We’re all aware of the fishes’ advantages when compared to pork. Besides being delicious, they’re also nutritious and is a good source of healthy fats. However, not all fishes are equal – although some are beneficial for our health, others can be harmful for us. Here are 9 popular types of fish you shouldn’t eat:
Imported catfish
As you probably already know, catfish can grow big in size. In order to make them bigger, fish farmers feed them with hormones, especially the catfish that come from Asia. This type of fish is very dangerous and may cause numerous health problems. If you like catfish, make sure it’s wild caught.
Mackerel
Mackerel is full of mercury, a heavy metal that can cause serious diseases if not removed from the body. If you’re set on eating mackerel, make sure it’s the Atlantic variety that contains low levels of the toxin.
Tuna
Tuna is the favorite type of fish for millions of people, but it contains a huge amount of mercury, especially the blackfin and bluefin variety. Wild tuna is really precious, but it’s expensive and rare as it is nearly extinct. Almost all the tuna on the market, regardless if it’s canned or not, comes from fish farms and is fed with hormones and antibiotics.
Tilapia
Tilapia is definitely among the most dangerous fish sold on the market. It is full of harmful fats and is also rich in lard, which can raise your cholesterol levels and make you more sensitive to allergens.
Eel
Eels are full of fats and absorb a huge amount of industrial and farm waste. The American eel contains the highest level of intoxication, while the European variety is rich in mercury.
Pangasius
Most of the pangasius fish found in our stores comes from the Mekong river in Vietnam. This river is among the most polluted rivers in the world, which is seen in the pangasius fillets full or polyphosphates and nitrofurazone.
Tilefish
Tilefish contains the highest levels of mercury from any fish and significantly raises the risk of food poisoning when ingested.
Sea bass
Like tilefish and tuna, the sea bass contains a high level of mercury. It also resembles pangasius, so when you order sea bass fillet, you can get much cheaper fish.
Dollarfish
The dollarfish contains gempylotoxin, a substance that is hard to metabolize and may cause indigestion. Luckily, grilling or frying the fish can reduce the levels of the toxin.
How to choose fresh fish?
You can easily tell fresh from bad fish from the shiny scales and clear eyes. Just take a piece in your hands and check the tail – if the fish is spoiled, the tail will be lowered. Gray grills and dry fins also indicate that the fish is bad.
When buying live fish, you should get them from a tank with clear water and pick the fish close to the bottom. If you’re into fishing, make sure to fish in waters that aren’t contaminated with mercury.
Many people love salmon, but aren’t even aware of the quality of salmon fillets served in front of them. The piece of salmon you ordered should have chunks and white threads. If the meat has bright spots on the skin, the fish has been caught during its spawning season and won’t taste much good.