Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I heard that sardines are lower on mercury because they are lower in the food chain. But let's say I eat 250g of Atlantic Portuguese sardines per day, every day. Am I getting more than the daily allowable limit for mercury?

flag	asked Feb 28 2011 at 22:09 survivalmachine 623●4●11

Thumper · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-28 23:32:01Z UTC

Mercury bioaccumulates through trophic levels. Sardines are low on the food chain - so their consumption is safe. Here is a link to a website that has a calculator to see how much mercury you are getting from your fish:

http://www.gotmercury.org/article.php?list=type&type=75

Assuming that you are 150lbs (just a random number) and the 250g = 8.82 oz, you are getting 8% of your daily allowable intake of mercury.

And just to explain what a daily allowable intake is - it is the maximum amount of mercury that a human can ingest without any observable effect reported. Please note that most of the toxicological studies done have been on rats though, so err on the side of caution!

Please remember to add up each type of fish that you are eating though!

Dana · Answer 2 · 2011-02-28 22:37:00Z UTC

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It's impossible to say what you're getting in mercury unless you test every single batch of fish you eat. But here's what you've got in your favor:

The fish you're eating are lower on the food chain and
You're an adult. Adults are better at processing mercury than kids are (pregnant women are advised to cut back on predator fish consumption because, well, they're carrying kids).

If you're not eating tons and tons of tuna or salmon or swordfish, if you're not going around handling free mercury from a broken thermometer or something, and if you otherwise try to avoid mercury as much as possible, you should be OK.

Here is more information about the fish family sardines belong to. They eat plankton, pretty much.

answered Feb 28 2011 at 22:37

Dana
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what's wrong with salmon? they are just as low as sardines. – qualia Feb 28 2011 at 23:27

I am reassured now that I know sardines eat plankton. I think I might cook some right now! – survivalmachine Feb 28 2011 at 23:40

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salmon is much bigger, sardines are tiny. Generally small fish, like herring, sardines, sprats and similar are not only healthier, but also much less damaging to the environment. – Yoannah_offca Mar 1 2011 at 0:50

Salmon is pretty safe on mercury levels. What matter is what the fish eats whether it's diet contains mercury, and its level in the food chain, not it actual size. Although many larger fish are high level, not all are. Salmon are rated either as a Best Choice or Good Alternative except for Atlantic or farmed salmon. While most salmon are carnivorous, they typically eat small animals in non=polluted areas. Salmon don't survive well in pollution, like their trout relatives. Sockeye salmon eat zooplankton. montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/… – Karen May 31 at 17:35

olivia · Answer 3 · 2012-05-31 12:24:11Z UTC

i don't think bpa free is necessarily much better than a can with bpa. who knows what else is in the can, which is highly heated with the sardines inside. sigh, i wish i could have canned sardines as an easy fix but there are just too many things about it that are unhealthy it seems. we can't get them fresh around here.

Amy B. · Answer 4 · 2012-05-31 16:25:09Z UTC

As has already been pointed out, sardines are relatively low on the marine food chain and don't accumulate as much mercury as predatory fish.

If you're concerned though, take a little selenium now and then. Selenium has been shown to be protective against mercury. (Yummiest way to very easily get some? Brazil nuts!)

I don't have a link to the studies handy at the moment, but I read a few in a graduate level course on vitamins and minerals. It's the real deal.

Allan · Answer 5 · 2013-02-11 23:42:32Z UTC

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Relevant: http://chriskresser.com/is-eating-fish-safe-a-lot-safer-than-not-eating-fish

How selenium keeps you safe from mercury toxicity in most fish.

answered Feb 11 at 23:42

Allan
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Travis Culp · Answer 6 · 2011-02-28 22:13:49Z UTC

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I would think that the BPA contained in the cans would be a far greater concern. Wild Planet has BPA-free cans, however.

answered Feb 28 2011 at 22:13

Travis Culp♦
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I don't eat them from cans. – survivalmachine Feb 28 2011 at 23:33

GC · Answer 7 · 2013-02-11 21:41:19Z UTC

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Consuming seaweeds or cilantro with fish aids in mercury detoxification.

answered Feb 11 at 21:41

GC
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Mercury in sardines of concern?

7 Answers