Mercury Contamination in Fish
08-30-2010, 03:09 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Colville WA USA
Posts: 1,974
Mercury Contamination in Fish
e are excerpts from a recent article in Marine Pollution Bulletin July 14, 2010
So, for any of you who are giving a Fish Oil supplement, PLEASE make sure that the label says either "Pharmaceutical Grade" or "Molecular Distilled".
Mercury concentrations and omega-3 fatty acids in fish and shrimp:
Preferential consumption for maximum health benefits
KEY POINTS FROM ARTICLE:
1) Omega-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) and α-linolenic acid.
2) Marine derived omega-3 fatty acids are EPA and DHA, while α-linolenic acid is derived from plant oils.
3) “Omega-3 fatty acids have a variety of positive health effects, the foremost being reduction of cardiovascular disease by lowering triglycerides and lipoproteins.”
4) “Eating only one fish meal per week lowers the risk of death from CHD by
15%.”
5) “Omega-3 fatty acids may also help to reduce the incidence of diabetes,
rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and cancer, as well as promote neurological,
optical, and reproductive development.”
2
6) “Fetal development can also be aided by the consumption of omega-3 fatty
acids by pregnant women, as infant cognition was shown to increase proportionally with fish consumption by the mother.”
7) “Fish can also be a dietary source of contaminants, including mercury (Hg),
that may cause adverse health effects.”
8) “Levels of both omega-3 fatty acids and contaminants are variable and are
different for each species of fish, so obtaining maximum health benefits from
seafood consumption is dependent upon the species consumed.”
9) “Mercury, in the form of methylmercury (MeHg), cannot be removed when
cooked because MeHg binds to proteins in the muscle tissue of fish. Upon
consumption, 95% of the MeHg will be absorbed and taken up by body tissues
within a 2-day period following consumption. Mercury remains in the adult body for
70–90 days. Regular consumption of seafood may result in the accumulation of mercury in the body, especially when the rate of consumption exceeds the rate at which the body can eliminate it.”
10) “Consumption of fish containing elevated levels of mercury decreases the
health benefits of eating fish and can work in direct opposition to the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.”
11) “Inorganic mercury is released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil
fuels, especially coal, and municipal waste incineration.” When inorganic mercury enters aquatic environments it is converted to MeHg by bacteria. “MeHg bioaccumulates in food chains and is eventually consumed by those who eat fish.”
12) Mercury toxicity can lead to adverse neurological effects.
13) MeHg accumulation in the brain may be responsible for an increased incidence of stroke.
14) “Consumption of seafood containing elevated levels of mercury can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.” The risk for development of cardiovascular diseases increases as dietary mercury consumption increases.
15) Mercury poses a serious threat to pregnant women and fetuses. MeHg may cross the placental barrier.
16) “Mercury in developing brains can lead to increased incidence of
neurodevelopmental disorders.”
3
17) “High levels of maternal mercury consumption resulted in lowered infant
cognition and brain development, while the highest infant cognition scores were seen in children whose mothers had low levels of mercury with high omega-3 intake.”
18) Of the seafood assessed, the mercury content was as follows (most to least):
Shark > Snapper > Swordfish > Ahi tuna (wild) > Albacore tuna (canned) >
Chilean seabass > Halibut > Light tuna (canned) > Salmon (canned) > Mackerel (canned) > Salmon (farm raised) > Cod > Trout > Catfish (farm raised) > Shrimp > Tilapia (farm raised)
19) Of the seafood assessed, the omega-3 content was as follows (most to least):
Salmon (farm raised) > Mackerel (canned) > Salmon (canned) > Trout > Halibut > Albacore tuna (canned) > Ahi tuna (wild) > Shark > Swordfish > Seabass > Shrimp > Light tuna (canned) > Catfish > Cod > Snapper > Tilapia
20) “Based on our measurements and FDA mean values, species to avoid include shark, swordfish, wild ahi tuna, sea bass, halibut, mackerel, canned albacore and canned light tuna as they are a good source of omega-3s but also high in mercury.”
.
So, for any of you who are giving a Fish Oil supplement, PLEASE make sure that the label says either "Pharmaceutical Grade" or "Molecular Distilled".
Mercury concentrations and omega-3 fatty acids in fish and shrimp:
Preferential consumption for maximum health benefits
KEY POINTS FROM ARTICLE:
1) Omega-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) and α-linolenic acid.
2) Marine derived omega-3 fatty acids are EPA and DHA, while α-linolenic acid is derived from plant oils.
3) “Omega-3 fatty acids have a variety of positive health effects, the foremost being reduction of cardiovascular disease by lowering triglycerides and lipoproteins.”
4) “Eating only one fish meal per week lowers the risk of death from CHD by
15%.”
5) “Omega-3 fatty acids may also help to reduce the incidence of diabetes,
rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and cancer, as well as promote neurological,
optical, and reproductive development.”
2
6) “Fetal development can also be aided by the consumption of omega-3 fatty
acids by pregnant women, as infant cognition was shown to increase proportionally with fish consumption by the mother.”
7) “Fish can also be a dietary source of contaminants, including mercury (Hg),
that may cause adverse health effects.”
8) “Levels of both omega-3 fatty acids and contaminants are variable and are
different for each species of fish, so obtaining maximum health benefits from
seafood consumption is dependent upon the species consumed.”
9) “Mercury, in the form of methylmercury (MeHg), cannot be removed when
cooked because MeHg binds to proteins in the muscle tissue of fish. Upon
consumption, 95% of the MeHg will be absorbed and taken up by body tissues
within a 2-day period following consumption. Mercury remains in the adult body for
70–90 days. Regular consumption of seafood may result in the accumulation of mercury in the body, especially when the rate of consumption exceeds the rate at which the body can eliminate it.”
10) “Consumption of fish containing elevated levels of mercury decreases the
health benefits of eating fish and can work in direct opposition to the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.”
11) “Inorganic mercury is released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil
fuels, especially coal, and municipal waste incineration.” When inorganic mercury enters aquatic environments it is converted to MeHg by bacteria. “MeHg bioaccumulates in food chains and is eventually consumed by those who eat fish.”
12) Mercury toxicity can lead to adverse neurological effects.
13) MeHg accumulation in the brain may be responsible for an increased incidence of stroke.
14) “Consumption of seafood containing elevated levels of mercury can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.” The risk for development of cardiovascular diseases increases as dietary mercury consumption increases.
15) Mercury poses a serious threat to pregnant women and fetuses. MeHg may cross the placental barrier.
16) “Mercury in developing brains can lead to increased incidence of
neurodevelopmental disorders.”
3
17) “High levels of maternal mercury consumption resulted in lowered infant
cognition and brain development, while the highest infant cognition scores were seen in children whose mothers had low levels of mercury with high omega-3 intake.”
18) Of the seafood assessed, the mercury content was as follows (most to least):
Shark > Snapper > Swordfish > Ahi tuna (wild) > Albacore tuna (canned) >
Chilean seabass > Halibut > Light tuna (canned) > Salmon (canned) > Mackerel (canned) > Salmon (farm raised) > Cod > Trout > Catfish (farm raised) > Shrimp > Tilapia (farm raised)
19) Of the seafood assessed, the omega-3 content was as follows (most to least):
Salmon (farm raised) > Mackerel (canned) > Salmon (canned) > Trout > Halibut > Albacore tuna (canned) > Ahi tuna (wild) > Shark > Swordfish > Seabass > Shrimp > Light tuna (canned) > Catfish > Cod > Snapper > Tilapia
20) “Based on our measurements and FDA mean values, species to avoid include shark, swordfish, wild ahi tuna, sea bass, halibut, mackerel, canned albacore and canned light tuna as they are a good source of omega-3s but also high in mercury.”
.
09-08-2010, 10:47 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: PA.
Posts: 5,195
our bass here in pa. pgc says only eat 1 per month.sad isnt it. when gas drilling gets done god knows how much cancer things we will be having.
bush/cheney passed law that gas drillers dont have to tell you what cancer is in water.
well, pa made them tell us and we found 21 in water.
gas co says now, sproul you old fart,its only 1 % of 5 million gallons per well of water, only 1%.
oh, now i feel more comfortable sleeping at night.
bush/cheney passed law that gas drillers dont have to tell you what cancer is in water.
well, pa made them tell us and we found 21 in water.
gas co says now, sproul you old fart,its only 1 % of 5 million gallons per well of water, only 1%.
oh, now i feel more comfortable sleeping at night.
