Dealing with mercury intake from fish?!

Dealing with mercury intake from fish?

So I've recently cut the meat and poultry from my diet altogether. There's too much junk in it: occasional bacteria/virus outbreaks, growth hormones, large amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol, and parasites. I'm replacing the protein from these with nuts, beans, tofu, and more fish. I'm aware that fish has parasites as well (more rarely), but overall it's better and sometimes you just want something other than tofu in your Chinese buffet meal, you know?

However, I am concerned about the increased amount of mercury that I'll be consuming. Japan doesn't seem to be bothered by it, since they eat a ridiculous amount of seafood and boast the longest(?) lifespan of any developed country.

What can I do to mitigate the mercury? Do I even need to be worried about it?

The benefits of eating fish far outweigh the health risks of mercury and other contaminants.

Last October, two independent studies confirmed this. The first study, conducted by researchers for Harvard's School of Public Health, found that the death rate from heart disease was 36 percent lower among those who ate fish twice a week compared with those who ate little or no seafood. Overall mortality was 17 percent lower.

The second, federally-funded study by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) also found that the benefits of eating seafood outweigh the risks, and that infants also benefited from the Omega 3 fatty acids in seafood.

The Japanese example you cite seems to anecdotally support this, as well (although heart disease in Japan is increasing with greater beef consumption in that country ... telling in it's own right.)

Eat up.

Sources below.