A Stern Look At Seafood Scare Stories

In 2012, well known radio and TV host Howard Stern announced he had become a pescetarian. Fish became the outspoken personality’s primary source of protein as he embarked on a new and healthier lifestyle.

Three years later the baseless rhetoric spewed by groups bent on distorting seafood’s inherently healthy building blocks has Stern confused. On his show Stern recently noted his own mercury levels with concern. What he didn’t note is that there has never been a single case of mercury poisoning from the normal consumption of commercial seafood found in any published, peer-reviewed, medical journal in the U.S.

In fact, the FDA recommends pregnant women increase their seafood consumption to 8 to 12 ounces a week because, on average, pregnant women eat only about 1.89 oz. of seafood. Oh… and there is no suggested FDA limit on seafood consumption for men.

But if Howard is, or might become, pregnant and he’s worried about his seafood intake a new study from the FDA suggests, for instance, he should limit his light tuna consumption to 164 oz. a week, that’s more than 65 tuna sandwiches a week… nine a day…every day.

Perhaps he’d like some salmon. In that case his limit should be 853 oz. a week. That’s 213 servings a week. More than 30 servings of salmon a day.

Howard’s commitment to health is commendable and his confusion, based on erroneous rhetoric, is unfortunate. But it’s a great example of how misinformation can derail even the best of intentions.