Fish Facts Article Date: (Monday, May 14, 2007) The controversy between the Health Benefits vs the Dangers of Mercury and PCBs when consuming fish for their excellent source of Omega-3s have left most health-conscious individuals with mixed messages.  The omega-3s found in fish have been shown to protect against heart disease, mental disease, vision disease and even cancer.  Fish is the major source of these important  fats, as plant-derived sources like flaxseed do not react in the body the same way. Pollutants that have seeped into the air, lakes, rivers, and oceans via industrial and power plant emissions have also seeped into the fish, as a result.  The fish who live longer and eat off of the smaller fish, like King Mackeral, Swordfish, and Shark have higher levels of mercury and PCB than the smaller fish, like Sardines, Salmon, Trout, Flounder, and Tilapia.  According to the FDA, healthy adults can safely consume 14 ounces a week of fish with mercury levels that average .5 ppm or less. Cooking fish correctly can slash your exposure to the dangerous substances found in fish (except mercury, as that is found in the flesh not the fat) by removing the skin and cutting off as much fat as possible found running down the middle of the fillets and along the spine and belly.  Bake, steam, or broil the fillets to melt off any remaining fat and throw away the juices.  Remove the green substance (glands) in shellfish because these glands filter out the pollutants found in the water and contains high levels of PCBs. Stick to these types, safely consuming 4 meals (6 oz. each)/month of:  Tilapia (mercury level 0.01 ppm), Anchovies (mercury level 0.043 ppm), Sardines (mercury level 0.016 ppm), Canned Light Tuna (mercury level 0.118 ppm), Mahimahi (mercury level 0.16 ppm), Alaskan Salmon (mercury level 0.014 ppm). As an alternative, Fish oil supplements can give you all the Omega-3s that you need.  The recommendation is getting between 0.3 - 0.5 grams of EPA and DHA a day.  Since research has shown supplements could be contaminated with the same chemicals found in some fresh fish, search for a toxin-free variety.  To get more information regarding where to find these products, just email inquiries to healthnaturallyirid.com. (From SHAPE magazine)