canned tuna and mercury
This is from Dr. Andrew Weil’s weekly newsletter:
“Mercury from Fish May Damage Babies’ Hearts, Brains
If you’re pregnant, keep the lid on that can of tuna! Results of a
new study show that mercury from fish - including canned tuna - can
lead to irreparable brain and heart damage for babies exposed to
mercury in the womb. (High levels of mercury are most common in tuna,
swordfish and other large predator fish.)
“The study, published in the February 2004 Journal of Pediatrics,
documented neurological irregularities among 1,000 mothers and their
children in Denmark’s Faroe Islands, where the local diet includes
large amounts of mercury-contaminated fish. Researchers linked the
abnormalities to problems with irregularities in heart function that
affect the body’s oxygen supply.
“Mercury poisoning in fish, caused by coal-burning power plants, is a
problem in the United States, too. A new U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency report estimates that in 1999-2000, approximately
630,000 infants were born with mercury levels higher than those
deemed safe. Researchers had only expected unsafe levels of mercury
to appear in 300,000 infants.
“So can the tuna and stick to mercury-free flounder, haddock and wild
Alaskan salmon. Or get your omega-3s from non-fish sources such as
flaxseed, walnuts or supplements.”
-Robin