Yes, eating fish is not only okay but actively recommended by major health organizations. The American Heart Association advises at least two servings per week, particularly of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines. The key is choosing lower-mercury species and handling them properly. For most people, the nutritional benefits of regular fish consumption clearly outweigh the risks.
Why Fish Is Worth Eating
Fish is one of the best dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA, two compounds your body needs but can’t efficiently produce on its own. These fats reduce triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, and help protect against irregular heart rhythms. Observational studies also link diets high in omega-3s to a reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia, though the evidence there is less definitive than for heart health.
Beyond omega-3s, fish delivers high-quality protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine, and selenium. Selenium is especially interesting because it has a protective relationship with mercury: the two bind to each other, and selenium can reduce mercury’s harmful effects in your body. Most fish species contain more selenium than mercury, which is part of why moderate fish consumption remains safe even though trace amounts of mercury are present in nearly all seafood.
The Mercury Question
Mercury is the main safety concern with fish, and it varies enormously by species. The differences aren’t small. Salmon contains roughly 0.02 parts per million (ppm) of mercury. Canned light tuna sits around 0.13 ppm. Yellowfin tuna jumps to 0.35 ppm. And swordfish reaches nearly 1.0 ppm, about 50 times the level found in salmon.
The pattern is straightforward: bigger, longer-lived predatory fish accumulate more mercury. Tilapia, salmon, sardines, shrimp, and pollock are consistently among the lowest-mercury options. Tuna falls in the middle, with canned light being significantly lower than fresh albacore or bigeye. Swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish sit at the top and are best eaten rarely or avoided entirely if you’re pregnant.
For most healthy adults eating two to three servings per week of lower-mercury fish, mercury exposure stays well within safe limits. The risk climbs when people eat high-mercury species frequently over long periods.
How Much Fish Per Week
The FDA and EPA recommend two to three servings per week from lower-mercury “Best Choices” species, or one serving per week from moderate-mercury “Good Choices” species. A serving is about 4 ounces, roughly the size of the palm of your hand. This lines up with the American Heart Association’s recommendation of at least two servings of fatty fish weekly for cardiovascular protection.
People with existing heart disease may benefit from higher omega-3 intake, around 1 gram per day of combined EPA and DHA, which typically means eating fatty fish most days or supplementing.
Fish During Pregnancy
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should eat fish, not avoid it. The FDA recommends 8 to 12 ounces per week of lower-mercury varieties. Fish provides nutrients critical to fetal brain development, including omega-3s, iodine, and vitamin D. A systematic review in the journal Nutrients found that the benefits of moderate fish intake during pregnancy outweigh the potential risks for offspring neurodevelopment, as long as the fish chosen is low in mercury.
The concern is that overly cautious messaging about mercury has led some pregnant women to cut out fish entirely, which may actually be worse for fetal development than eating it. Supplements don’t appear to replicate the full benefit of whole fish. The practical approach: stick to salmon, tilapia, shrimp, cod, and canned light tuna. Avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and bigeye tuna. Children should eat about two smaller servings per week from the same low-mercury options.
Farmed vs. Wild Fish
Early studies raised alarms about higher PCB levels in farmed salmon compared to wild, but follow-up research and stricter feed regulations have largely closed that gap. The current consensus among scientists and regulators is that both farmed and wild salmon are safe. Farmed salmon tends to be fattier overall, which means it often matches or exceeds wild salmon in total omega-3 content, even as the industry has shifted toward more plant-based feed ingredients.
If you have access to wild-caught fish and prefer it, that’s a fine choice. But farmed fish from well-regulated sources (look for the country of origin on the label) is nutritionally comparable and safe to eat regularly.
What About Microplastics
Microplastics are present in commercially harvested fish. A 2025 study across 30 fish species found contamination at every level of the food chain, with estimated human intake ranging from 0.047 to 0.159 microplastic particles per kilogram of body weight per day. The long-term health effects of this level of exposure aren’t fully understood yet. That said, microplastics are also found in drinking water, salt, honey, and air, so fish is one of many exposure routes rather than a unique risk. Current evidence doesn’t change the recommendation to eat fish regularly.
Picking and Preparing Fish Safely
Fresh fish should have almost no smell. A strong “fishy” or ammonia-like odor means it’s starting to spoil. When buying whole fish, look for clear, slightly bulging eyes, bright red gills without slime, and firm flesh that springs back when you press it. Fillets should look shiny with no browning or yellowing around the edges.
Cook all finfish to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). At that temperature, the flesh should be opaque and flake easily with a fork. If you eat raw fish (sushi, sashimi, ceviche), buy sushi-grade fish from a trusted source. Pregnant women should avoid raw fish entirely due to foodborne illness risk, not mercury.
If you catch your own fish, check local advisories for the specific body of water. Contamination levels vary by location. When no advisory exists, the EPA recommends limiting locally caught fish to one serving per week and skipping other fish that week as a precaution.