Not Salmon or Mackerel! '4 Types of Fish Loved by Taiwanese' You Shouldn't Eat Often, Experts Reveal You'll Swallow Heavy Metals

Fish are rich in high-quality protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, B vitamins, and various minerals, making them an important source of nutrition in our daily diet. However, the size of the fish, the part consumed, and the risk of heavy metal accumulation are also worth noting. Tan Dun-ci, a nurse at the Clinical Toxicology Center of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, reminds the public to prioritize smaller fish species when choosing fish, reduce consumption of certain large fish, and pay attention to parts like the head, skin, and internal organs to balance nutrition and food safety. Don't Eat Too Much of These 4 Fish! Be Wary of Tuna, Swordfish, Oilfish, and Sharks Tan Dun-ci shared on the program 'Health 2.0' that some overseas studies observed that children in regions where fish is a primary food source did not perform as well intellectually as expected. This situation may be related to long-term consumption of large fish and the intake of heavy metals and environmental pollutants. Large fish are typically at higher levels of the food chain, and some pollutants can accumulate through the food chain. Therefore, long-term, large-scale consumption of certain fish species may increase health risks. Tan Dun-ci recommends reducing the frequency of consuming tuna, swordfish, oilfish, and sharks to avoid long-term, excessive intake. Furthermore, the mercury content in fish varies by species. The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) once cited information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), reminding the public to be aware of fish species with higher mercury content such as king mackerel, swordfish, orange roughy, shark, dogfish, tilefish, and bigeye tuna. When purchasing fish, in addition to considering nutritional value, one should also pay attention to the species and frequency of consumption.