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Mercury and Fish: What's the Deal?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:00:00 PST

I've heard people say that pregnant women shouldn't eat a lot of fish because of the mercury content. What's so bad about mercury and why is it in fish?

Although fish contain high-quality protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury.

Mercury occurs naturally in the environment, and can also be released into the air from pollution. The mercury falls from the air and accumulates in oceans, lakes, and rivers. Fish absorb the mercury since they live and feed in these waters, and the mercury builds up their bodies. That's why larger fish are the ones to watch out for when it comes to mercury, because they've had more time to accumulate it.

Some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. That's why nursing mothers, women who are pregnant, and those who are trying to become pregnant are advised to watch their mercury intake.

For everyone, elevated levels of mercury can lead to nervous system problems with brain or nerve damage. Mercury levels can be measured by blood tests, or tests using hair.

If you regularly eat types of fish that are high in mercury, it can accumulate in your blood stream over time too. The body naturally removes it, but it may take over a year for levels to drop back to normal. That's why it's important for women who are trying to get pregnant to think about their mercury intake beforehand.

Want to hear about some guidelines from the EPA? Then

Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
You can eat up to 2 meals (total of 12 oz) of fish a week.
5 of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
Albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your 2 meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 oz (1 average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught in lakes, oceans, and rivers near you. If no advice is available, only eat 1 meal (6 oz) a week of fish you catch, and no other fish that week.

Check out this poster. It's a great visual for which fish are low in mercury, and which ones to watch out for.

Fall TV Preview: Shark

PopSugar — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 14:06:12 PDT

I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical about Shark, which premieres tonight at 10/9c on CBS. I mean, how many legal dramas do we really need, right? This one, however, is different. First of all, it's directed by Spike Lee and stars television and movie veteran James Woods. The show centers around hot shot defense attorney Sebastian Stark (aka "The Shark") who is suddenly humbled when he gets a client acquitted of domestic violence who then kills his wife six days later. Unable to continue to represent violent criminals, the Shark switches sides and becomes a prosecutor in charge of teaching young Assistant DAs how to win against other Sharks like himself. On a personal level, Sebastian is granted custody of his 16 year old daughter who it seems will likely be taking care of him rather than the other way around. Other notable cast members include Jeri Ryan (The OC, Boston Public) as the District Attorney who is less than thrilled to be all of the sudden playing on the same team as her former nemesis. The first episode definitely peaked my interest so I will be tuning in to see what happens next.

Shark Fin Bans: Environmentally Conscious or Culturally Insensitive?

Susannah Chen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:00:08 PST

In less than four months, the state of Hawaii will be shark fin-free, and soon, the same could happen in California. The golden state is currently deliberating a piece of legislation that would ban the sale and possession of shark fins, too.

Proponents of the ban don't just cite the inhumane practice of cutting fins off live sharks, but the staggering drop in ocean shark populations as well: 73 million sharks are killed every year, and populations are just 10 percent of what they used to be. And, argues one San Francisco food critic, there are plenty of viable (and innocuous) substitutes for shark's fin.But not everyone feels this way. "The practice of shark's fin soup has been in our culture for thousands of years. There ought to be a way to find a balance between the environment and preserving culture and heritage," California state Sen. Leland Yee maintained.

"While we're at it, I'd also ban Caspian caviar and bluefin tuna until their fisheries recover. No doubt, that would raise an uproar in certain other cultural communities," Chinese-American chef Jonathan Wu retorted. Tell me what you think: is banning shark's fin environmentally conscious, or culturally insensitive?

Source: Flickr User closari

What to TiVo: Friday

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:59:04 PDT

8:00 Shark Tank (repeat)
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do? (new)
10:00 20/20 (new)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guest Charlize Theron)

8:00 Undercover Boss (repeat)
9:00 CSI: NY (repeat)
10:00 Blue Bloods (repeat)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (repeat, with guest Billy Crystal)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new)

8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (repeat)

8:00 Who Do You Think You Are? (repeat)
9:00 Grimm (repeat)
10:00 Dateline NBC (new)
11:34 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Colin Powell)
12:37 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Bill Hader and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)

8:00 Nikita (repeat)
9:00 Supernatural (repeat)

More TV to watch when you read more.

What to TiVo: Friday

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Shark Tank (new, season finale)
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do? (new)
10:00 20/20 (new)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guest Jason Mantzoukas)

8:00 Undercover Boss (repeat)
9:00 CSI: NY (repeat)
10:00 Blue Bloods (repeat)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guests Sacha Baron Cohen)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest David Sedaris)

8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (repeat)

8:00 Who Do You Think You Are? (new, series finale)
9:00 Grimm (new, season finale)
10:00 Dateline NBC (new)
11:34 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guests Sherri Shepherd and Julianne Hough)
12:37 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Tom Selleck and Krysten Ritter)

8:00 Nikita (new, season finale)
9:00 Supernatural (new, season finale)

More TV to watch when you read more.

Revenge and Happy Endings Get Shuffled Around in ABC's New Fall Schedule

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:10:08 PDT

ABC has announced its brand spankin' new Fall schedule, and there are a few big things to take note of. Obviously the network's new series are built in, but a few returning series have new spots in the lineup, like Revenge, which is shifting to Desperate Housewives' vacated Sunday night slot. Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 are moving to Tuesdays, giving a new comedy the Modern Family lead-in on Wednesday nights. Check out ABC's new Fall schedule and rev up your DVRs after the break.

ABC Renews Revenge, Once Upon a Time, Modern Family, and More

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:36:07 PDT

With season finales rolling on, we may be wondering about the fate of certain characters, but now we at least know the fate of some of the shows. In the case of most of ABC's slate, there's good news: ABC is renewing freshman series Once Upon a Time, Revenge, and Suburgatory, as well as veteran series Modern Family, The Middle, Grey's Anatomy, and Castle. ABC's reality shows Dancing With the Stars, The Bachelor, and Shark Tank also got picked up for additional seasons. There's no news yet on the fate of Happy Endings or Private Practice, but let's just say we have our fingers crossed. UPDATE: Happy Endings has also been renewed for a third season!

What to TiVo: Friday

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Shark Tank (new)
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do (new)
10:00 20/20 (new)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (repeat, with guest Scarlett Johansson)

8:00 Undercover Boss (new)
9:00 CSI: NY (new, season finale)
10:00 Blue Bloods (new, season finale)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guest Jon Cryer)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guests Larry King and Anna Chlumsky)

8:00 The Finder (new, season finale)
9:00 Fringe (new, season finale)

8:00 Who Do You Think You Are? (new)
9:00 Grimm (new)
10:00 Dateline NBC (new)
11:34 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Jenna Fischer and Jay Mohr)
12:37 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Steven Colbert and Nick Cannon)

8:00 Nikita (new)
9:00 Supernatural (new)

More TV to watch when you read more.

Yummy Links: From Shark's Fin to Horse Meat

YumSugar — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:57:25 PDT

One Hong Kong-born chef on why Chinese culture doesn't need shark fin. - Inside Scoop
What do you think of Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover of Bon Appétit? - The Feast NY
Spring is in the glass! 107 drinks to make right now. - Grub Street NY
Here are 50 more food blogs that you should be reading. - Saveur
Today, one man will take a bite out of his 25,000th Big Mac. - Bites on Today
Chicago, the city named after ramps. - Good
Memorial day must make: grilled tomato bloody maria. - Serious Eats
What should a restaurant do when it's accused of food poisoning? - Chow
Top Chef Canada has its hoof in its mouth over a challenge involving horse meat. - Huffington Post Food

Source: Flickr User InterContinental Hong Kong

What to TiVo: Saturday

Maggie Pehanick — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Shark Tank (repeat)
9:00 Hancock

8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (repeat)
9:00 Person of Interest (repeat)
10:00 48 Hours Mystery (new)

8:00 UFC: Diaz vs. Miller (new)
11:00 The Finder (repeat)

8:00 Escape Routes (new, season finale)
9:00 The Voice (repeat)
11:30 Saturday Night Live (new, with guests Eli Manning and Rihanna)

More TV to watch when you read more.