A couple of weeks back, when I was exiting the synagogue, an old acquaintance whom I hadn’t encountered in ages walked out with me. While we strolled and chatted, he enquired, “Is it correct that you completely avoid eating meat or poultry?” To which I replied that it held mostly true but admitted there were just a handful of rare instances where I might do so. Puzzled, he followed up asking, “What about fish then? Do you consume that?”
fish
He mentioned that he could comprehend the limitations placed on meats like poultry, but what about seafood?
He remarked, “Fish is healthy.” I responded that despite the potential nutritional benefits of fish, their drawbacks overshadow these advantages. I added that once we had more free time, I would elaborate further. However, he remained unconvinced. Therefore, since he enquired, why exactly might fish not be ideal?
If we temporarily remove the detrimental and unhealthy ultra-processed foods from consideration, every genuine food item provides essential nutrients. These items all contain some crucial elements required for our bodily functions and potentially to prevent diseases. However, numerous such foods often accompany this nutritional benefit with certain drawbacks.
For example, there could be
vitamins
, meats contain plenty of minerals and proteins, but they also come packed with high levels of saturated fats, cholesterol, and heme iron (excessive intake of which can lead to various long-term health issues). The liver produces TMAO when metabolizing certain nutrients, and cooking methods introduce heterocyclic amines; both contribute significantly to adverse effects on health.
health
in multiple ways.
I consistently share with my clients three key principles regarding the majority of the food they consume. These guidelines state that your diet should include:
1) High-fiber content. Foods such as animal proteins, including dairy products, contain absolutely no dietary fiber.
2) Rich in essential nutrients. Consuming a broad spectrum of necessary nutrients is crucial for maintaining optimal health. It’s important to remember that the food we choose has an enormous impact on our overall well-being.
3) Adequate moisture content. Individuals who follow whole-food plant-based diets obtain substantial amounts of water through their meals, which allows them to drink slightly fewer fluids daily yet remain properly hydrated. Consider this example: when you cook a potato until it’s done, about seventy-five percent of what you end up consuming consists purely of water—no additional caloric intake required and excellent hydration benefits included.
Where then does the fish fit into this discussion?
Even though I wasn’t much of a fan of fish during my childhood, I was always told that it’s good for you. It was ingrained in us that oily fishes such as salmon and tuna are especially beneficial due to their rich content of omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats play crucial roles in maintaining heart, brain, and joint wellness. Fish gained the reputation of being nutritious thanks to these omega-3s, along with having lower levels of saturated fat and cholesterol compared to meats, poultry, and dairy products. Nonetheless, it might be wise to scrutinise this further and view everything more holistically.
Indeed, fish contains lower levels of saturated fats and cholesterol compared to some alternatives. Additionally, fish does not provide dietary fiber. Eating modest quantities of fish might not have significant adverse effects on one’s health; moreover, there is research suggesting potential benefits for cognitive function. Nonetheless, the narrative around fish consumption needs revisiting, as it doesn’t present an entirely positive picture.
Modern rivers, seas, and oceans have turned into wastelands for industrial discharge and agricultural runoff. Contemporary seafood is laden with hazardous chemicals—even those cultivated under regulated conditions. These pollutants tend to accumulate significantly within fish tissues. Keep in mind that larger fish consume smaller fish, and apex predators feed on both large and small prey, thus repeatedly ingesting these toxins through their food chain. But what exactly are these detrimental compounds, and how do they affect our health?
Since the 1960s, we’ve detected PCBs in fish. This group falls under a larger category of synthetic organic substances called chlorinated hydrocarbons. Contact with PCBs can be harmful to the immune system, reproduction, nerves, and hormones. Additionally, they lead to cancer in both humans and animals. Similarly, dioxins are present in both aquatic life and wildlife.
The World Health Organization states that dioxins constitute a collection of chemically similar substances classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These dioxins are present globally within our natural surroundings and tend to concentrate primarily in the fatty tissues of both animal and aquatic life through the food web. Known for their extreme toxicity, they pose risks such as causing issues with reproduction and development, impairing immune functions, disrupting hormone activity, and inducing cancers.
Being exposed to large quantities of mercury can lead to severe health issues. Significant concentrations of mercury are typically present in bigger fish, with most being non-kosher. Nonetheless, species such as tuna also possess sufficient methylmercury; frequent consumption might result in hazardous accumulation levels within your body. Methylmercury toxicity primarily affects cognitive functions. Research indicates declines in manual dexterity, coordination, memory, and concentration.
The latest finding alarming seafood lovers involves the significant presence of microplastics detected in nearly every type of fish. Plastics have become an integral part of daily living, from kitchen utensils like cutting boards to beverages in bottles, food containers, shopping bags, single-use dishes, cutlery, and drinkware. Although plastics have existed for just about a century, their breakdown is now yielding troubling consequences.
These substances are associated with severe health problems like hormonal imbalances, weight increase, insulin resistance, reduced fertility, and cancer. Research into microplastics remains relatively recent, and I fear that future findings might be even more troubling. They appear most frequently in various sea creatures. As mentioned earlier, bodies of water serve as disposal sites for waste. Fish ingest these plastics, which then make their way onto our plates. It’s astounding how what was once considered “brain food” could now inflict significant harm upon our cognitive functions!
The question remains: What is the appropriate dosage? At what point does consuming these substances become harmful to our health? The exact threshold isn’t clear yet. However, considering all available data regarding microplastics, mercury, PCBs, and dioxins, it’s best to limit intake as much as possible. Additionally, remember that fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids often contain high levels of saturated fats and cholesterol—salmon being an example. Alternative sources for Omega-3 include flaxseed, hemp seed, and chia seeds, along with walnuts and various dark-green veggies such as kale and spinach.
To my friend who had questions: I trust your query has been addressed. Similar to how we consume other types of animal protein, let’s aim for fish to be more of an occasional small addition to our meals, allowing us all “to add hours to our days, days to our years, and years to our lives.”
The author serves as a wellness mentor and individual fitness instructor, boasting over two decades of expertise. They hold membership within the International Council of the True Health Initiative, sit on the board of Kosher Plant Based, and manages The Wellness Clinic operations. alan@alanfitness.com
