- Fish, once touted as the virtual cure of heart disease
because of its high omega-3 fat content, is now recognized as a toxic hazard.
The San Francisco Chronicle conducted its own study of local fish and discovered
the worst. Swordfish, tuna, Chilean sea bass and Alaskan halibut were all
tested for mercury and found to have alarmingly high levels of the neurotoxin.
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- According to the Chronicle, "swordfish contained
the highest concentration." A 120-pound person eating 6 ounces of
swordfish would be consuming an average of 222.3 micrograms of mercury.
That exceeds by nearly six times the EPA safety guideline of no more than
38.5 micrograms per week for a person of that size. Six ounces of tuna
contained 56 mcg. of mercury, 1.5 times the weekly limit of mercury. The
fish were purchased at high-end markets and health food stores. These are
not merely theoretical concerns. Many people who eat fish have experienced
symptoms of nervous system damage associated with mercury toxicity. And
a recent study has shown that affluent and well-educated people that tend
to eat more fish for their health benefits demonstrate significantly high
levels of mercury on lab tests.
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- The only popular types of fish that I consider safe for
occasional consumption are Alaskan wild salmon, sardines, and herring.
Even salmon is questionable, and why eat mercury-containing fish at all?
Farmed fish (trout, salmon, and catfish) have their own problems, a high
concentration of PCBs and other breakdown products of pesticides from grains
and animal meal in the fish,s food. I do not consider any amount of fish
a safe food for children or pregnant women.
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- For the complete SF Chronicle article go to:
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- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/11/23/MNGIO394FI1.DTL>
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