We should be eating at least two portions of fish a week including one of oily fish. Fish and shellfish are good sources of a variety of vitamins and minerals, and oily fish is particularly rich in omega 3 fatty acids. But if we want to make sure there are enough fish to eat now, and in the future, we need to start thinking about the choices we make when we choose which fish we eat.Why is fish a healthy choice?
Fish and shellfish are good sources of essential vitamins, such as niacin, and minerals, such as selenium and iodine.
Different types of seafood also give different health benefits. Check out the lists below.
Oily fish
- includes fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout and herring
- is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which helps prevent heart disease
- is a good source of vitamins A and D
White fish
- includes fish such as haddock, plaice, pollack, coley and cod
- is very low in fat. This means, just like beans and pulses or chicken without the skin, white fish is a healthier low-fat alternative to, for example, red or processed meat that tends to be higher in fat, especially saturated fat
- contains some omega 3 fatty acids, but at much lower levels than oily fish. See Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3 for more on omega 3 fatty acids
- includes prawns, mussels and langoustine
- is low in fat
- is a good source of selenium, zinc, iodine and copper
- some types such as mussels, oysters, squid and crab are also good sources of omega 3 fatty acids. (See Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3)
- includes whitebait, canned sardines, pilchards and salmon
- help make our bones stronger because they are good sources of calcium and phosphorus
But this doesn’t mean you need to stop having an occasional portion of fish and chips. Check out Preparing and cooking fish and shellfish for tips on making your fish and chips a healthier option.
But don’t eat too much fish
Although most people should be eating more fish for their health, there are maximum levels recommended for oily fish and crab (and some types of white fish), see How much oily fish? in Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3. Also, again for health reasons, adults should have no more than one portion of swordfish, shark or marlin a week. This is because these fish could contain high levels of mercury.
People who eat a lot of fish every week should try to eat as wide a variety as possible not only for good health but also because of concerns about numbers of fish.
'Pregnancy, children and babies' below contains advice about fish for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying for a baby, and for children and babies.
Do you take supplements?
If you take fish liver oil supplements, remember these are high in vitamin A. This is because fish store vitamin A in their livers. Having too much vitamin A over many years could be harmful.
If you take supplements containing vitamin A, make sure you don't have more than a total of 1.5mg a day from your food and supplements.
Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3
The type of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish (they’re actually called ‘long chain omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids’) help prevent heart disease. These fatty acids are also important for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding because they help a baby's nervous system to develop (see Pregnancy, children and babies).
Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, trout, herring and salmon are the richest source of omega 3 fatty acids. The main shellfish sources are mussels, oysters, squid and crab. Some white fish and other shellfish also contain omega 3 fatty acids but not as much as oily fish.
You can check which fish are oily and which aren't in the table below. And while you’re looking at the lists, have a think about how many of these fish you usually eat. Why not try eating something different?
| Oily fish | White fish |
|---|---|
| Anchovies Carp Eel Herring (Bloater) Hilsa Jack (also known as Scad, Horse mackerel and Trevally) Kipper (herring) Mackerel Orange roughy Pilchards Salmon Sardines Sprats Swordfish Trout Tuna (fresh) Whitebait | Brill Catfish Cod Coley Dab Dover sole Flounder Flying fish Gurnard Haddock Hake Halibut Hoki John Dory Lemon sole Ling Marlin Monkfish Pangas (also known as River cobbler, Basa or Pangasius) Parrot fish Plaice Pollack Pomfret (also known as Butterfish) Red and grey mullet Redfish (also known as Ocean perch or Rose fish) Snapper (also known as Jobfish and Red snapper) Rock salmon/Dogfish (also known as Flake, Huss, Rigg or Rock eel) Rohu (also known as Ruhi) Sea bass Sea bream (also known as Porgy) Shark Skate Tilapia Tuna (canned) Turbot Whiting |
Fresh tuna is an oily fish and is high in omega 3 fatty acids. But when it's canned, these fatty acids are reduced to levels similar to white fish. So, although canned tuna is a healthy choice for most people, it doesn't count as oily fish.
How much oily fish?
Most people should be eating more oily fish because omega 3 fatty acids are very good for the health of our hearts.
However, there are recommendations for the maximum number of portions of oily fish we should be eating each week (a portion is about 140g):
| 2 portions of oily fish | 4 portions of oily fish |
|---|---|
| Girls and women who might have a baby one day | Women who won’t have a baby in the future |
| Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding | Men and boys |
Why are there limits for oily fish?
Oily fish can contain low levels of pollutants that can build up in the body. The pollutants found in oily fish include dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Dioxins and PCBs tend to be found in all foods containing fats. They have no immediate effect on health, but can be harmful because they build up in our bodies over time.
The recommended maximums for oily fish are lower for most girls and women because high levels of dioxins and PCBs in the diet could affect the development of a baby in the future.
If a woman changes her diet when she becomes pregnant, or when she starts trying for a baby, this won't change the levels of dioxins and PCBs that are already in her body. So it's a good idea to limit the amount of oily fish eaten from a young age.
Omega 3 fatty acids are good for a baby's development so pregnant women shouldn't stop eating oily fish (see Pregnancy, children and babies).
So remember, don't give up eating oily fish because the health benefits outweigh the risks as long as you don't eat more than the recommended maximums.
Recent surveys have shown that some other fish, as well as brown crab meat, might also have similar levels of dioxins and PCBs as oily fish.
These fish are: sea bream, sea bass, turbot, halibut and rock salmon (also known as dogfish, flake, huss, rigg or rock eel).
Anyone who regularly eats a lot of fish should consider choosing a wider variety – and avoid eating crab and these five fish too often. Eating a wider variety of fish and shellfish will also help reduce the environmental impact.
Also adults should have no more than one portion of swordfish a week. This is because it could contain high levels of mercury.
Are there enough fish in the sea?
Around the world, some types of fish, especially in certain areas, are threatened by being over-fished. At the same time, we’re eating more fish and shellfish in this country and across Europe. Fish and shellfish farming (and other types of what are known as ‘sustainable aquaculture’) have a significant role to play in meeting our demand for fish and shellfish, along with fishing at sea.
Here are some practical things we can all do when we’re choosing seafood:
- try to choose fish and shellfish that comes from responsibly managed sources, this means it will have been caught in a way that allows the fish population to continue in the future. Or choose fish and shellfish that has been produced sustainably, this means it will have been farmed in a way that allows the fish population to continue in the future. See below for where to find advice on choosing sustainable seafood.
- read the labels on fish. These often tell you where the fish comes from as well as what species it is. This can be important because stocks of certain types might be declining in some areas but not in others.
- look for assurance scheme logos (‘eco-labels’), for example the Marine Stewardship Council’s 'blue tick'.
- be adventurous – try something new. If you eat fish regularly, try eating a wider variety of fish to help reduce the environmental impact.
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