When dining out, knowing which types of fish, you should avoid protecting your health is important. Eating certain types of fish can negatively impact your body, so it is important to do your research before consuming anything. This article will discuss why some fish should be avoided, what species are safe to eat, and how to make an informed decision when selecting seafood.
Yellowfin Tuna
Yellowfin tuna are caught in close proximity to more industrialized geographical locations. Mainly off the coast of Europe and North America could carry as much as thirty-six times more pollutants than tuna caught in less populated areas.
Pollutants such as these include polychlorinated biphenyls, flame retardants, and pesticides. Rather than ordering Yellowfin tuna, select skipjack tuna or albacore, as they contain lower levels of pollutants. In the event that Yellowfin is still your choice, ensure that it is caught in the West Pacific Ocean instead of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean or the Northeast Pacific Ocean.
Bluefin Tuna
Individuals might be tempted to purchase some Bluefin tuna at a restaurant. However, the individual might want to reconsider this decision. Overfishing of Bluefin tuna has become very popular. Therefore the species requires additional to be able to recuperate.
This type of fish, namely the Pacific Bluefin Tuna in particular, has been driven to the point of extinction; however, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is also suffering a similar fate. Stay clear of Bluefin Tuna and rather purchase an albacore tuna belly. This continues to have a rich flavor. However, it is more sustainable than the others.
Vietnamese Catfish
This species of fish is an inexpensive variety of white fish beginning to show its face on several restaurant menus in the United States. These fish are farmed fish that produce massive amounts of waste which result in water pollution of the local waters, plus they also get large amounts of antibiotics. Research uncovered that between seventy to eighty percent of the Vietnamese catfish tested had Vibriobacterial contamination. This is the same contamination that results in the majority of shellfish poisonings.
What makes it worse is that this fish is quite often labeled as grouper or sole on a menu. Although it is really Vietnamese Catfish. Therefore, individuals do not always recognize exactly what is being consumed. In case there is no choice but to have catfish, order the fish that has been raised domestically. Even though it is still a farmed fish, the risk of it being highly contaminated is low. Lower than if the fish was imported.
