A new U.S. government guideline classifies fish into
three categories of safety to help pregnant women,
breast-feeding mothers and parents of young children
make healthy choices. The 62 types of fish and
shellfish included in the guideline are sorted into:
best choices: eat two to three servings a week; good
choices: eat one serving a week; and fish to avoid.
Nearly 90 percent of fish eaten in the United States
fall into the best choices category, according to
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Fifty percent of
pregnant women eat fewer than 2 ounces of fish a
week, which is far less than the recommended amount,
the FDA said. The FDA and EPA recommend two to three
servings of lower-mercury fish per week, or 8 to 12
ounces total. Twelve ounces is the recommended
maximum weekly consumption, according to the new
guidelines. Lower-mercury fish and shellfish, part
of the best choices group, include some of the most
commonly eaten varieties, such as shrimp, pollock,
salmon, canned light tuna, tilapia, catfish and cod.
The FDA and EPA recommend only one serving per week
of fish from the good choices category, which
includes bluefish, grouper, halibut, tilefish from
the Atlantic Ocean, and albacore white tuna . A
typical serving of fish for adults is 4 ounces
before cooking. Serving sizes for children should be
smaller and adjusted for their age and total calorie
needs. Children should eat a variety of fish once or
twice a week, according to the guideline. All fish
contain at least some mercury, which can harm the
brain and nervous system if consumed in high amounts
over time. Children, pregnant or breast-feeding
women, and women of childbearing age should avoid
seven types of fish with higher mercury levels:
tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico; shark; swordfish;
orange roughly; bigeye tuna; marlin, and king
mackerel. |