Recently there has been a controversy about the health comsumption of fish. Nutritionists have stated that in mostly large fish, there are dangerous levels of thyl-mercury, which is a poisen that can be DETRIMENTAL to one's health. Some nutritionists say fish are the best low-calorie meat product because it is a good source of vitamins, nutrients and mainly DHA and EPA. EPA and DHA are Omega-3 fatty acids which function. "We could not survive without these two nutrients as they are constituents in many cells and are particularly abundant in brain and retina tissue, nerve relay stations (synapses), adrenal glands and sex glands. They have many roles in the body with involvement in two main areas " cardiovascular health, and brain and nervous system functionas an essential component of brain tissue"(Fact File). .
All of these components of fish have a direct affect on the development and growth process of both children and adults. Children are affected because the nerves are not being transmitted quickly enough or not at all and this limits the access to growth hormones and learning. Adults are mainly affected when the availability for memory and simple reasoning is short. A decrease in DHA can slow down neuron passage which can result in impaired memory and cognition.Fish are a rich source of DHA and EPA. This is the main reason why nutritionists are encouraging us to eat more fish, especially the oily fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines. "Nutritionists and governments recommend everyone consumes 2-3 serves of fish per week"(DHA). Clearly, the richest source of omega-3 is fish, and we are being encouraged to eat more fish to make up for the deficit of omega-3's in our diets, in particular DHA.
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However, recent studies have shown there are many harmful effects of eating fish, specifically methyl-mercury. "Methyl mercury is a form of mercury which has been under study for years, but recent findings have confirmed its potentially harmful effects on an unborn infant's developing brain and nervous system, as well as its effect on a child's ability to learn"(Karmanos).
