Mercury Health Hazards

Many of my patients love fish just like I do. It’s a good source of protein, heart-healthy Omega-3 fat, and delicious! Living in an area surrounded by water, fresh fish is abundant. However, I would like to share with you a major pitfall of eating fish too often: mercury (Hg) levels.

So far, no cases of mercury poisoning from eating fish have been reported in the United States. Concern about that happening, however, has grown in the last 10 years. Although most US fish are safe to eat, many states issue health advisories that limit the consumption of certain types of fish.

As I like to tell my patients, you can safely enjoy seafood. The keywords are avoidance of some fish and moderation with others.

Let me explain how mercury gets into our food and who is at risk. I’ll also give you some tips on what you can do to prevent mercury from becoming a toxic problem.

How does Mercury get into our environment?

Mercury enters our air from burning coal, wood, or oil. Rain and/or snow wash it into the soil, grasses, our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. It can also get into the water from Hg-containing medical engineering waste that might be dumped into the ocean or lakes.

In water, mercury converts to the highly toxic compound methylmercury, which is easily absorbed by fish through their gills or from the marine life they eat. The cooking process does not remove it, so every time we eat fish or shellfish we can get trace amounts of mercury.

As a physician, I am concerned about my patients’ possible chronic exposure to dietary mercury that is stored in their tissues. Research shows that most people are exposed to mercury by eating fish. However, the amount of Hg you eat depends on the fish you eat and where it comes from.

Who is at risk?

Although everyone – men, women, children – of all ages is at risk of dietary mercury toxicity, women (especially pregnant women) and newborns are at greatest risk. In a recent study, 10% of American women were found to be only 1/10 away from toxic levels of Hg.

By eating tuna even twice a week, a woman may have too high levels of mercury stored in her tissues before she becomes pregnant. Mercury can pass to the newborn and cause severe neurological damage and even fetal death.

Breastfeeding children can also be exposed through breast milk. Young children are also at higher risk because their brains and nervous systems are not fully developed until around age 11. They should eat no more than 12 ounces of low-mercury fish per week.

Do all fish have the same mercury risk?

The short answer to this question is No. Certain lake fish like largemouth bass and walleye, which are at the top of the food chain, can have levels of mercury (and other toxins) a million times! higher than those of the water! If you enjoy sport fishing, be aware that these types of lake fish can have a high amount of toxins.

The longer answer to this question is yes, possibly. Almost all fish and shellfish contain some mercury, and light to moderate consumption of fish should not be a health concern. As I tell my patients, your risk of Hg toxicity increases with the amount and type of fish you eat on a regular basis.

Here’s what the US EPA and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) recommend that people do to reduce mercury exposure from eating fish:

•Avoid shark, king mackerel, swordfish, tilefish, grouper, marlin, orange roughy, lake bass, and walleye, which have the highest levels of Hg.

•Limit yellowfin albacore tuna to 18 ounces per month; contains more Hg than light tuna.

•Limit saltwater bass, croaker, halibut, bluefin tuna, sea trout, and Maine lobster to 18 ounces per month. These have moderate levels of Hg.

•Limit carp, mahi-mahi, crab, snapper, perch, cod and monkfish to 24 oz per month. These have lower levels of Hg.

•Shrimp, sardines, canned light tuna, wild Alaskan salmon, pollock, white fish and catfish, black cod: These have the lowest levels of Hg. You can enjoy up to 12 ounces a week.

* Visit the NDRC website for a more complete list and their mercury calculator to get a personal recommendation using the fish you like and how much to eat, at http://www.nrdc.org

What else can I do about mercury exposure?

The good news is that although Hg is stored in body tissues, it is also released. You can eliminate it from your body in about 6 to 12 months if:

• Faster: Avoid eating fish containing mercury altogether.

• Slower: Limit your fish/shellfish intake to the lower Hg levels listed above.

Here are some other naturally based suggestions to help you stay free of toxic levels of mercury:

•Drink adequate amounts of water each day to flush toxins from your body tissues. Half of its weight should be consumed every day. If you weigh 200 pounds, drink 100 ounces of water.

•Avoid high-fructose corn syrup: Two recent studies suggest it may contain Hg.

•Avoid vaccines or contact lens solutions that contain thimerosal; this is a preservative derived from mercury.

•Dental amalgams: If you have old mercury amalgam fillings, replace them with newer tooth-colored, mercury-free compounds. Your teeth will look great and you will be free from the source of mercury.

•Add some fermented foods to your diet – things like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut help flush toxins out of your body by creating good gut bacteria.

• Adequate amounts of vitamin C and E: Helps prevent the damaging effects of mercury.

•Add some natural chelators to your diet, such as garlic, selenium, coriander, and chlorella. These substances bind to toxins such as mercury and remove them from the body.

•Adequate intake of fiber: it is important for good health and the reduction of levels of mercury accumulation.

•If you have old mercury thermometers, trade them in for digital thermometers. Be sure to dispose of old Hg thermometers and toxic waste like old paint.

•Energy saving light bulbs – or CFLs, contain minute amounts of Hg. If they do break, open windows for 15 minutes to disperse fumes. Keep children and pets away to avoid inhaling or spreading dust. DO NOT vacuum as this will disperse dust. Wear rubber gloves and cover your nose and mouth to be safe and avoid inhaling the dust. Tape or a damp cloth will help pick up the particles. Used ones should also be disposed of as toxic waste.

Mercury exposure is something we should all avoid in our diet and in our environment as much as possible. It can have very damaging effects on our brain and kidneys and cause a whole list of symptoms and conditions including depression, fertility problems and even Alzheimer’s disease.

However, with some common sense, following the guidelines listed here, we can still enjoy eating the seafood we love so much without worrying about toxicity.

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