Should this fish be on your dish?

Sardines, friend or foe?

My Loved One is an Apoe4/4 carrier, which is how I came to know that I have at least one copy of the gene myself. She recently described going down a rabbit hole, searching for information about sardines and whether or not they were high in contaminants like mercury or arsenic. She called me rather upset at what she had gathered from her corner of the internet. Folks, I am writing today to give you my thoughts on this topic, because sardines are one of the most powerful foods to enrich your diet with brain-healthy lipids.

According to OpenEvidence, “Sardines are generally safe to eat, with arsenic and mercury levels typically well below regulatory safety limits established by international food safety authorities.

Multiple studies analyzing sardines from various global markets consistently demonstrate low contamination levels. Mercury concentrations in sardines range from 0.003 to 0.20 mg/kg wet weight, far below the European Food Safety Authority threshold of 0.5 mg/kg.[3-4] Sardines are specifically identified as one of only thirteen Mediterranean fish species that never exceeded the 0.5 μg/g safety threshold in any specimen analyzed.

Regarding arsenic, while sardines show detectable levels (ranging from 0.49 to 1.87 μg/g in some studies), the arsenic in sardines is predominantly in organic forms like arsenobetaine, which is considered nontoxic and readily eliminated from the body. Risk assessments consistently show that target hazard quotients (THQ) and hazard indices (HI) remain below 1, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic health risk.

Health benefits from sardine consumption outweigh potential risks. Studies demonstrate that weekly consumption of sardines provides essential nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), selenium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc, with the nutritional benefits exceeding any theoretical risks from trace metal content. Adults can safely consume more than 16 meals per month of sardines without chronic or acute toxicity concerns.”

I was really pleased to read that last line, “Adults can safely consume more than 16 meals per month of sardines without chronic or acute toxicity concerns.”

I have been tracking my food intake recently, so I can be more rigorous as I continue to experiment with my Lipid Intake strategy, which I am doing to enable to most brain healthy DHA into my brain as an ApoE4 carrier safely can. I will sound the bells and let you know if and when I get to eating 16 meals of sardines per month! Feel free to do the same! How often are you all eating sardines? Do you have a favorite way of eating them?

I’ve been known to eat them straight out of the can, or on a salad, or with rye wasa crackers. And a little tip? ANY time I eat Omega3 rich foods, I time it to take one of my servings of Omega3 fatty acids. Currently I am taking a combination of Liquid Omega 3s and a specialty product called Accentrate, which is a special product where the DHA and EPA are attached to a lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) molecule, which it is believed helps transport these omega3’s more easily into the brain. But whether you take the LPC version or the Triglyceride version, it is known that if you combine fat with omega3 supplements, more supplement is absorbed. That is why I get incredibly excited everytime I pair an Omega-rich fish like sardines with an Omega3 supplement, it’s a match made in biochemical heaven!!!

Full disclosure, I am an Affiliate of Fenix Health Science, which means I would make a commission if you use this link to purchase Accentrate for yourself. https://www.fenixhealthscience.com/jeanniecapone