A new study by the US Geological Survey had some sad findings that I wanted to highlight.

-In the past 15 years, mercury levels in the Northern Pacific have increased 30% and are expected to rise another 50% by 2050.

-about 40% of all mercury exposure in the U.S. comes from eating contaminated Tuna from the Pacific, and roughly 75% of all exposure to mercury comes from eating fish. That’s a wowzer.

You can read the article here.

There are still some safe choices for wild fish… even in the pacific. Wild Alaskan Salmon is still the safest choice for salmon. Also, look for smaller fish that do not have as high levels of contamination. The larger fish such as Tuna, King Mackerel, Swordfish and other large fish are much worse than fish such as salmon,¬†sardines, and herring.

Fish and fish oil are extremely healthy, but it is important to look for wild caught fish and fish that is free of heavy metals. Some good examples are Pacific caught salmon which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and typically has less pollution than the atlantic variety. Also, sardines are an excellent source of omega-3′s (more than salmon) and because they are smaller fish they contain much less mercury than bigger fish like tuna and salmon.