Sushi can be a super fun meal for the whole family - kids included! Rolls are fun to make and eat and most of the ingredients are healthy too. You don't have to limit your idea of sushi to raw fish, either. There are many cooked and non-seafood alternatives you can try - even dessert sushi!

The Dangers of Mercury

The biggest danger associated with seafood consumption is the danger of high mercury levels. While an average adult can normally handle a small amount of mercury from seafood, younger children are at a higher risk for mercury poisoning.

Mercury gets in fish when it is released into the atmosphere by industrial processes. It collects in the clouds and eventually reaches the lakes and rivers through rainfall. Because fish live in these bodies of water, they are surrounded by mercury particles.

Smaller fish generally have the lowest amounts of mercury in their systems because they do not ingest as much. The real issue lies higher up the food chain where larger fish eat smaller fish that contain mercury. This means that not only are the larger fish absorbing the mercury from the water, but also ingesting smaller fish that also have concentrations of mercury.

Pregnant women and young children are among the highest at risk for the adverse effects of mercury. Because mercury damages the neurological systems, some effects may not be noticed until much later in life. However, you may experience some traceable symptoms such as: