Can You Eat Largemouth Bass? What You Need To Know About Bass Consumption

Freshwater and sea bass contain a limited number of calories along with proteins, fatty acids, and selenium. Largemouth bass also has mercury content. And this gives rise to the question, can you eat largemouth bass? In fact, even smallmouth bass consists of mercury.

Both types of bass have the same kind of nutrients but in varying amounts. This includes Vitamins B-6 and B-12. The only drawback is the presence of mercury. And that is why children and pregnant women should make it a point to limit the consumption of the fish.

But before we jump to any conclusions, let’s find out what bass contains. This way we can make a better and healthier decision when it comes to eating both largemouth and smallmouth bass.

Can you eat largemouth bass

High Protein Level with Low Calories

Choosing bass for the intake of protein is an excellent idea. The freshwater and sea varieties of bass offer 20g of protein per 3oz serving. This constitutes 40% of the daily protein value. 

Women can consume 46g and men 56g on a regular basis. With sea bass, this adds up to 105 calories per 3oz serving. And with freshwater bass, it gives you 124 calories per 3oz serving. So, keeping this quantity in mind, the answer is an astounding yes.

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Content

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) are the two fatty acids found in the bass. This applies to both the varieties of the fish. So it doesn’t matter even if they have a low-fat content.

What these Omega-3 fatty acids do is help in reducing the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases. And they do so by lowering the cholesterol level and minimizing blood pressure.

Freshwater bass contains 0.65g of combined DHA and EPA per 3oz serving. And sea bass offers 0.8g of the same serving. This constitutes anything between 40% and 75% of the daily intake. So depending on your gender and the type of bass, you can incorporate the fish into your diet.

Always remember that men need and eat more than their opposite sex. So consume appropriately.

The Nutrient Profile of Bass

It’s the nutrient profile of the fish that will help you decide. The potassium and magnesium levels of bass are sufficient to make up for your regular consumption. Both smallmouth and largemouth bass provide at least 10-11% of potassium and magnesium.

When it comes to selenium, sea bass and freshwater bass offer 57% and 20% of daily value respectively. The thing about selenium is that it produces antioxidants and synthesizes thyroid hormones.

Vitamins B-12 and B-6 are also present in largemouth bass. With sea bass, you get three times the amount of Vitamin B-6 than freshwater bass. On the other hand, sea bass provides 4% of Vitamin B-12 as compared to 33% of freshwater bass.

POND BASS FISHING (CATCHING GIANTS)

Can You Eat Largemouth Bass? The Mercury Factor

Can you eat largemouth bass

This question is often raised due to the presence of mercury in water bodies. Industrial facilities emit mercury, widely found in fish. And the consumption of mercury is a serious health concern, especially for young children and pregnant women. What mercury does is interfere with the nervous system development process.

Can you eat largemouth bass

Black and striped bass are the two freshwater fish that contain some mercury. This means that you should consume less than six servings of these varieties per month. The Chilean breed of sea bass has higher mercury content. So avoid eating more than three servings of the fish every month.

Conclusion

Now we all know how thrilling it is to catch largemouth bass, right? A largemouth bass is as big as five pounds, and sometimes even larger. But they are not that simple to capture. On the other hand, the small bass is easy to find. On top of that, they are considered to be healthier to consume as well.

Small bass doesn’t contain a lot of toxic accumulation, unlike their larger counterparts. So it’s better to catch the smaller ones from the lake. The size of this kind of bass is usually less than 15-16 inches.

But all in all, eating bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, is not an unhealthy practice. Just make sure that you keep the consumption in check.

Did you go through all the sections of the article? So what do you think, can you eat largemouth bass?

Please let us know if there’s any other important point or fact that you would like to add here. Don’t hesitate to leave your honest feedback below.

We hope you found the article informative. Did it help in answering all your questions related to bass?

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