September 17, 2004

Think Twice About Eating Fish

Category: Health — Biella @ 10:48 pm

So, I have some pretty strong views about health and nutrition but I keep most views to myself.

But if there is something that I will be preachy about, it is mercury and fish. My suggestion is really look into it, because all reports is that fish is filled to the gills with mercury and if you eat enough fish, the effects are nothing to be jumping for joy about.

Look, if the FDA has warned that pregnant women should limit fish consumption to less than two servings a week, you know that there IS a significant amount of mercury in fish.

Mercury poisoning can cause serious health problems, and now researchers are looking with more seriousness into the connection between mercury and chronic illness

Mad About Mercury

By Pat Hemminger, Common Ground. Posted September 15, 2004.

Last April, at the first federally sponsored symposium on mercury and public health, Dr Jane Hightower of San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center presented some alarming findings: nine out of 10 Bay Area residents who ate fish regularly had elevated blood-mercury levels and associated health complaints.

“People are having symptoms just like the hatters,” says Hightower alluding to the 19th and early 20th century “mad hatters” who were exposed to mercury nitrate used to process fur pelts. “They have weakness, headache, stomach upsets, hair loss, allergy symptoms, and there’s a question of autoimmune disease.”

Hightower is not the only medical professional who is worried about mercury. Recently, many Bay Area physicians have begun questioning their patients about fish intake and measuring blood-mercury levels. Dr. Laurie Green of the Pacific Women’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Group now asks her patients to record not only what fish they eat but how much: “I’ve been astounded at how many patients have high mercury levels and underestimate their fish intake,” she writes. Green was amazed to discover “how much better they feel once they cut out the contaminated food.”

It is good to see that the ill effects of mercury are being addressed outside of the alternative health community. If you are interested in this this site no mercury has great up to date information.

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