- Many people believe
that fish are a healthy food.
They provide omega-3 fats
and that perhaps fishing isn't as cruel as factory farming
or doesn't cause as much environmental damage.
Let's look at what the science and evidence
has to say about this.
The reason some fish are promoted as a health food
is that they contain more omega-3 fats
than any other species.
You may have heard these being called oily fish,
and these include mackerel, salmon, and sardines.
other fish, such as cod, store omega-3s
mainly in their liver, which is why omega-3 supplements
use cod liver oil.
We need omega-3 fats for our cell membranes,
brain, and nervous system.
They also play a role in blood pressure regulation,
blood clotting, and have anti-inflammatory properties.
And because we cannot make them ourselves,
we must get them from our food.
Fish contain two types of omega-3s.
They're called EPA and DHA.
The only reason fish contain these
is because they eat microalgae producing these fats
and then store them in their tissues.
The long held belief is that fish oil
may help protect us from heart disease and stroke.
But now research shows that eating oily fish or fish oil
doesn't offer any advantage when it comes to heart health.
As a highly-respected Cochrane Review put it,
moderate and high-quality evidence suggests
that increasing EPA and DHA has little to no effect
on mortality or cardiovascular health.
As a previous review essentially suggested the same,
the authors also pointed out
that getting our omega-3s directly from microalgae
is a better alternative, as it reduces overfishing,
environmental pollution,
and doesn't expose us to toxins in the fish.
The good news is that there are plenty
of algae-based omega-3 supplements.
And if you'd rather source your omega-3s from plants,
there's more good news.
A plant-based omega-3 fat called ALA
has been shown to decrease the risk of fatal heart disease.
You can get plenty of ALA from flaxseed,
chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and rapeseed oil.
The bottom line is omega-3s are essential,
but getting them from fish is neither necessary,
nor is it good for you.
Both freshwater and ocean fish live in waters
polluted by industrial and agricultural residues,
drugs, water products, and similar nasty substances.
Fish naturally accumulate heavy metals
such as mercury, cadmium, lead,
and pesticide residues in their fatty tissues.
And that's why we're being warned
against eating too much fish.
As a vague precaution, pregnant women and small children
are told not to eat more than two servings
of oily fish a week, but that's not all.
They are also told to avoid eating shark,
swordfish, or marlin because these accumulate more mercury
and their consumption could damage
a developing baby's nervous system.
The toxic cocktail fish contain
can cause a range of serious health issues,
from nerve damage to impaired vision and liver damage.
And just to illustrate
that no matter where in the world you go
the issue remains the same, here are some recent studies.
One from the United States shows
that both locals and newcomers face serious issues
resulting from fish consumption.
Another from South America states
how nobody really knows what's in the fish
that get caught in their waters.
And then there's the worrying study from Italy
about pesticides, residues, and heavy metals.
Shellfish accumulate pollutants as well as fish do,
but because shellfish are bottom feeders,
a lot of stuff you may not want to eat
ends up in their flesh and organs.
On top of that, they don't expel waste
as well as other animals do,
so by eating them, you eat their own feces, too.
And if that isn't exactly appetizing,
add to it that most shellfish and oysters in particular
are contaminated with norovirus.
Yes, that's the vomiting, diarrhea-inducing bug.
A recent survey found that 69 percent
of oysters carried norovirus.
And if you're wondering why shellfish are so contaminated,
another study has a clear answer.
So human waste is polluting the waters where shellfish live.
They're inevitably eating some of it,
get infected with the virus, and give it back to us
when we eat them.
Hepatitis E is a virus targeting the liver.
If you get infected, it can cause fever,
fatigue, nausea, joint pain,
and yellow-tinted skin and eyes.
It's not very common in developed countries,
but outbreaks do happen
and they're often linked to the consumption
of contaminated shellfish.
This study illustrates the situation really well.
Commercial fishing decimates the oceans
and most fish populations are now collapsing.
The official figures say that 90 percent
of fish stocks are depleted.
Discarded nets and fishing gear
are also one of the main plastic pollutants in the oceans,
accounting for 46 percent of all plastic trash in the seas
and killing more and more sea life
that gets entangled in the nets.
And fish farms are not the answer, either.
About 50 percent of fish contaminated worldwide
comes from farms that hold huge number of fish
in close quarters.
Diseases and fish parasites
are thriving in these environments,
so the overuse of antibiotics, anti-parasitics,
and pesticides thrown in the water
as a cure is mind-blowing.
But that's not where it ends.
Fish farms also increase the pressure
on wild fish populations.
Whichever way we look at it,
eating fish is far from harmless.
It's neither healthy nor sustainable, and it hurts, too.
Fish do feel pain, and research has also revealed
they're extremely sensitive to pressure,
so any kind of fishing
subjects them to suffering in multiple ways.
It's time to leave fish in the water
and get our omega-3s from flaxseed,
chia, and hemp seeds, walnuts,
rapeseed oil, or algae supplements.
It turns out it's not just more ethical and sustainable,
it's also healthier for us, too.