This article was originally published as an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post (16 Feb 2025): https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-842260
A few weeks ago, as I was leaving the synagogue, a friend that I haven’t seen in some time accompanied me out. As we were walking and talking, he asked me, “So is it true that you eat no meat or chicken at all?” I told him that it was basically true with a very few minor exceptions. My friend commented that he understood the restrictions on the meat and chicken. “What about fish?” he asked. “What could be wrong with fish? It’s good for you.” I assured him that even though there may be some beneficial nutrition in fish, the bad really outweighs the good. He still looked at me skeptically.
So, as my friend asked, what’s wrong with fish?
If we take the harmful and destructive ultra-processed foods out of the picture for a moment, all real food contains nutrition. They all have some of the vital nutrients our bodies need in order to function properly and to hopefully ward off disease. But many of these foods also come with some “baggage.” For instance, there may be vitamins, minerals, and lots of protein in meat, but high amounts of saturated fat, and cholesterol are also in meat. Other detrimental health baggage in meat includes heme iron (which in high amounts contributes to several chronic diseases), TMAO forming in the liver, and heterocyclic amines from the way we cook meat.
I always impart to my clients three main criteria for most of the food one eats:
- Your food should be fiber dense. Animal proteins, including dairy, have NO fiber.
- Your food should be nutrient dense. A wide variety of nutrients is vital to healthy living. Remember the food we eat is the single most influential factor on our health.
- The food that passes between your lips should be water-dense. Whole-food, plant-based eaters get so much water from their foods! They are able to drink a little less water than most people each day and maintain good hydration. Think of a baked potato. Even after you bake it, 75% of what you are eating is water—no calories and good hydration.
So where does fish fit in?
Although I never really cared for fish growing up, we were all taught that fish is healthy. We were imparted with the idea that the fatty fishes like salmon and tuna are particularly healthy because they have a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3’s are vital to heart, brain, and joint health.
The perception of fish being a healthy food came from this abundance of omega 3s and less saturated fat and cholesterol than meat, chicken, and dairy. But we need to take a closer look and put things in perspective. It’s true that there is less saturated fat and cholesterol in fish. Nevertheless, fish does contain saturated fat and cholesterol. Fish is NOT a food with fiber. Perhaps consuming fish in very small amounts wouldn’t really harm a person much, and there is evidence that it could be good for brain health. However, we need to update the nutrition story for fish, and it isn’t very pretty.
Fish
Today’s rivers, seas and oceans have become the dumping grounds for industries and the waste disposal receptacles for agriculture. As such, fish—and this unfortunately applies to even the fish raised in controlled environments – are full of harmful chemicals. These chemicals can become very concentrated in the fish. Remember, the bigger fish eat the smaller fish, so each fish is getting these contaminates over and over again in their diet.
What are these damaging substances and what do they do to us?
The inside story
Since the 1960’s we have found PCBs in fish. PCBs belong to a broad family of human-created organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. Exposure to PCBs can have toxic effects on the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems. PCBs also cause cancer in animals and people. Dioxins are also found in both fish and animals. According to the World Health Organization, Dioxins are a group of chemically related compounds that are persistent environmental pollutants (POPs). Dioxins are found throughout the world in the environment and accumulate in the food chain, mainly in the fatty tissue of animals and fish. They are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormonal function, and cause cancer.
Exposure to mercury can cause serious health problems when in high amounts. High amounts of mercury are found in larger fish, most of which are not kosher. However, even fish like tuna contain enough methylmercury that when consuming enough, levels may rise to dangerous amounts. What happens from methylmercury poisoning? It’s all brain related. Studies have shown a decrease in fine motor skills, dexterity, memory, and attention span.
Plastic waste
The most recent discovery for fish consumers is setting off alarm bells. That is the high amounts of micro plastics being found in almost all fish. We have gotten used to plastic in all areas of life. Cutting boards in our kitchens, bottled drinks, food storage container, bags, disposable plates, cutlery, and certainly drinking cups.
Plastic has only been around for 100 years. Now, we are seeing the unfortunate results of what happens when they break down. These compounds are linked to serious health issues such as endocrine disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health, and cancer. The research and discovery of micro plastics is still new and I am afraid that the news may get worse. The highest concentrations are found in all seafood. As we stated before, the oceans and rivers are dumping grounds. The fish consume the plastics, and we eat the fish. It’s amazing the very food we have always called “brain food” can now cause so much damage to our brains!
Can I still eat fish?
The question becomes, what is the dose? How much do we have to consume for damage to our health to set in? In truth, we don’t know exactly. But given all of the evidence we do have about micro plastics, mercury, PCBs, and dioxins, I would keep the consumption to a minimum. And don’t forget, the fish with the most omega-3s, are also the ones with the most saturated fat and cholesterol—like salmon. We can get our omega-3s through flax seed, hemp seed, and chia seeds. Walnuts and many of the green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach also have omega-3.
So, to my friend who asked, I hope your question has been answered. I hope that just like the other animal proteins, fish will become a small side-dish and consumed infrequently so you can “add hours to your days, days to your years and years to your lives.”
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