I know we all hear tons of myths on a day to day basis. We’ve heard myths like chewing gum takes 7 years to digest, MSG causes headaches, cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis, and the five second rule. One thing that I’ve always wondered about was why pregnant women were not allowed to consume fish. This was a myth I heard years ago and ever since, I have always thought that pregnant women and any type of fish was a real no-no. But the interesting question is, how factual is this?
I decided to do some research on this wild myth. I found that fish contains high levels of protein, iron and zinc. Fish is a rich source of healthful omega-3 fatty acids, which contribute to the growth of the brain, heart and eyes. Women who are pregnant require a certain amount of these nutrients per day. So why does the Food and Drug Administration tell pregnant women to go easy on their fish intake?
The FDA advises pregnant women to only eat up to 12 ounces of seafoods per week. This is an incredibly low amount of a food that provides such healthy nutrients. But studies do show that some seafoods contain high levels of mercury. Mercury has been shown to interfere with the growth of babies developing brains.
(photo taken by me at the Long Island Aquarium).
A study was conducted and published in the Environmental Health Perspective. In this study, over 4000 women ate up to 103 types of food. Later, blood samples from these women were sent to the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The blood mercury levels were extremely broad. The levels ranged from 0.17 micrograms per liter to as much as 12.8 micrograms per liter. Golding, a pediatric and perinatal epidemiologist at the University of Bristol, stated, “Women should realize that any adverse effects there might be of a small amount of mercury is totally counterbalanced by the beneficial effects of eating fish.”
As a result, I hereby conclude that it is okay for pregnant women to consume fish! I believe that in moderation, women should eat a variety of seafoods that are high in 3 fatty acids. Some foods to consider eating would be Salmon, Anchovies, Herring, Sardines, Trout, and Atlantic/Pacific mackerel. Other safe choices would be shrimp, pollock and catfish. Tuna and steak should be limited because some testings show that the mercury levels vary.
Sources;
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/02/228526965/fish-guidelines-for-pregnant-women-may-be-too-strict-study-suggests
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-and-fish/art-20044185
When I first saw that pregnant women were not allowed to eat fish, I freaked out a little bit. I am someone that grew up eating fish at least once a day and not being able to eat fish while pregnant just sounds cruel. The first thing I assumed the reason why pregnant women can’t eat fish is due to mercury, and I guess I was somewhat correct. From the experiment you described in your blog, we can assume that mercury levels do not harm pregnant women because the levels were so little. However, I am a little confused about the study. You mentioned, “Over 4000 women ate up to 103 types of food.” What is the food in this case? Is it all seafood based or any type of food? Overall, I agree that consuming fish while pregnant should not cause any harm, however pregnant woman should check the fishes overall mercury level just to be safe.