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Originally posted by: trikster2
Anyone ODing on the tuna worry about mercury?
Read somewhere that salmon has less so I've been leaning
towards salmon even though it is more fatty.....
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I worried about the same thing, but it seems that even the health officials are not sure about what to think either.
I have found many different articles stating its not a problem....to.....never eat tuna.
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Pregnant women and mothers who breastfeed have been advised to limit their consumption of tuna fish.
The UK Food Standards Agency is concerned that mercury found in the fish could pose a health hazard.
It says women who intend to get pregnant should also be careful about eating too much of the fish.
When planning to have a baby and while pregnant or breastfeeding, women do need to take particular
care of their health and that of their baby
Dr Andrew Wadge
The FSA says all these women should not eat more than two medium size cans of tuna a week.
They have already been advised to avoid any shark, swordfish and marlin.
The new advice about tuna does not apply to children or any other adults.
A survey conducted last year found levels of mercury in a wide range of commonly eaten fish.
The latest advice follows a review of the results by the independent Committee on Toxicity,
which advises the government. It found the amount of mercury in tuna was near the limit it
sets for pregnant and breastfeeding women and those considering having a baby.
The FSA said there was a "small risk" to unborn children and new babies because mercury
can harm their nervous system.
Pollution
Mercury is released naturally into the environment through the earth's crust into the
ocean but is also absorbed by the sea as pollution from burning household and industrial waste.
Dr Andrew Wadge, acting director of food safety at the FSA said: "It is unlikely that many
pregnant or breastfeeding women eat more than the recommended amounts of these fish
every week. But for any that currently do, it would be a sensible precaution to change their diets slightly.
This will help protect the unborn child and the developing breastfed baby. "
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Independent laboratory tests commissioned by the Citizen show that swordfish, shark and
fresh or frozen tuna are consistently more than double the Health Canada limit. Five other
species and canned tuna almost always meet the standard.
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A coalition of environmental and health care groups has issued a warning about mercury levels in tuna fish.
The group, called Health Care Without Harm, says pre-school children should eat no more than
one tuna fish sandwich a week. It also says pregnant women should avoid it altogether to protect
against dangerous levels of mercury.
The coalition analyzed 27 samples of major brands of tuna, fish sticks and shrimp from grocery stores.
Tuna contained the most mercury with an average of .167 parts per million
Mercury can cause permanent brain and nervous system damage to the developing bodies of pre-schoolers
and unborn babies. Coal-powered utility plants are the biggest producers of mercury emissions that
contaminate streams, lakes and rivers.
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Health Canada exempts swordfish, shark and fresh or frozen tuna from regular testing for mercury
content, even though it knows all three almost never meet the 0.5 parts-per-million maximum the
department has set for all other fish.
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Canned tuna is not affected because younger fish are used in the product and have not accumulated
higher levels of mercury in their bodies. The advisory says Canadians:
should limit consumption of fresh and frozen fish to once a week
pregnant women, women of child-bearing age and young children should eat the fish no more than once a month
Mercury is a toxin that can attack the nervous system. It accumulates in the body and can affect fetal development,
cause blindness and other birth defects.
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