ALL ABOUT FOOD:Navigating the murky waters of fish safety

Are you in a quandary about eating fish? Every day another article appears about the health benefits vs. the risks of toxicity from its consumption.

Our research revealed that, generally speaking, short of eating whale meat, the benefits outweigh the risks.

Our wonderful Sam, the fish man, from the Laguna Beach Farmers Market, is always in search of healthy, fresh fish for his loyal customers.

He is most definitely a wild fish advocate — so much so, that he recently returned from a trip to Brazil in search of some additional varieties because it is getting harder and harder to find fish that meet his high standards.

From Sao Paolo to Recife, he trolled the ports and markets but was sad to discover that even there the fish was quite costly. With the additional expense of shipping, the product would be too pricey to sell, since he prides himself on providing top quality at reasonable prices.

Fortunately, he was able to spend some vacation time enjoying the beauty of Brazil, so the trip was at least a partial success. Now that he is back at work, he will save fish for you until 11:30 a.m. if you call (818) 898-9695.

Sam does not sell any farm-raised fish because he doesn’t consider it healthy. This, however, is a very controversial subject.

Advocates claim that in some cases farmed fish is a better choice than wild. What is at issue here is the amount of contamination from PCBs and mercury.

While the contamination of our waters has increased with industrial emissions, our consumption of seafood has grown as well. Getting to the truth of this controversy is difficult because economic and political considerations often obscure the facts.

Fish farming was originally thought to be the solution to the rapidly diminishing supply of fresh fish. However, scientific research shows that farmed fish were absorbing PCBs from contaminated sediment as well as their food (fish meal). The PCBs collect in the fat.

Farmed salmon are intentionally fattened so they will be bigger. Raised in crowded conditions with less room to move or exercise, the fish gain even more weight.

An ounce of farmed salmon has been shown to have 52% more fat than an ounce of wild. In addition, this salmon has less omega 3 fatty acids. All North Atlantic salmon is farmed.

Although farmed salmon is less than ideal, in the United States and Central America, smaller fish like Tilapia are being raised cleanly in recirculating ponds rich in plant nutrients, which are their food source. Since they are omnivorous, they are not fed fishmeal.

The water in which the fish are raised can also be reused to irrigate surrounding farmland, making this a model for good aquaculture.

The other big problem for those of us who love fish for its taste and its health benefits is mercury contamination. Once again, controversy abounds: the larger the fish, the larger the problem.

All fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury, but for most healthy adolescents and adults the risk is not a concern unless you are pregnant.

Various organizations and scientists have made claims that mercury levels in fish are too low to have any adverse effects. In fact, a study by the University of Rochester concluded that children in the Seychelles Islands whose mothers are heavy fish eaters — and thus have the highest levels of mercury — developed better than children whose mom’s had low levels.

Claims are also made that “fish-scare” environmental groups fail to mention the protective effects of selenium. Fish are high in selenium, an element that aids in enzyme function and binds with mercury to neutralize it and, since the levels of selenium are much higher than mercury in most fish, mercury poisoning is not the problem it is made out to be.

On the other hand, seafood has chemicals, metals, dioxins, PCBs and methyl mercury, all industrial compounds that were banned in 1976 but persist in the environment.

Mercury poisoning can cause cognitive impairment, coordination problems and finger curling. Eating half a can of albacore tuna a week means consuming 60% more mercury than is considered safe by the U.S. government, which continues to reduce the amount of mercury considered safe.

Heavy metals in tuna also attack the heart muscle. The American Heart Assn.’s journal said that men with the highest levels of mercury increased their risk of heart attack by 60%.

So what are we to do? Who do we believe? Fish is delicious. It’s a high-quality protein, low in saturated fat and loaded with healthy omega 3 fatty acids as well as vitamins and minerals.

Establishing the proper quantity that is safe to eat is the conundrum. You must factor in your own body weight when considering the suggested guidelines: Eat no more than two servings, three ounces each of large, predatory ocean fish in a week.

However, smaller fish and wild salmon may be eaten every day, but it is recommended that you eat a variety to avoid a single source contaminant.

From our research, the worst offenders are shark, swordfish and farmed salmon. Feel safest with wild salmon, tilapia, fresh water trout, catfish and squid. Also note that canned light tuna has one-third the mercury levels of albacore.

Sadly, eating — one of life’s great pleasures — can no longer be done with abandon. From mad cow to e-coli to mercury poisoning to pesticide pollution to trans-fats, etc., we must continually weigh the benefits and dangers of every mouthful we consume.

Farmers markets, organic farming and the notion of eating what is locally produced represents one potential solution — or at least a step in a less fishy direction.