When choosing your meal, you are likely to go for a portion-controlled and well-balanced diet. Thus, you would opt for lower-calorie foods, and fish is one of the low-calorie proteins with valuable nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids. You might be tempted to eat too much fish in your diet; however, too much of any food might not be recommended. There are some limitations to eating large amounts of fish; read on to learn why you should eat fish meat in moderation.
Mercury Build-Up in Your Body
Organic mercury is linked to seafood like fish, and too much of it can lead to mercury poisoning. Organic mercury is present in seafood, and eating too much food might accumulate the organic mercury in your body, leading to health complications. Mercury poisoning is more prevalent in young children and might affect your unborn child. You can prevent the poisoning by limiting exposure to the metal through controlled fish consumption.
Signs of Mercury Poisoning
You may notice neurological effects from consuming too much mercury from your fish, and the condition might cause anxiety, irritability, depression, numbness, memory loss, tremors, and pathological shyness. Mercury poisoning occurs from eating too much fish. The symptoms might take time to show; however, you have a sudden onset of the neurological effects. It indicates acute toxicity, and you should see a doctor if you suspect mercury poisoning.
Adults with extreme mercury poisoning might experience hearing and speech difficulties, poor coordination, muscle weakness, trouble walking, vision changes, and nerve loss. In children and fetuses, excessive mercury might disrupt development leading to stunted growth. They may have delayed cognition, fine motor skills, visual-spatial awareness, and poor speech and language development. The poison leads to development issues in the brain and could result in learning disabilities, permanent kidney damage, and circulatory failure.
When pregnant, it would be better to reduce the amount of fish in your diet, to reduce the risk of mercury exposure. Mercury can be passed through breast milk, and it would be wise to cut the fish if you are nursing.
Why Too Much Fish Cause Mercury Poisoning
The methylmercury (organic mercury) is linked to fish which consume it in water, mercury is found in the environment, and most of it is washed into the water bodies due to pollution. Although all types of fish have a certain amount of mercury, larger fish have high amounts of mercury as they prey on the small fish with mercury. Sharks and swordfish have high mercury content in their bodies; other fish like tuna, king mackerel, and marlin also have high mercury content in their flesh. Some fish have less mercury, and you can consume them twice a week; these include catfish, Pollock, salmon, snapper, shrimp, grouper, anchovies, and albacore tuna. When choosing fish to consume, it could be wise to go for those with little mercury content.
Too Much Consumption of Fish Oil
· It increases blood sugar
Although Omega 3 is an important part of your diet, it might increase blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. Large doses of omega three stimulate glucose production, which leads to long-term blood sugar levels. Although there is little research on omega-three interaction with glucose levels, it could be better to avoid eating too much fish.
· It impacts blood clotting
Nosebleeds and bleeding gums are the side effects of fish oil consumption as it decreases blood clotting. Therefore, it might not be wise to consume too much fish when going for surgery. You could talk with your doctor about taking supplements when you are on blood thinners.
· Lowers blood pressure
Excess fish oil leads to low blood pressure as Omega 3 decreases systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Although lower blood pressure might help patients overcome high cholesterol and high pressure levels, it might negatively impact a healthy individual. The oil also interacts with high-pressure medications, and it is wise to talk with a doctor before incorporating excess fish into your diet.
· Leads to diarrhea
It can be hard to prevent diarrhea when taking excess fish in your diet as the fish oil leads to diarrhea. The oil could result in other digestion issues such as flatulence. However, you can take some supplements when taking fish to prevent diarrhea.
· It causes acid reflux
Fish oil also leads to acid reflux since fat triggers indigestion. However, the moderate fish oil in the diet is least likely to affect your gut. You can split the fish into smaller and fewer doses to prevent digestive issues.
· It causes insomnia
Fish oil helps with sleep issues, but too much of it can cause insomnia as it interferes with sleep. It can worsen anxiety and elevate depression which in turn results in disrupted sleep. The effects of fish oil might be limited to anecdotal reports, but it might be prudent to avoid too much fish if you have anxiety and sleep problems.
How Much Is Too Much Fish
Eating fish twice a week might not affect your health, but daily consumption might lead to health issues. For instance, mercury builds up over time in your body, and eating the fish a few times a week reduces the possibility of mercury poisoning.
Frequent fish consumption also elevates the amount of Omega3 fatty acids in your diet, leading to an array of health problems. 1,000 mg daily consumption of the Omega 3 fatty acids is safe, but more could lead to health issues. If you want to incorporate Omega three into your diet, it could be better to avoid eating too much fish and opt for the right multivitamin supplements.
Advantages of Fish Consumption
You might derive some health benefits from frequent fish consumption. Omega 3 reduces colon cancer risks, gets rid of excess fats from the liver, and reduces inflammation and pain, making it good for patients with autoimmune disorders.
Final Thoughts
Although you can get health benefits such as reduced inflammation and pain and lowered blood pressure, eating too much fish might not be good for your health. First, it leads to mercury consumption which affects your nerve system. Again eating fish daily leads to too much oil. The fish oil might lead to digestive problems, acid reflux, sleep disorders, and can cause high blood sugar, affecting people living with diabetes. Generally, it is wise to eat fish in moderation and avoid too much of it impacts your health.
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-is-the-upper-limit-for-omega-3-fats
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/is-still-safe-to-eat-seafood
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