Uncontrollable shaking or tremors, numbness or pain in certain parts of the skin, and double vision…
These hardly seem like symptoms that you should be afraid of… but little do you know that you might be poisoned.
With companies dumbing their wastes in the ocean in order to save dollars, fish and seafood get contaminated with poisonous substances.
One of which is highly toxic: mercury.
Mercury Poisoning: When is it too late?
People of all ages can be affected by mercury exposure and although it can take months or even years till you get to feel the side effects (according to the National Institutes of Health or NIH), you’ll be the one to suffer in the end.
You see, your body absorbs mercury from different foods, especially fish and seafood that are high on the food chain.
Mercury perforates your intestinal walls and escapes into your bloodstream.
Slowly poisoning your organs and it can lead to brain, heart, kidney, lungs, and immune system failure.
And because the process is so slow, most people don’t even realize great danger they are in.
According to the NIH, long-term exposure to mercury can cause:
- Uncontrollable shaking or tremor
- Numbness or pain in certain parts of the skin
- Blindness and double vision
- Inability to walk well
- Memory problems
- Impairment of speech, hearing
- Seizures
- Death with large exposures
If you are concerned about mercury poisoning, then you should consult your physician for testing.
Also, it will help you to know which fish typically contain higher levels of mercury:
- King mackerel
- Marlin
- Orange roughy
- Shark
- Swordfish
- Tilefish
- Bigeye tuna
*Many of these types of fish are used in sushi.
When Comfort Meets Danger
Did you know that white albacore canned tuna typically has three times as much mercury as chunk light canned tuna has?
Certain fish and shellfish have higher levels of mercury depending on what they eat, how long they live, and how high they are in the food chain.
Just to make sure you are on the safe side, limit consumption of white (albacore) tuna and any freshwater fish that isn’t one of the safe fish listed below.
You should eat no more than 6 oz. (170 g) a week or 1 to 3 oz. (28 to 85 g) per week for children.
After eating the 6 oz. (170 g) of fish, do not consume any more fish of any kind for the week.
You can find more information on fish consumption across the country by visiting the EPA’s fish consumption web pages.
“But Dr. Ishiguro, how about my Omega 3 intake?”
You know all too well that Omega 3 is highly beneficial for you.
Which is why the FDA recommends eating two to three servings (8 to 12 ounces or 227 to 340 grams) of fish each week.
To avoid the damaging effects of mercury, you can choose fish that are low in mercury content or by obtaining DHA through dietary supplements such as fish oil and algal oil.
Safe Fish and Seafood According to The National Resource Defense Council
- Anchovies
- Butterfish
- Catfish
- Clams
- Domestic crab
- Crawfish/crayfish
- Croaker (Atlantic)
- Flounder
- Haddock (Atlantic)
- Hake
- Herring
- Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
- Mullet
- Oysters
- Perch (ocean)
- Plaice
- Pollock
- Canned salmon
- Fresh salmon
- Sardines
- Scallops
- Shad (American)
- Shrimp
- Sole (Pacific)
- Squid (calamari)
- Tilapia
- Freshwater trout
- Whitefish
If you are vegan or vegetarian, there are still many other ways you can obtain Omega 3.
There is a superfood that not only is cheap, easy to buy, but also helps you shed unwanted weight.