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But My Doctor Said I Should Eat Fish …
Posted by Alisa Mullins at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Open any health or women’s magazine, and you’ll likely come across a recommendation to “eat more fish.” Fish perplexingly continues to be touted as a “health food,” despite the fact that many of the species that people commonly consume-most notably tuna-are contaminated with mercury and other toxins. So why is it considered “healthy”? Because-compared to other meats, which are loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol and are often contaminated with hormones, antibiotic residues, and/or dangerous bacteria-fish is considered by some to be the lesser of meaty evils. But when you compare fish to truly healthy vegetarian sources of protein, it isn’t a health food at all.
Earlier this year, The New York Times bought and tested tuna sushi from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants. Several of the samples were so tainted with mercury that federal regulators could confiscate them for violating food safety rules. Experts believe that similar results would likely be found in other parts of the country as well.
As the Times study suggests, tuna-and other fish-are often contaminated with mercury, which can lead to an increased risk of neurological symptoms such as memory loss, tremors, joint pain, and gastrointestinal disturbances, and have recently been linked to cardiovascular disease.
San Francisco physician Jane Hightower, author of the new book Diagnosis: Mercury, found that dozens of her patients had high levels of mercury in their bodies, and many showed symptoms of mercury poisoning, including hair loss, fatigue, depression, difficulty concentrating, and headaches. When her patients stopped eating fish, their symptoms disappeared.
The Wall Street Journal reported on one of Dr. Hightower’s patients, 10-year-old Matthew Davis. Matthew had always excelled in school, but suddenly, he was missing assignments and struggling with basic math. His teachers said that Matthew could barely write a simple sentence. What’s more, Matthew’s fingers had started to curl, and this formerly excellent athlete could no longer catch a football. One specialist told Matthew’s parents that their son had a learning disability.
The real culprit was the canned tuna that Matthew had been eating for lunch and snacks. Tests revealed that Matthew’s blood-mercury level was nearly twice what the Environmental Protection Agency says is safe. After Matthew quit eating tuna, his blood-mercury level returned to zero, and his condition dramatically improved.
This is far from an isolated case. Sen. John Kerry says that he has stopped eating most fish after tests revealed that his mercury level was “sky-high.” A 2006 study found that one in every five women of childbearing age has mercury levels that exceed the government’s acceptable limit. Women who eat fish at least twice a week have the highest levels.
Even if you follow fish consumption guidelines, you might still be at risk. A Chicago Tribune three-part front-page investigative series, “Mercury Menace,” found that government regulations on fish are so lax as to be essentially worthless and that mercury levels in individual samples of fish sometimes spike far higher than the averages reported by the government. The paper also found high levels of mercury in orange roughy and walleye, two species for which the government has not issued consumer warnings.
Mercury is just one of several toxins found in fish, including DDT, PCBs, and dioxin, which have been linked to cancer and nervous system disorders. The good news is that you don’t have to risk poisoning yourself in order to obtain the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish. Walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, pecans, broccoli, spinach, and soybeans all contain omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetarian supplements made from microalgae contain DHA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.
So instead of tuna salad for lunch, here’s a great recipe for Tasty “Toona” Salad, or try the walnut curry salad below, courtesy of The Compassionate Cook to get a healthy dose of protein and omega-3 fatty acids-without the toxins.
Walnut Curry Salad
1 lb. firm tofu
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1 Tbsp. mild curry powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 small onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
Lettuce (optional)
- Squeeze the excess water out of the tofu and cut it into 1/4-inch cubes. In a large mixing bowl, pour the dressing over the tofu. Add the remaining ingredients, except the lettuce, and mix with a large spoon or spatula. Chill for at least one hour.
- Serve the salad on a bed of lettuce or with lettuce in a sandwich. If the salad becomes dry in the refrigerator, mix in a tablespoon of dressing before serving.
Posted to Health | Posted to Tags: fish, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
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Teri Shore says...
November 3rd, 2008, 7:12 pm
This is an excellent summary of the mercury-in-fish problem and healthy alternatives for fish. Those who still may want to indulge in sushi or eat a tuna sandwich may find the new mercury-fish calculator for mobile phones handy. Just enter weight, fish choice and serving size into the calculator at http://www.gotmercury.mobi and get an estimate of mercury dosage based on U. S. government guidelines (which are not as protective as needed). Learn more about the issue at http://www.gotmercury.org.
Dog Walker says...
November 3rd, 2008, 7:33 pm
Thanks for dispelling the notion that fish are health food, Alisa. It drives me crazy when I hear that we should all be eating such fabulous animals who deserve to be left alone.
I stopped eating fish years ago, when I went scuba diving and saw a tuna face to face. Wow, what a lively, intelligent creature! With the whole ocean before him - what freedom! I could never look at fish as just mindless food items after that.
But I’ve got to log off - and go fix myself some of that walnut curry salad! Thanks!
kerry says...
November 4th, 2008, 11:40 am
When I went vegetarian years ago giving up fish and seafood was hard for me. I used to love eating crab and shrimp. At first I missed it, but it didnt take long before I realized that I didn’t miss it at all. Now I cant stand that vile fishy smell. It makes me nauseous . It’s kind of amazing how our taste can change over time. My whole family loves the tasty toona salad. All the good taste without the vile fishy flavor, and best of all, no fish have to die. I cant wait to try the walnut curry salad. Thank you!
Ed Hepner says...
November 7th, 2008, 7:51 pm
I have eaten canned tuna in sandwiches for about 20 years. I finally had mercury included in my latest blood test. Result was that the mercury level was 5 times as high as the recommended level. I have since cut back on tuna. Now once a week. Is this still too much? I primarily eat tuna to keep my weight down. I wonder what Senator Kerry’s mercury level was when he says that it was “skyhigh.”
Ed
Tia says...
November 10th, 2008, 12:45 pm
In addition to the health hazards of mercury, eating fish is no different than eating beef in regards to animal treatment issues. So much of the fish and seafood used in our food chain is commercially farmed, no different than 100 chickens stuffed in a crate, who never know what it’s like to be a chicken. Like many animals that we abuse their whole life and then tortuously slaughter, fish feel pain and fear, sense death and danger, and are very intelligent. When fish are pulled out of the ocean or fish farm pool, they suffocate. This is no different than taking an air breathing animal and stuffing it’s head in a pool of water to drown it. Also, by removing millions of fish and seafood creatures from the ocean every year, we do detrimental harm to the oceanic ecosystem and other ecosystems that rely on ocean life to exist. Shame on us!!