--- title: Alzheimer's and Mercury: Does Eating Fish Increase Risk? description: Studies show that eating fish can be helpful for the brain, but does the risk of mercury in seafood negate that benefit? The latest study explores the link canonical: https://time.com/4201808/fish-mercury-and-alzheimers-risk/ copyright: © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All Rights Reserved. terms: https://legal.time.com/terms-of-service/ license_contact: syndication@time.com author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-02T16:00:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:40.232Z article:section: Health og:title: Does Mercury From Fish Increase Risk of Alzheimer's? og:description: Studies show that eating fish can be helpful for the brain, but does the risk of mercury in seafood negate that benefit? The latest study explores the link og:url: https://time.com/4201808/fish-mercury-and-alzheimers-risk/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1a42ba796b2b578e/69887b82bc6cfc4b363db843/gettyimages-538605401.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5460 og:image:height: 3071 og:image:alt: 538605401 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Does Mercury From Fish Increase Risk of Alzheimer's? twitter:description: Studies show that eating fish can be helpful for the brain, but does the risk of mercury in seafood negate that benefit? The latest study explores the link twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1a42ba796b2b578e/69887b82bc6cfc4b363db843/gettyimages-538605401.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Fish, Mercury and Alzheimer’s Risk > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=34de6b23-95d3-4c9e-b659-6412a6a8b7bd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Should I Eat Salmon? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Eat Salmon?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/OIB4mfT2.m3u8) (1:55)  _Published 2015-08-26. This food from the sea is a no-brainer for all five of our experts._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Feb 2, 2016 4:00 PM UTC  Salmon steak Salmon steak Getty Images  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Feb 2, 2016 4:00 PM UTC Research shows seafood can protect the heart and [brain](http://time.com/3079816/fish-brain-gray-matter-study-omega-fatty-acids/)—but it can also contain the heavy metal mercury, which can be especially toxic to brain neurons. Studies trying to answer the question of whether the harm from mercury in seafood outweighs the benefits of eating the fish have had conflicting results. A unique new study [in _JAMA_](http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jama.2015.19451) gets closer to an answer. Martha Clare Morris, professor of epidemiology at Rush University Medical Center, and her colleagues wanted to see how much mercury accumulates in the brain of fish eaters and whether those metal levels have any connection to Alzheimer’s features like protein plaques and tangles, which can affect memory and thinking functions like reasoning and organization. **MORE:** [How to Eat All the Fish You Want, Minus the Mercury Danger](http://time.com/3712062/fish-safe-eating/) Morris took advantage of a unique database of nearly 300 people who filled out regular diet questionnaires and agreed to donate their brains to research upon their death. The autopsy analysis allowed Morris to measure levels of mercury in the brains as well as the presence of Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles. [Reporting in _JAMA_](http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jama.2015.19451), she found that people who ate seafood at least once a week showed higher levels of mercury in the brain than those who ate less. But for people with a genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s, called ApoE4, eating more fish also showed lower amounts of harmful proteins in their brain. Up to 30% of people in the general population have at least one copy of the ApoE4 variant, which puts them at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared to people who don’t have the variant. That may be why Morris only saw a strong effect in those who had ApoE4, since they likely had more protein buildup to begin with. In the study, 22.7% of the older people who participated had at least one copy of ApoE4. **MORE:** [To Prevent Alzheimer’s, Diet and Exercise Are Effective, Large Study Shows](http://time.com/2982908/to-prevent-alzheimers-diet-and-exercise-are-effective-large-study-shows/) Morris says that people without the genetic variant could still benefit from seafood — it’s just that people without the variant might have too little Alzheimer’s proteins in their brains for the study to pick up any effect. While the findings don’t mean that anyone should rely on seafood to protect them from Alzheimer’s, they do provide reassurance that while seafood is associated with higher brain levels of mercury, those amounts don’t seem to be linked to a higher risk of developing features of Alzheimer’s, at least in this study. “The take-home message,” says Morris, “is that the concern about eating seafood because of mercury should be allayed somewhat by this study since we didn’t see any evidence that increased levels of mercury in the brain is causing brain pathologies.” ## Transcript Should you eat salmon? This food from the sea is a no brainer for all five of our experts. [ MUSIC ] A three ounce serving of wild salmon has about 156 calories, plus 23 grams of protein and about 6 grams of healthy fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are salmon's claim to fame, providing anywhere between two to three grams per three ounce serving says Julia Renee Zumpano. Omega 3 fatty acids can help reduce blood triglycerides, blood pressure, and reduce swelling. Wild salmon is better than farmed says, Dr. David Katz. Farm salmon may contain more saturated fat, calories, pollutants, and antibiotics than wild salmon. Additionally, farm salmon might not provide as many omega- 3s says Peter D. Nichols. The long- chain omega- 3 content is about half of what it used to be in farm fish. Although this is still generally 10 to 100 fold higher than most other food groups, he says. Not all farm salmon is bad, though, says Tim Fitzgerald. Although most generic farm salmon, often labeled Atlantic in stores, still comes with a variety of environmental concerns. Salmon from fish farms shouldn't always be avoided. Sustainably farm salmon brands like Atlantic Sapphire, Kuterra, and Verlasso are some of Fitzgerald's favorites, but for the overall most sustainable bet choose wild Alaska Salmon says Kimberly Warner. It's more expensive but you can get an especially good deal during the summer salmon season, but don't forget not every fish worth eating comes on ice. Virtually all canned salmon is wild caught in Alaska, Fitzgerald says, so you can get all of the environmental and health benefits of fresh salmon for just a few dollars. [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4201808/fish-mercury-and-alzheimers-risk/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4201808/fish-mercury-and-alzheimers-risk/"},"headline":"Fish, Mercury and Alzheimer’s Risk","datePublished":"2016-02-02T16:00:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:04:40.232Z","description":"Studies show that eating fish can be helpful for the brain, but does the risk of mercury in seafood negate that benefit? 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