How To Choose The Right Seafood?

Seafood not only positively affects the state of health in general, but also improves mood. However, it is not so easy to choose healthy and environmentally friendly seafood. We will tell you what you should pay attention to when choosing and when you should refuse to buy fish.

A group of scientists from Finland claims that seafood and meat can cope with bad mood and seasonal depression. Scientists conducted an experiment with the participation of several hundred volunteers, who were treated to seafood every day. As a result, it turned out that the use of such products can raise the mood in a short time. According to scientists, the secret lies in the healing properties of vitamin B12, which in sufficient quantity in the body is able to activate the production of an amino acid that lifts the mood.

But choosing seafood is not as simple as it seems. The first fresh-looking fish or a package of frozen shrimp is not always a good choice. It is very important to know where seafood comes from, how it is grown and how much mercury it contains.

Researchers from the University of California and Loyola Marymount University recently DNA tested sushi from 26 Los Angeles restaurants and found that 47 percent of them were mislabeled. Yellowfin turned out to be bigeye tuna, and flounder and halibut were confused 100% of the time, with most halibut turning out to be flounder. An annual sample of seafood from grocery stores showed similar rates of mislabeling, suggesting that we're not buying what we think. This leads to the fact that we overpay and receive a less useful product. For example, bigeye tuna has more mercury than yellowfin tuna.

Using research from the Environmental Defense Fund, we will tell you about the criteria for choosing healthy seafood.

What you need to know about mercury, farmed and wild fish

 

Mercury has a negative effect on our health. In large amounts, it can cause neurological problems, but keep in mind that all fish contain traces of this metal, as it is in the water. So it's just about the dose you get from eating seafood.

Do you want to learn one simple rule that will help you choose the right fish? If the fish is bigger than you, it probably contains a lot of mercury. This is because a large fish (such as swordfish or tuna) eats a small fish, which increases the level of mercury it contains. However, there is plenty of safe, low-mercury seafood available, and if you don't eat large portions of fish often, this shouldn't be a major problem for you.

It turns out that the way fish are raised and caught can also have health consequences. Many people believe that wild-caught fish is better for health in any case, but this is not so. While there are concerns about the use of chemicals, overcrowding and disease in farmed fish, rearing fish in closed tanks can be a healthy and environmentally friendly way. One farm may differ from another.

However, despite all this, experts say we should eat more seafood. Fish and shellfish are high-quality proteins, low in saturated fat and calories, rich in nutrients and essential fatty acids that promote heart health.

Tuna

 

• How to choose: choose striped tuna (preferably canned) or fresh albacore. Bigeye and yellowfin tuna, which are often used for sushi and rolls, as well as bluefin contain the most mercury.
• Nutrients: In addition to protein, albacore and skipjack tuna contain omega-3s, niacin, vitamins B12, D and selenium.
• Mercury: Most tuna has moderate to high levels of mercury.
• How often to eat: Striped tuna and fresh albacore, as often as you like. Yellow-feathered and blue-feathered no more than once a month.

Catfish

 

• How to choose: Almost all catfish are farmed in ponds and are environmentally friendly.
• Nutrients: Catfish is a good source of vitamins B12 and D.
• Mercury: low level.
• How often to eat: As often as you want.

Tilapia

 

• How to choose: Look for tilapia raised on closed farms where pollution is better controlled (making the fish environmentally friendly).
• Nutrients: Tilapia is a high-calorie product.
• Mercury: low level.
• How often to eat: As often as you want.

Clams

 

• How to choose: Growing or harvesting mussels has little impact on the environment, so all varieties are safe to eat. Most imported shellfish are ecological.
• Nutrients: molluscs have a high content of protein, iron, magnesium and potassium.
• Mercury: low level.
• How often to eat: As often as you want.

Grouper

 

• How to choose: Look for black sea bass, as they are usually caught using environmentally friendly methods.
• Nutrients: It contains protein and vitamin D.
• Mercury: low level.
• How often to eat: As often as you want.

Cod

 

• How to choose: it is best not to buy Japanese and Russian Pacific cod, as their mercury level is unknown.
• Nutrients: cod is a light product rich in protein and phosphorus.
• Mercury: Atlantic cod has low levels of mercury, but Alaska and the Pacific Ocean have higher mercury levels.
• How often to eat: Atlantic cod as often as you want. Cod from Alaska and the Pacific Ocean once a week.

Lobster

 

• How to choose: Spiny lobster from the US, Mexico and the Caribbean is the most environmentally friendly option.
• Nutrients: Lobster is high in protein and selenium.
• Mercury: moderate level.
• How often to eat: once a week.

Salmon

 

• How to choose: Avoid farmed salmon because it's hard to tell what environment it came from. Wild Alaskan salmon is a better choice. Look out for these species: chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye.
• Nutrients: Salmon is an oily fish (rich color is an indicator of fat content), so it is high in omega-3. Salmon is also an excellent source of vitamins B12 and D.
• Mercury: low level.
• How often to eat: As often as you want.

Crab

 

• How to choose: King, snow, stone, blue and Dungeness crab are the best options.
• Nutrients: Crabs contain vitamin B12 and zinc. Try to cook the crab yourself, as ready-made products can contain a lot of salt.
• Mercury: low level.
• How often to eat: As often as you want.

Shrimp

 

• How to choose: northern shrimp, pink shrimp, giant freshwater shrimp and Canadian shrimp are the most environmentally friendly products.
• Nutrients: Shrimp is high in protein and low in calories.
• Mercury: low level.
• How often to eat: As often as you want.

What should pregnant women know?

 

High levels of mercury are especially dangerous for pregnant and lactating women, as well as for small children. Fish with a low mercury content are safe to eat, but the following varieties should still be avoided:

• Royal mackerel
• Marlin
• Deep-water perch
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Malacanth
• Bigeye tuna (often called ahi tuna)

3 reasons not to buy fish

 

The offer is too good to be true

Most likely, this means that the fish is incorrectly labeled. Wild caught fish are almost always more expensive than farmed fish. This rule is suitable for both fresh and frozen varieties throughout the year.

You don't know where she's from

Look for the country of origin on the packaging of fish or seafood in the supermarket. It must be indicated on the label of fresh and frozen fish, but not in small fish markets, so here you will have to take their word for it.

Preservatives are listed on the label

Preservatives such as sodium tripolyphosphate can affect the quality and taste of seafood. For example, if scallops are sold in a tray with some milky liquid in them, this suggests that they have been impregnated with preservatives to increase their weight when purchased.