Top 10 Fish With The Highest Amounts of Mercury

When you think of eating underwater low-fat protein that’s packed with omega-3 fatty acids (acids that provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation), you tend to associate pescetarianism with a healthier way to satisfy your stomach. I mean, who doesn’t love sushi or hearty seafood stew?

The truth is that times have changed, and the days of pollution-free bodies of water and fish without antibiotics are long gone. Mercury is released into the atmosphere from burning coal, oil, and natural gas, metropolitan and medical wastes, forest fires, among many other sources. Mercury is bad for you because it can lead to harmful effects on your digestive and immune systems, along with the lungs and kidneys, and can even lead to death. Now numerous toxins have leached into our only fresh and saltwater sources, polluting marine life and our bodies when we eat them.

To keep mercury toxicity at bay, limit your seafood consumption to 2 – 3 servings per week, which equates to about 8 – 12 ounces. Opt for organic, farm-raised seafood that contains lesser amounts of mercury such as wild Alaskan salmon, eel, crab, shrimp, and catfish. Make note of the ingredients list, only water and salt is ideal without the preservatives. And finally, remember the younger and smaller the fish the safer, since the amount of mercury increases every time a larger fish eats a small fish.

Here are the fish with the highest amounts of mercury: 

(These figures are measured in micrograms of mercury per 4 ounces of cooked fish. If you feel like you are at risk of mercury poisoning consult a doctor for a blood test and try detoxing naturally.)

1. Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico) – Containing a whopping average of 219 micrograms of mercury, the tilefish native to the Gulf of Mexico, tops the list of mercury-tainted seafood.
2. Shark – 151 micrograms of mercury
3. Swordfish – 147 micrograms of mercury
4. Mackerel King – 110 micrograms of mercury
5. Orange Roughy – 80 micrograms of mercury
6. Marlin – 69 micrograms of mercury
7. Tuna (Bluefin, Bigeye, & Albacore) – 54 – 58 micrograms of mercury
   Tuna (Canned White Albacore) – 40 micrograms of mercury
   Tuna (Skipjack & Yellowfin) – 31 – 49 micrograms of mercury
   Light Canned Tuna – 13 micrograms of mercury
8. American Lobster – 47 micrograms of mercury
9. Cod (Atlantic & Pacific) – 14 micrograms of mercury
10. Mackerel Spanish (Atlantic & Pacific) – 8 – 13 micrograms of mercury