: 2 ounces per serving
Age 9: 3 ounces per serving
Age 11 and up 4 ounces per serving

Screening Value of Fish Categories

The screening value (Table 1) is the highest allowable average amount of mercury in fish at a given consumption rate. Therefore:

Highest allowable average mercury concentration in fish per serving when eating 3 servings per week = 0.15 µg/g. Any fish with an average mercury concentration less than or equal to 0.15 µg/g was placed in the “Best Choices – eat 2 to 3 servings a week” category.

Highest allowable average mercury concentration in fish per serving when eating 2 servings per week = 0.23 µg/g. In order to be protective, any fish with an average mercury concentration greater than 0.15 µg/g up to 0.23 µg/g was placed in the “Good Choices – eat 1 serving a week” category because it could not be eaten 3 times a week without exceeding the reference dose.

Highest allowable average mercury concentration in fish per serving when eating 1 serving per week = 0.46 µg/g. Any fish with an average mercury concentration greater than 0.23 µg/g up to 0.46 µg/g was placed in the “Good Choices – eat 1 serving a week” category. Any fish with an average mercury concentration greater than 0.46 µg/g was placed in the “Choices to Avoid” category.

Table 1. Screening Values for Fish Categories

Table 2 is sorted by MERCURY CONCENTRATION MEAN (PPM) from fish with the lowest levels of mercury to the highest levels of mercury. You may also sort the table by SPECIES in alphabetical order.

Table 2 – Mercury Concentration of Various Fish Species

Recommended serving sizes for children based on age

We recommend children eat 2 servings of fish per week from a variety of “Best Choices,” but the portion sizes should be smaller than adult portions and right for the child’s age and body weight.

Table 3 shows the “Best Choices” for children eating 2 servings per week.

Table 3. Results – Child’s serving size if eating 2 servings per week from “Best Choices,” when serving size is based on mercury intake

* The amounts in this column are one serving of “Best Choices.” To calculate the weekly amount of “Best Choices,” multiply the serving size in this column by 2.

Mercury Levels in Fish

The mercury found in fish is methylmercury – but how does it get there? First, mercury is released into the air from environmental events such as volcanic eruptions or forest fires, or from human-made activities like burning coal, oil, and wood. After mercury hits the air, it eventually settles onto the land and into the water, where bacteria and other microorganisms convert mercury into methylmercury. Then, fish and shellfish in the water begin to absorb it.

Fish that eat other fish tend to have higher levels of methylmercury. Large fish have more mercury for the simple reason that they usually live longer. They have more time to build up higher levels of mercury in their bodies.

See the lists below for general mercury levels of many common types of fish and how often to safely consume each type, according to the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) and the FDA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends checking local advisories for the mercury content of fish caught in your area using their website.

Fish Nutrition Facts

Low-Mercury Fish

According to the FDA, many types of fish tend to have low levels of mercury.⁷ You can safely eat two to three servings a week of the following fish—but pregnant and nursing women and small children should not eat more than 12 ounces (or two servings) a week:

• Anchovies
• Catfish
• Clam
• Crab
• Crayfish
• Croaker (Atlantic)
• Flounder
• Haddock
• Hake
• Herring
• Mackerel (North Atlantic, Chub)
• Mullet
• Oyster
• Perch
• Pollock
• Salmon
• Sardine
• Scallop
• Shrimp
• Sole
• Squid
• Tilapia
• Trout
• Whitefish

Moderate-Mercury Fish

Other fish have moderate levels of mercury, which makes them safe to eat in moderation – six servings or fewer per month. However, pregnant and nursing women and small children should avoid eating the following fish:

• Bass (saltwater, striped, black)
• Buffalofish
• Carp
• Cod (Alaskan)
• Halibut
• Lobster
• Mahi Mahi
• Monkfish
• Perch (freshwater)
• Snapper
• Skate
• Tilefish (Atlantic)
• Tuna (canned chunk light)

High-Mercury Fish

Several larger fish contain higher levels of mercury, which could contribute to potentially dangerous levels of mercury levels in the body if consumed in excess. It is recommended to eat just three servings or less of these types of fish per month, but pregnant and nursing women and small children should avoid them entirely:

• Bluefish
• Grouper
• Sea Bass (Chilean)
• Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
• Croaker (White, Pacific)
• Sablefish
• Perch (Ocean)
• Tuna (canned albacore, yellowfin)

Fish to Avoid

Some fish are very high and mercury and should be avoided altogether, particularly bluefish and grouper, according to the NRDC.

Additionally, the FDA recommends that adults and children should avoid eating the following large fish:

U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012).

• King mackerel
• Marlin
• Orange Roughy
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico)
• Tuna (Bigeye, Ahi)