All water eventually flows into the ocean carrying the mercury. Swordfish … ⭐ Why is swordfish high in mercury? Mercury is the main concern when it comes to avoiding swordfish. But some types of seafood — particularly large, predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish — can contain high levels of mercury. Go up the food chain and you get to the higher predators like swordfish. Yes, this fish along with king mackerel, shark, and marlin contain a lot of mercury. This large, predatory fish contains elevated levels. Some of the fish and seafood with high mercury levels include: • Shark • Swordfish • Tilefish • King mackerel 14. While not the highest in mercury, you’ll still have to limit these mercury-containing fish to three 6-ounce servings (or less) per month, note the Natural Resources Defense Council and American Pregnancy Association. Sharing is caring! Before shopping for seafood, familiarize yourself with the levels of mercury in fish. Although the mercury in seafood isn't a concern for most adults, special precautions apply if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant. The portions of dark meat in fillets should be red, not brown. Here are some low-mercury fish choices and fish to avoid. In fact, the mercury in this fish is so high that the Environmental Defense Fund recommends women and children avoid it altogether. You may also sort the table by SPECIES in alphabetical order. Since swordfish is one of the biggest we consume, it contains a lot of this element. Swordfish. Because the way chemicals get concentrated as you go up the food chain, swordfish end up with a large concentration of mercury in them. For men, the recommendation is to eat no more than one serving a month. Here are the fish with the highest amounts of mercury: Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico) – Containing a whopping average 219 micrograms of mercury, the tilefish native to the Gulf of Mexico, tops the list of mercury-tainted seafood. Swordfish; Marlin; Orange roughy; Ahi Tuna; Bigeye tuna; High Mercury Fish. The media, in cooperation with scientists, public health nutritionists and dietitians, should place more emphasis on the existence of a few fish species with high to very high mercury levels and relatively low contents of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Ideally, all seafood contains mercury. Since this fish consumes a wide variety of prey and lives for a long time, it can accumulate significant amounts of mercury ( 23 ). The agencies advise that young children and women of childbearing age avoid four fish with the highest mercury levels: swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico. Swordfish are a large predatory fish high on the food chain. ⭐ Is Swordfish high in mercury? High concentrations of mercury, a neurotoxin that can damage developing brains in fetuses, are found in some kinds of popular fish such as albacore tuna. 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