Mercury in tuna, safe to eat?
- Thread starter Syringer
- Start date
GoodRevrnd
Diamond Member
- Dec 27, 2001
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Can someone tell me if the fast fishes (tuna, swordfish, etc.) are naturally higher in mercury, or if they just are more prone to absorb it.
Anyway, as far as dangers go... as long as you don't eat such fish more than once a week you should be fine (so I've read).
Anyway, as far as dangers go... as long as you don't eat such fish more than once a week you should be fine (so I've read).
If you don't eat too much tuna it should be safe. I think I might eat about two cans of tuna each week.
BS!
All fish contains some level of mercury. That is a scientific verifiable fact. What levels of mercury is safe is another thing.....level in the flesh and amount eaten.
Nearly all fish contain trace amounts of methylmercury. How does this element get into our fish supply? Mercury occurs both naturally and from man-made sources. Some of it can be traced to coal-burning power plants. Smokestacks release toxic mercury emissions which rain down into rivers, lakes, and oceans. Bacteria convert the mercury to a form that's easily absorbed by insects and other small organisms. Mercury moves up the food chain as small fish eat the small organisms and big fish eat the smaller fish. The highest concentrations accumulate in large predators such as shark, swordfish and tuna...some of America's favorite fish.
Guess since it's a made-up thing, those Japanese living in Minamata Bay were just faking their brain damage and deaths, eh?
Until the 1950's, the problems that can occur with excessive mercury intake were not well-known. However, at that time, an epidemic hit fishermen and their families in villages on Japan's Minamata Bay. People whose diet was primarily seafood showed signs of brain damage; some were even fatally stricken with disease and seizures. The investigation linked the health problems to methylmercury poisoning from a local chemical plant that was discharging organic mercury into the bay. The villagers were getting sick from eating the fish that had absorbed the mercury.
Read about it here.
The essential problem with mercury ingestion is that it is cumulative....our bodies do not eliminate mercury once it's taken in. Interestingly, the report the FDA put out in 1991 that established guidelines for fish intake for pregnant women and children, the vulnerable segments of the population because of developing nervous systems in the unborn fetuses and children, have turned out to be based on low figures of mercury in tuna, etc.
A new study done just a couple of months ago demonstrated there is higher levels of mercury in the four fish species than first thought.....sometimes significantly.
You can see those figures here.
The FDA downplays much of this, but while the majority of the population is probably not very affected by this, it's probably fairly safe to eat tuna, et al. It's the vulnerable segments of the population that are at hightened risk....
And if the mercury level research is just made-up crap, I suppose the lead problem and asbestos problem are, too.
Any high level predator is going to have high mercury levels. They get the cumulative dose of their prey's mercury, their prey's prey's mercury, etc, etc, etc.
Viper GTS
gsellis
Diamond Member
- Dec 4, 2003
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The EWG has a record of going off on faulty data, especially on pesticides. So, take any study with a grain of salt.
Junk Science report on Mercury warning
Remember, it is the dose that makes the poison. Otherwise, SOTS (Stamp Out The Sun), as any level of radiation is harmful.
Junk Science report on Mercury warning
Remember, it is the dose that makes the poison. Otherwise, SOTS (Stamp Out The Sun), as any level of radiation is harmful.
I love Tuna, I have heard the same thing, and I don't really care, cause as Skoorb said, EVERYTHING is freaking bad for you thesedays.
whooooo caaaaaaaares!
whooooo caaaaaaaares!
my canned tuna thread
I definitely don't eat 2 cans a day anymore - probably 3-4 a week now, just on the days I need the extra protein as a snack at work
I definitely don't eat 2 cans a day anymore - probably 3-4 a week now, just on the days I need the extra protein as a snack at work
Socieity of Oral Medicine and Toxicology http://home.iprimus.com.au/asomat/Frame/Main.htm
Symptoms of Chronic Mercury Poisoning http://www.mercurypoisoned.com/symptoms.html
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Mercury http://www.cfspages.com http://www.cfspages.com
I'm convinced mercury can cause problems , but it is difficult to prove even when a significant amount exists in your teeth. Just not sure that eating tuna is enough to cause any of these problems.
eat all the Tuna you want, ill bet you $100 you never suffer a symptom of mercury posioning.
Funny how if you read the junk science archives, they point out that the authors of all those "omg fish is bad dont eat it!" stories are funded by orgs such as PEW and PETA to name a few.
I work for a seafood company, this is serious to us. And i can tell you that toxins in fish (either wild or farmed) are at thier lowest levels in over 20 years, and continue to decline.
Funny how if you read the junk science archives, they point out that the authors of all those "omg fish is bad dont eat it!" stories are funded by orgs such as PEW and PETA to name a few.
I work for a seafood company, this is serious to us. And i can tell you that toxins in fish (either wild or farmed) are at thier lowest levels in over 20 years, and continue to decline.
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