Mercury & Seafood: What You Need to Know

We hear it all the time: “Should I worry about mercury in fish?” It’s a valid question, but the answer is simpler than you might think. Let’s break down the science and clear up the confusion, so you can enjoy seafood with confidence.

The Mercury-Selenium Balance

Mercury sounds alarming, but here’s a key fact: if the fish you’re eating has more selenium than mercury, it’s actually good for you. Selenium protects your body from mercury by neutralizing its effects. In most fish, the selenium-to-mercury ratio is in your favor, meaning you’re not only safe but also getting some valuable nutrients.

Here’s the deal: nearly all the fish we offer at Get Hooked have higher levels of selenium than mercury, making them a healthy choice. The only West Coast exceptions? Swordfish, shark, and bluefin tuna belly. Even so, these fish are fine in moderation because most people have enough selenium stored in their bodies to handle small amounts of mercury.

Pregnant? More Fish Might Be Better

For pregnant women, fetuses, and young children—who don’t have built-up selenium reserves—there’s more sensitivity to mercury. However, research shows that eating more fish during pregnancy is associated with healthier babies, even when mercury is present. Why? Because fish is a great source of selenium, which helps protect against mercury exposure.

In fact, there’s no solid evidence that seafood consumption in the U.S. harms infants. The health benefits from the omega-3s and nutrients in fish outweigh any potential risks, as long as you avoid those high-mercury species.

Fish: A Top Source of Selenium

Fish is one of the best sources of selenium you can find. Regularly including it in your diet helps keep your selenium levels high, which in turn protects you from mercury exposure—from seafood or even environmental sources. There’s really no upper limit to how much low-mercury seafood you can safely eat. If you’re not eating fish every day, try adding other foods with moderate selenium such as beef, chicken and turkey and dark green veggies like broccoli and spinach.

FDA Guidelines: What’s Really Safe?

The FDA recommends that pregnant women eat 8–12 ounces of seafood per week, which has led some to think this is a hard limit for everyone. It’s not. The recommendation was developed in specific reference to the highest mercury seafood. For low-mercury fish (like most of what we offer), more is actually better—there’s no need to hold back!

If you’re of childbearing age or planning to get pregnant, the same applies. Just be cautious with high-mercury species like swordfish and shark, and load up on everything else.

Why the Confusion?

Much of the fear surrounding mercury comes from outdated guidelines and a study based on pilot whales in the Faroe Islands. But whales aren’t fish, and they’re loaded with mercury and low in selenium, which makes them a poor comparison. More recent studies involving thousands of participants from the U.K., Denmark, and Spain show that eating more fish during pregnancy improves children’s cognitive development.

The World Health Organization and United Nations are on board too, emphasizing the benefits of fish consumption during pregnancy and the risks of not eating enough.

The Bottom Line

At Get Hooked, we’re proud to offer local, sustainable seafood that’s not only delicious but also packed with nutrients—and safe to eat. Want more information? Reach out anytime. We’ll keep you updated on the latest health insights so you can feel great about what’s on your plate.