The problem with mercury is that it is a toxic element for humans, especially for younger children and pregnant women. It can affect the central nervous system, kidney, liver…
Mercury is a chemical element that is naturally present in the earth. Its presence is due to processes such as volcanic activity, or due to the effect of erosion that wind and water have on the rocks in which the element is present.
But also the action of man can increase the presence of mercury: industrial processes, mining, burning of fossil fuels, waste disposal, etc.
The problem with mercury is that it is a toxic element for humans, especially for young children and women. pregnant.
And it is that, as they explain from the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutritionamong these population groups this chemical element…
- “It affects the developing central nervous system, which is why the fetus and young children are the most sensitive to this metal.”
- It can also affect the kidney, causing your weight to increase.
- A to other organs such as the liver
- to the nervous system
- Immune system
- reproductive systems
- Development.
And how does it reach us?
Well, the highest intake of mercury among the population occurs through fish and shellfish. Because due to its physicochemical properties, mercury can be transported over long distances and deposited in aquatic ecosystems, where it is absorbed by fish and other organisms.
Which fish and shellfish contain less mercury?
Of course, this cannot lead us to reduce the amount of fish that we include in our diet, because its benefits are numerous.
In fact, they are part of the Mediterranean diet and all nutrition specialists recommend their consumption.
So how can we prevent eating fish from excessively increasing tolerable levels of mercury in the body?
In order to answer this question, a team from the Institute of Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA) of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) has analyzed the concentration of mercury in 58 species of fish and shellfish. All of them for human consumption and that are usually for sale in local markets in Spain, Italy and France.
Of all of them, the specimens of 13 species had mercury concentrations below those recommended as safe by the European Union (EU). Among them are:
- The sardine.
- The anchovy
- the sea bream
- the golden one
- The squid.
- the blue whiting
- the candy
- The gallant.
- The rock mullet.
- the serrano
- the corvaldo
- The salt.
- Lampuga.
As clarified Joan O GrimaltIDAEA-CSIC researcher and lead author of the study, published in the journal Environmental Pollution:
- “Consuming these species minimizes our intake of mercury, which is the price to pay when eating fish. And as if that were not enough, these fish have a good amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which are more beneficial from a nutritional point of view.”
The study focuses on more than 1,300 specimens of 58 species of fish and shellfish for human consumption that were for sale in markets in Spain (Menorca, Mallorca, Ibiza, Alicante, Ametlla de Mar and L’Ampolla), Italy (Genoa , Civitavecchia, Alghero) and France (Marseille).
- “According to these results, health authorities should pay special attention to fish and shellfish species with the highest mercury levels and make appropriate preventive health recommendations, especially for pregnant women and children.”
General advice on eating fish
The first thing to make clear is that eating fish and shellfish is good. They are an essential source of energy and protein. In addition, they provide us with essential nutrients such as iodineselenium, calcium, vitamins A and D and omega-3.
The question is to continue eating these products taking into account their mercury content and the population group.
A) Yes, European Food Safety Authority recommends:
- For children between 1 and 9 years old, pregnant women or those who may become pregnant, eat the lowest mercury species that the CSIC researchers list.
- They also warn that it is better for these population groups not to consume any of the four types of fish that contain the most mercury, which are: swordfish/emperor, bluefin tuna, shark (dogfish, mako shark, spiny dogfish, dogfish and blue shark) and pike. .
- Children between 10 and 14 years old should limit the consumption of these four species rich in mercury to 120 grams per month.
- For the general population, the consumption of up to 3 or 4 servings of both white and blue fish per week is recommended.