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Health & Fitness

How Toxic Is Fish And What Should You Do About It?

Have you increased the amount of fish in your diet because you’ve read that it’s a healthy source of protein, minerals & vitamins? 

I made a pitstop at pescatarianism on my way from eating everything to eating only a plant-based diet. From my experience, the gradual elimination of meat from one’s diet results in the addition of more fish into your usual routine, especially when we are inundated with articles and news about how healthy fish is.  

This fish-based diet seemed to be a great way to go until I did some investigating about the potential dangers in eating certain fish in particular and seafood in general. Further research showed me that I can get the nutrients that fish offer in plant-based sources. 

According to an article titled, “12 Fish You Should Never Eat” by Emily Main, the nonprofit Food and Water Watch studied the many varieties of fish available, how they were harvested, how certain species are farmed, and levels of toxic contaminants like mercury or PCBs in the fish, as well as how heavily local fishermen relied upon fisheries for their economic survival. 

These are the 12 fish that they determined we should never eat:
 
1) Imported Catfish: 90% come from Vietnam where antibiotics that are banned in the US is widespread, 2 varieties aren’t technically considered catfish by the US gov’t and aren’t held to the same inspection rules 

2) Caviar: comes from beluga and wild-caught sturgeon, subject to overfishing and an increase in pollution in the water in which they live 

3) Atlantic Cod:  chronic mismanagement and low stock has put the species one step above endangered 

4) American Eel (yellow or silver eel): commonly found in sushi, highly contaminated with PCB’s & mercury, fisheries are suffering from pollution and overharvesting

5) Imported Shrimp: the dirtiest fish with contaminants like antibiotics, residues of chemical used to clean pens, mouse and rat hair, pieces of insects, E. coli, 90% of shrimp sold in the US is imported, less than 2% of all Imported seafood (shrimp, crab, catfish etc) gets inspected 

To see the other 7 Fish You Should Never Eat, Expert Opinions On The Matter, and Healthy Alternatives To Fish...

- Go to: http://veganamericanprincess.com/how-toxic-is-fish-and-what-should-you-do-about-it/#sthash.rsrarqTE....

Debby Sunshine
Vegan American Princess
Voted #2 For Top 25 Vegan Blogs On Skinny Scoop!

Website: veganamericanprincess.com
Twitter: @debbysunshine1
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