Mercury (methylmercury)
Toxins · Heavy metal / neurotoxicant
Moderate priority
What this is
FDA 2021 'Best Choices': salmon, shrimp, pollock, tilapia, cod, catfish. 'Choices to Avoid': shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish (Gulf), bigeye tuna. Amalgam filling debate continues; FDA 2020 advisory recommended against amalgam in pregnant women and children but not broad removal.
Mechanism
Methylmercury bioaccumulates in seafood (larger, older predator fish); elemental mercury from dental amalgam (clinical relevance debated); inorganic mercury from industrial sources
Dose & route
Favor low-mercury fish (salmon, sardines, anchovies); limit tuna (especially bigeye/yellowfin), swordfish, shark, king mackerel, tilefish
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25019945/
- https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6533042/
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This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.