With the rapidly developing industrialization, our seas have faced many dangers. One of them is heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and cadmium, which cause chemical pollution in the seas and threaten living life. Fish take up heavy metals from the external environment, especially through their gills. Even if these metals are cooked, they remain in the fish and serious toxic effects may occur as a result of their accumulation in the human body.
King mackerel, swordfish, shark, bigeye tuna and orange roughy are high in heavy metals; Therefore, the consumption of these fish should be avoided. Heavy metal levels are low in fish that usually live on water surfaces, such as anchovies, sardines, herring, tongue, salmon, shad, Black Sea bass, haddock and catfish. Fishes; Apart from omega-3, they are rich sources of iron, iodine and choline that support brain development. They also contain vitamin D and selenium, which play an important role in the immune system. To protect children from toxic effects; Until the age of 11, it is recommended to consume only fish with low heavy metal levels.
Nursing mothers and pregnant women are also recommended to consume 2-3 servings of fish with low heavy metal levels per week. 1 serving is about the size of a palm. According to studies, while fish cooked correctly shows a protective effect on heart health; It is stated that carcinogenic compounds can occur in fried and cooked fish, and the trans fatty acids that occur increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, it is important to choose healthy cooking methods such as cooking at a medium temperature in the oven and steaming.