Nine Unhealthy Fish To Avoid

Fish is one of the healthiest things you can eat, although there are some unhealthy types of fish. It is therefore better to avoid the following unhealthy types of fish.

Pay attention to which types these are and choose healthier options in the future.

1. Catfish

Catfish can become very large fish. However, to speed up this growth process, a lot of farms add a lot of hormones to their food.

This fish species comes mainly from Asian countries. We recommend that you go for less toxic options.

2. Mackerel

Mackerel is not the most highly recommended fish. This is because mackerel contains a lot of mercury.

Unfortunately, your body is unable to eliminate mercury on its own. Instead, it just keeps piling up. This type of metal is not really healthy and can cause various kinds of diseases.

3. Blackfin tuna

Blackfin tuna also contains a lot of mercury.

Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to find tuna that comes out of its natural habitat, as this species is in danger of extinction. The tuna you often see for sale usually comes from special fish farms. In these types of farms, the fish are fed with antibiotics and hormones.

As a result, this species of fish is high in mercury. That is why it is not wise to eat more than 100 grams per month as adults. This type of fish is never a good idea for children.

4. Tilapia

Tilapia is a very oily fish. It contains an amount of toxic fat comparable to that of bacon.

Eating too much tilapia will raise levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in your body. In addition, it makes your body more sensitive to allergens.

If you suffer from heart disease, asthma or arthritis, try to avoid tilapia.

5. Eel

Eel is also a very fatty fish. Eel has a predisposition to absorb all kinds of waste products from the water. As a result, the level of toxins that American eel species contain is very high.

European eel species also contain an enormous amount of mercury. That is also one of the reasons that this eel species is considered to be one of the unhealthy fish species. That is why it is not wise to eat more than 280 grams per month as adults and no more than 200 grams as children.

6. Pangasius

Pangasius is a type of shark-like catfish and is mainly found in Vietnam in the Mekong River. This river is considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

This fish species therefore contains a high content of mercury, nitrofural and polyphosphates. In this case, it is important not only to know how harmful mercury is, but also that nitrofural and polyphosphates are carcinogenic substances.

It is therefore absolutely recommended to avoid this type of fish as much as possible.

7. Tilefish

Tilefish is a type of fish that contains a lot of mercury. Therefore, this fish species is not recommended for women and children.

Men should eat no more than 100 grams of tilefish per month.

8. Ruvettus Pretiosus

This species of fish contains a substance known as gempilotoxin. This substance is similar to wax and gives the flesh of this fish an oily taste. The human body is not well able to process this substance.

Although it is not that toxic on its own, it can cause digestive problems.

To reduce the amount of gempilotoxin, we recommend baking or grilling the fish. However, if you already suffer from digestive problems, it is better to just choose another piece of fish.

9. Rockfish is also counted among the unhealthy fish species

Rockfish is a collective term for fish species that tend to hide between rocks. Sebastes, in particular, is a species of fish that contains a lot of mercury.

Either way, it’s always better to opt for healthier options, options that are lower in toxins and mercury.

Fresh is always best

It is also important to take into account that fresh fish have transparent eyes, a solid tail and wet and shiny scales. If you think you are supposedly buying fresh fish, but the tail is limp, then the fish is not as fresh as you think.

You can also tell if a fish is fresh or not by looking at its fins. If its fins are dry and gills are gray instead of red, then the fish is probably not that fresh.