A Guide to Mercury Levels in Fish

As average mercury levels are rising, so is fear around fish. Use this guide to find out the best fish to feed your family!

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Do You Have High Mercury Levels? (3:27)

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Uncertainty about mercury could lead you to compromise your health with elevated mercury levels or unnecessarily keep you from your favorite healthy foods due to fear of just that. Because there are often no physical signs, most people have no idea what their mercury levels look like until they get a blood test. To save you the trouble, Dr. Oz tested different kinds of fish using technology developed by Sean Wittenberg so you can be informed about how much mercury is on your plate! Mercury enters the air from natural occurrences like volcanoes as well as unnatural ones like pollution and enters the ocean through the rain. After it is absorbed by plankton, fish gradually ingest more and more as larger fish eat smaller fish, leading the largest types of fish to generally contain the most mercury. Fish can be an excellent source of lean protein and omega-3s, so use the printable guide based on the FDA's official advice next time you go to the grocery store to help you figure out what fish to feed your family!