Time to scale back on fish consumption - opinion

A few weeks ago, as I was leaving the synagogue, a friend that I haven’t seen in some time accompanied me out. As we were walking and talking, he asked me, “So is it true that you eat no meat or chicken at all?” I told him that it was basically true with only a very few minor exceptions. He said what about eating fish? He even said that he understood the restrictions on the meat and chicken, but fish?

What could be wrong with fish? He said, “It’s good for you.” I assured him that even though there may be some beneficial nutrition in fish, the bad really outweighs the good and that when we have more time, I can explain it to him. He still looked at me skeptically. So, as he asked, what’s wrong with fish?

If we take the harmful and destructive ulna-processed foods out of the picture for a moment, all real food contains nutrition. They all have some of the vital nutrients our bodies need in order to function properly and to hopefully ward off disease. But many of these foods also come with some “baggage.”

For instance, there may be vitamins, minerals and a lot of protein in eating meat, but what comes along with that? High amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol, heme iron (which in high amounts contributes to several chronic diseases); TMAO forms in your liver, we ingest heterocyclic amines from the way we cook meat and all of these are highly detrimental to your health in multiple ways.

I always impart to my clients three main criteria for most of the food one eats. Your food should be: 1) Fiber dense. Animal proteins, including dairy, have NO fiber. 2) Nutrient dense. A wide variety of nutrients is vital to healthy living. Remember: The food we eat is the single most influential factor on our health. 3) Water dense. Whole, food-plant based eaters get so much water from their foods, that they are able to drink a little less water than most people each day and still maintain good hydration. Think of a baked potato. Even after you bake it, 75% of what you are eating is water – no calories and good hydration.

So where does fish fit in?

Although I never really cared for fish growing up, we were all taught that fish is healthy. We were imparted with the idea that fatty fish like salmon and tuna are particularly healthy because they have a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3s are vital to heart, brain and joint health. The perception of fish being a healthy food came from this abundance of omega 3, and that they have less saturated fat and less cholesterol than meat, chicken and dairy. However, we need to take a closer look and put things in perspective.

It’s true that there is less saturated fat and cholesterol in fish. And again, fish is a food with no fiber. Perhaps consuming fish in very small amounts wouldn’t really harm a person much and there is even evidence that it could be good for brain health. However, we need to update the nutrition story for fish, and it isn’t very pretty.

Today’s rivers, seas and oceans have become the dumping grounds for industry and the waste disposal receptacles for agriculture. Today’s fish are full of harmful chemicals – and this unfortunately even applies to the fish raised in controlled environments. In fish, these chemicals can become very concentrated. Remember, the bigger fish eat the smaller fish and the really big ones eat the less big ones, so each fish is getting these contaminants over and over and over again in their diet. What are these damaging substances and what do they do to us?

SINCE THE 1960s we have found PCBs in fish. These compounds belong to a broad family of human-created organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. Exposure to PCBs can have toxic effects on the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems. They also cause cancer in animals and people. Dioxins are also found in both fish and animals.

According to the World Health Organization, Dioxins are a group of chemically related compounds that are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Dioxins are found worldwide in the environment and accumulate in the food chain, mainly in the fatty tissue of animals and fish. They are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormonal function, and cause cancer.

Exposure to mercury in high amounts can cause serious health problems. High amounts of mercury are found in larger fish, most of which are not kosher. However, even fish like tuna contain enough methyl mercury that when consuming enough, levels may rise to dangerous amounts. What happens from methyl mercury poisoning? It’s all brain related. Studies have shown a decrease in fine motor skills, dexterity, memory, and attention span.

The most recent discovery for fish consumers is setting off alarm bells, which is the high amounts of microplastics being found in almost all fish. We have gotten used to plastic in all areas of life. Cutting boards in our kitchens, bottled drinks, food storage containers, bags, disposable plates, cutlery and certainly drinking cups. Plastic has only been around for 100 years; now, we are seeing the unfortunate results of what happens when they break down.

These compounds are linked to serious health issues such as endocrine disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health, and cancer. The research and discovery of microplastics is still new and I am afraid that the news may get worse. The highest concentrations are found in all seafood. As we stated before, the oceans and rivers are dumping grounds. The fish consume the plastics, and we eat the fish. It’s amazing that the very food we have always called “brain food” can now cause so much damage to our brains!

THE QUESTION is, what is the dose? How much do we have to consume for damage to our health to set in? In truth, we don’t know exactly. But given all of the evidence we do have about microplastics, mercury, PCBs and dioxins, I would keep the consumption to a minimum. And don’t forget that the fish with the most omega 3s are also the ones with the most saturated fat and cholesterol – like salmon. We can get our omega 3s through flax seed, hemp seed, and chia seeds, as well as walnuts and many of the green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach.

So to my friend who asked, I hope your question has been answered and I hope that just like the other animal proteins, fish will become a small side dish at best and consumed infrequently so you can “add hours to your days, days to your years and years to your lives.”

The writer is a wellness coach and personal trainer with more than 25 years of professional experience. He is a member of the International Council of the True Health Initiative, the board of Kosher Plant Based, and director of The Wellness Clinic. alan@alanfitness.com