Why Is Sea Bass Not Good For You?

To top it all off, the Patagonian toothfish/Chilean sea bass isn’t just an endangered species; eating it frequently can endanger you due to its high mercury levels (via One Medical). We’re not saying you shouldn’t eat fish. In fact, Harvard calls fish a crucial part of a healthy diet.

Why is Chilean sea bass not good for you? EDF has issued a consumption advisory for Chilean sea bass due to high mercury levels: Adults should eat no more than two meals per month and children 12 and younger should eat it no more than once a month. High mercury levels in these giant fish have caused EDF to issue a consumption advisory.

Bass does have one downside: it contains mercury. You can still enjoy it, but pregnant women and children should limit the amount they eat. While both sea bass and freshwater bass are good sources of protein and healthy fats, they also contains mercury. Protein is just one of the many health benefits of sea bass and freshwater bass.

Some people don’t like eating bass because they have an unpleasant and stinky smell. Bass is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that are important for brain development and brain function. Omega-6 fats, however, can be harmful to the brain and nervous system. Does bass taste better than catfish?

Why it’s bad: Chilean Sea Bass, the commercial name for Patagonian Toothfish, was nearly fished to commercial extinction, are still considered a fish to avoid. Fish stocks are in such bad shape that the nonprofit Greenpeace estimates that, unless people stop eating this fish, the entire species could be commercially extinct within five years.

However, freshwater bass contains 77 percent more vitamin B12 than sea bass, according to the USDA. Mercury emitted from industrial facilities lands in bodies of water and results in mercury-contaminated fish, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

How much protein is in sea bass?

Freshwater and Sea Bass Nutrition. Protein is just one of the many health benefits of sea bass and freshwater bass. Sea bass has 16 grams of protein, and freshwater varieties contain 20 grams of protein in a 3-ounce serving, which is 40 percent of the daily value, according to the USDA. To be sure you get enough protein to meet your body’s …

One important nutrient provided by sea and freshwater bass is selenium. Your body depends on selenium to produce antioxidants and to synthesize thyroid hormones. According to the National Institutes of Health, seafood — such as bass — are one of the best food sources of this nutrient.

These fatty acids help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure and reducing levels of cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent heart disease and stroke, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Consuming mercury is a health concern for everyone, but it’s especially critical for pregnant women and young children because mercury interferes with normal development of the nervous system.

For example, sea bass is a rich source of vitamin B6 and contains three times more than you’ll get from freshwater bass. However, freshwater bass contains 77 percent more vitamin B12 than sea bass, according to the USDA. Advertisement.

While both types contain the same nutrients, they have varying amounts of some, such as vitamins B12 and B6. Bass does have one downside: it contains mercury. You can still enjoy it, but pregnant women and children should limit the amount they eat. Advertisement.

Image Credit: lovelypeace/iStock/GettyImages. The health benefits of sea bass and freshwater bass are plenty. Whether you eat sea or freshwater bass, one serving is low in calories and an excellent source of protein, selenium and essential omega-3 fatty acids.

What is black sea bass?

August 01, 2019. Black Sea Bass with Capers and Herb-Butter Sauce in large pan. Credit: Ryan Liebe. Chilean sea bass has been touted for its silky texture and buttery flavor, but it has a complicated history. Since the early 2000s, the fish has been over-harvested, often illegally.

Seaver recommends sablefish, which offers the same “silken richness” and texture that Chilean sea bass has-and with even higher levels of omega-3s. Like Chilean sea bass, sablefish is forgiving when cooked, making it a good choice for novice seafood cooks.

Chilean sea bass runs about $30 a pound, which makes it considerably more expensive than other white fish. What’s the reason for this higher price? “The fisheries [for Chilean sea bass] are located far from shore, way out in the open seas ,” says Seaver.

It is still being overfished in Chilean waters and the stock around Prince Edward and Marion Island in the South Atlantic Ocean is nearly depleted. “It is a long-lived deep-water species that is slow to reproduce. These factors make it particularly vulnerable to fishing pressure,” says Seaver.

Like many other white fish, Chilean sea bass is a low-calorie, protein-dense fish. However, it also has high levels of mercury. The Environmental Defense Fund recommends adults only consume two portions of Chilean sea bass each month and children only eat one portion each month due to the concerning levels of mercury.

Why should I never eat tuna?

Atlantic bluefin tuna lands on the fish you should never eat land for a few reasons. First, it’ s been overfished to the point of near extinction. However, due to its high demand for sushi, fisheries managers are still allowing commercial fishing to target it.

Due to historical overfishing and high contamination levels, these flatfish species have secured their slot on the list of fish you should never eat. In 2014, Oceana, the largest ocean conservation group in the world, conducted an investigation using data from the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch places eel on the “Avoid” list on its sushi guide because it’s slow to mature and has been overfished in many parts of the world, bringing some populations to collapse. This is leaving even Asian countries looking to American eels, which are threatened among U.S. populations, too.

Chilean Seabass. Actually named the Patagonia toothfish, seafood distributors started marketing this deep-sea predator fish as “Chilean seabass” because it sounded less intimidating. It worked. Now common on menus around the U.S., Chilean seabass overfishing has left this species in serious trouble.

A better sushi choice would be katsuo/skipjack tuna caught through Pacific troll or pole and line methods only. Atlantic bluefin tuna lands on the fish you should never eat land for a few reasons.

Pacific Sardines. Sardines serve as one of the highest omega-3 fatty acid sources on the planet. Because they are a fish lower on the food chain, contaminate levels are low. Sardines are also brimming with essential nutrients, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and selenium.

Historically, Atlantic cod is a species proven to be vitally important to feeding the New World civilization and early colonization of the Caribbean Sea. But the heavy fishing over the last thousand years has taken its toll. In the late 1990s, catastrophe struck: the fishery collapsed.