You talk about the Mediterranean Diet all the time and how good fish is for you over beef and chicken. My question is, are you sure it ends up being better for you when it seems like every kind of fish, shrimp, crab is either polluted with mercury and other toxins or oil from the Gulf now. Do the benefits outweigh the possible detrimental effects?
This is a great question and there are certainly concerns about the amount of mercury and other pollutants found in fish. This does vary by the type of fish and the best research we have indicates that the benefit of having fish as part of your diet far outweighs the risk. Drs. Mozaffarian and Rimm addressed this topic with research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2006;296:1885-1898). Here's an article we wrote about that: One fish, Two fish, Mercury in Your Fish
As far as fish from the Gulf of Mexico, it appears the fish that is being caught is safe.
It does appear that what is being fished and brought ashore is safe.
Thanks for writing.
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