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Our weekly news column bringing the most current, non-biased health
information to the consumer. |
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August 12, 2008 |
A Publication of QVHD |
Eat Fish Safely Update 2008
By: V. Deborah Culligan, RN, MPH,
Deputy Director QVHD
Fish is a good, low fat,
and economical source of protein. Many healthy heart programs recommend
eating more fish meals. However, fish tend to take up chemicals such as
mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl's (PCBs) so that eating fish may
affect your family's health, especially for persons in high risk groups.
(You are in the High Risk Group if you are pregnant women, a woman of
child-bearing age, a nursing mother or a child under the age of 6. All
others are in the low risk group.)
The CT Department of Public Health (CTDPH) publishes a fish advisory
brochure every June. You may wish to get a copy, as it contains very
specific information about eating CT fish, important information about
CT fishing, and what fish from what water bodies are safest (or should
be avoided) by certain groups. It is a must for fisherman and for those
who eat a lot of seafood from the market or a restaurant. District
residents can call QHVD, 248-4528 or request on line, www.qvhd.org or go
to the CTDPH website, www.dph.state.ct.us/fish.htm .
Whether you catch fish or just eat them, there are ways to reduce your
risk of exposure to unhealthy chemicals. Some highlights of the brochure
are provided here:
Most trout are not part of the advisory and are safe to eat. However,
the high risk group should eat no more than one large trout (over 15
inches) per month and should eat no trout from the Housatonic River .
Snappers, which are bluefish under 13 inches, are not on the advisory
because they have very low contamination.
Most fish from Long Island Sound are safe to eat except for listed
restrictions on Striped Bass and Bluefish.
For fish from the store, follow these guidelines:
Persons in high risk groups should limit fish meals to 2 per week when
purchasing fish from a market or restaurant. Choose from a variety of
species, including canned tuna. Persons in high risk groups should not
ever eat swordfish or shark. High risk groups should choose light tuna
because it has less mercury than white tuna. Finally, the tomalley
portion of lobster (the green gland) can be high in contaminants and
should not be eaten. This applies to lobster from Long Island Sound and
elsewhere.
For all persons, choose from these fish more often: flounder, tilapia,
herring, trout, and salmon-wild as they are especially low in
contaminants. Other fish that are relatively safe to eat and can be
consumed up to two meals a week by women, children and low risk persons
are: haddock, Atlantic mackerel, cod, light tuna (canned), shellfish
(oysters, shrimp, clams, scallops, lobster), perch, pollack and sole.
(Canned salmon is low in contaminants so it is a good choice. Fresh or
frozen salmon fillets are typically from farm-raised fish. These can
contain more contaminants than wild salmon so they should be eaten only
once per week.)
For all persons, choose these less often: halibut, tuna steak, white
tuna (canned), catfish (farm-raised), red snapper and salmon
(farm-raised.) Women and children should avoid swordfish, shark, King
Mackeral, striped bass and tilefish. Persons in low risk groups can
safely eat higher amounts of market seafood
The tomalley portion of the lobster (the green stuff) can be high in
contaminants and should not be eaten, especially by high risk groups.
You will eat less PCBs if you remove skin and other fatty parts, and
if you cook fish on a rack (broil) so that fat can drip away from the
flesh.
Remove and do not eat the organs, head, skin and the dark fatty tissue
along the backbone, lateral lines and belly.
Mercury is in the edible (fillet) portion of fish. Therefore, you
cannot lower your exposure to mercury by cooking or cleaning the fish.
It is important to remember that large fish tend to have the highest
levels of PCBs and mercury. Therefore, eat small fish (perch, small
trout, sunfish, etc.) instead of large fish whenever possible.
| An Ounce of Prevention is a
publication of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located at
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven, CT 06473. Telephone:
248-4528. An Ounce of Prevention is
written by V. Deborah Culligan. The articles are published in the following local newspapers, The Advisor &
Beth-Wood News.
The content is provided as health education and
information to help you make health decisions. It is not intended to
be legal or medical advice, or substitute for recommendations made
by your health care provider. Address all comments to the district
office. |
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