In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question” Can you get sick from eating too much salmon?” with an in-depth analysis of the health risks of eating too much salmon. Moreover, we are going to highlight the health benefits of salmon.
Can you get sick from eating too much salmon?
Yes, you can get sick from eating too much salmon.
No doubt, salmon is known as one of the healthiest types of fish. Salmon is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and protein. You should eat approximately 8 ounces of salmon per week, and you should not eat much more than that.
Health risks:
- If you are eating too much salmon, it can put you at risk of developing mercury poisoning.
- Several types of seafood contain trace amounts of mercury. Imported swordfish, imported marlin, shark, tilefish, king mackerel, bluefin tuna, and bigeye tuna steaks, all are known to be high in mercury.
- Salmon contains low contents of mercury. People who are consuming large amounts of salmon each week have been found to have higher-than-normal mercury levels.
According to the Food and Drug Administration department, children who are under the age of three should eat about two ounces of fish per week. Children, who are under the age of 10 should eat four to six ounces per week, and children, who are 11 years and older should eat about eight ounces per week. As long as you take the recommended weekly intake and choose those types of fish that have low mercury contents, then you shouldn’t have a problem with mercury poisoning.
One very bad side effect of eating too much fish:
Mercury can potentially damage a person’s central nervous system, or the brain and spinal cord. When the central nervous system of a person is damaged, many harmful outcomes occur known as feeling a headache to experiencing memory loss or muscle weakness. So, if you are consuming too much fish, then it means you are potentially taking in too much mercury which can unknowingly cause damage to yourself.
When a woman is pregnant, she should be concerned about the side effects of taking too much salmon. As the brain of a fetus is rapidly developing during pregnancy. During this, it throws too much mercury into the mix, which can result in brain damage and vision challenges. This is why it is told to pregnant women to limit their fish intake to 2-3 servings per week, depending on the type of fish selected.
Benefits of eating salmon:
The main benefit of eating salmon is that it helps in boosting your intake of OMEGA-3 fatty acids.
- It helps to improve heart health.
- It may reduce blood pressure.
- It is possibly linked to the prevention of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer.
- It may help to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
- It may reduce the number of arthritis meds needed to soothe symptoms
Four reasons to eat salmon every day:
You can eat salmon as part of a Mediterranean diet:
The Mediterranean diet is low in red meat and saturated fat and potentially supports human health (including by helping you reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes).
Salmon can stand in for red meat as it helps in boosting your intake of other nutrients.
It’s a solid source of protein:
As you know a protein-rich diet can support bone strength, healthy aging, and other awesome things that we generally care about.
Salmon has high contents of protein. Research about it suggests that adults under the age of 65 should eat 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight every day. It is recommended 55 to 57 grams for males and 47 to 48 grams for females.
A 3.5-ounce serving of salmon provides approximately 22 to 25 grams of protein.
It might help you in losing weight:
A research review from the year 2014 tells that high protein foods like salmon make you feel full after you eat them. It means you’ll eat fewer calories overall, due to which you can lose weight.
They provide a *bunch* of vitamins:
A serving of 3-ounce of cooked salmon provides significant amounts of the following vitamins and minerals.
| Vitamins and minerals | Amount | Percentage of DV(females) | Percentage of DV(males) |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.38 mcg | 99.1 % | 99.1 % |
| Vitamin D | 447 IU | 74.5 % | 74.5 % |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.55 mcg | 42.3 % | 42.3 % |
| Thiamine | 0.289 mcg | 26.2 % | 24.1 % |
| Riboflavin | 0.115 mcg | 10.4 % | 8.8 % |
| Potassium | 326 mg | 12.5 % | 9.5 % |
| Vitamin A | 58.6 IU | 8.3 % | 6.5 % |
Salmon nutritional value:
| Nutrients | Amount | Percentage of DV (Females) | Percentage of DV(Males) |
| Calories | 175 | It varies depending upon health goals | It varies depending upon health goals |
| Protein | 18.8 g | 40.8 % | 33.6 % |
| Fat | 10.5 g | 30-42 % | 30-42 % |
| Carbs | 0 g | 0 % | 0 % |
Here, you can know how to choose the best salmon for your health.
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question” Can you get sick from eating too much salmon” with an in-depth analysis of the health risks of eating too much salmon. Moreover, we discussed the health benefits of salmon.