Many people love to eat fish - for both the taste and healthy fats - but struggle with the fact that fish are a source of harmful mercury, a toxic heavy metal.
Fortunately, empowered with a little bit of knowledge, we can learn how to avoid much of the mercury while continuing to enjoy fish regularly.
The most important piece of information is to understand that large fish tend to accumulate greater levels of mercury than small fish.
This happens because smaller fish have spent their lifetime accumulating mercury of their own, and when eaten, the small fish pass all of their mercury on to the large fish! So generally, the further up the aquatic food chain, the more mercury. Therefore eating smaller fish is the best approach to avoiding mercury!
The Food and Drug Administration in the US has compiled data on the mercury levels of different fish in its report titled "Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish."
Here is a summary of some of the most common fish for easy reference:
Highest Levels of Mercury
Shark
Swordfish
Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico)
King Mackeral
Tuna
Orange Roughy
Marlin
Sablefish
Halibut
Lowest Levels of Mercury
Cod
Salmon
Haddock (Atlantic)
Herring
Lobster
Atlantic Mackerel
Grouper
Trout (freshwater)
Shrimp
Tilapia
Hopefully this helps ease concerns about exposing ourselves to mercury simply because we love to eat fish!
For more detail on mercury levels in fish, have a look at the FDA report above.
- Dr. Colin
Showing posts with label toxicity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toxicity. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Eating Organic
Recently the Environmental Working Group published its 2011 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
On behalf of Vive Integrative Health Group and environmental medicine experts throughout North America, Thank You!
This guide, in addition to promoting the dietary value of fruits and vegetables, helps us avoid over-exposures to harmful and downright dangerous pesticides.
The "Dirty Dozen" are the fruits and vegetables sprayed most heavily with pesticides and herbicides. When eaten, these chemicals accumulate in the body, disrupt normal physiology and lead to disease. These produce are best purchased organic to avoid the pesticides. You will also appreciate the better flavour of organic produce!
The "Clean Fifteen" are the fruits and vegetables that arrive in your grocery store with a minimum of pesticide residues. Eating these in non-organic form is ok.
Using the Guide helps to shop for organic produce more effectively.
The Dirty Dozen
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines - imported
7. Grapes - imported
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries - domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale and Collard Greens
The Clean 15
1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Canteloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermellon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms
Visit the Environmental Working Group's Food News site for the complete report.
- Dr. Colin
On behalf of Vive Integrative Health Group and environmental medicine experts throughout North America, Thank You!
This guide, in addition to promoting the dietary value of fruits and vegetables, helps us avoid over-exposures to harmful and downright dangerous pesticides.
The "Dirty Dozen" are the fruits and vegetables sprayed most heavily with pesticides and herbicides. When eaten, these chemicals accumulate in the body, disrupt normal physiology and lead to disease. These produce are best purchased organic to avoid the pesticides. You will also appreciate the better flavour of organic produce!
The "Clean Fifteen" are the fruits and vegetables that arrive in your grocery store with a minimum of pesticide residues. Eating these in non-organic form is ok.
Using the Guide helps to shop for organic produce more effectively.
The Dirty Dozen
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines - imported
7. Grapes - imported
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries - domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale and Collard Greens
The Clean 15
1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Canteloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermellon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms
Visit the Environmental Working Group's Food News site for the complete report.
- Dr. Colin
The Ravages of Mercury
In the past few years, researchers have been looking at the mercury levels of Canadians. From average urban city dwellers to tar sands workers, our mercury levels can be very high.
Here is the problem with that. Mercury is well known to be toxic, and the symptoms it leads to can be quite varied.
In 2009, Pizzorno looked at several studies examining the effects of modest exposure to mercury. The following symptoms are most prevalent:
Depression (73%)
Memory Loss (70%)
Anxiety (69%)
Unintentionally Dropping Things (60%)
Headaches (56%)
Moody (45%)
Shakiness in Hands (44%)
Stomach Problems (43%)
Fatigue (39%)
Confusion (35%)
Change in Smell or Taste (29%)
Numbness or Tingling in Extremities (26%)
This variety of symptoms can make identifying mercury toxicity difficult.
Compounding the difficulty with diagnosis is that the standard blood test for mercury exposure will miss most cases of mercury toxicity. It has been designed only to identify acute, high-dose exposures, not a long-term chronic build up.
So doctors may test, but the results lead to a false reassurance.
Fortunately there are tests that are able to more accurately diagnose mercury accumulation. The most common is urinary heavy metals test.
If you are interested in seeing exactly how mercury affects the nervous system, have a look at this video titled: How Mercury Destroys the Brain published online by the Medical Department at the University of Calgary.
So, what do we do about it?
First, it is most prudent to test whether mercury (or other heavy metals) are building up in your body.
Second, avoid, avoid, avoid. This may mean removing dental amalgams or choosing to eat fish with lower mercury. It's worth it.
Finally, talk to the Doctors at Vive Integrative Health Group. Environmental medicine is a core part of our practice, and we have found through experience that removal of heavy metals will make an enormous difference in the long-term success of treatment.
- Dr. Colin
Here is the problem with that. Mercury is well known to be toxic, and the symptoms it leads to can be quite varied.
In 2009, Pizzorno looked at several studies examining the effects of modest exposure to mercury. The following symptoms are most prevalent:
Depression (73%)
Memory Loss (70%)
Anxiety (69%)
Unintentionally Dropping Things (60%)
Headaches (56%)
Moody (45%)
Shakiness in Hands (44%)
Stomach Problems (43%)
Fatigue (39%)
Confusion (35%)
Change in Smell or Taste (29%)
Numbness or Tingling in Extremities (26%)
This variety of symptoms can make identifying mercury toxicity difficult.
Compounding the difficulty with diagnosis is that the standard blood test for mercury exposure will miss most cases of mercury toxicity. It has been designed only to identify acute, high-dose exposures, not a long-term chronic build up.
So doctors may test, but the results lead to a false reassurance.
Fortunately there are tests that are able to more accurately diagnose mercury accumulation. The most common is urinary heavy metals test.
If you are interested in seeing exactly how mercury affects the nervous system, have a look at this video titled: How Mercury Destroys the Brain published online by the Medical Department at the University of Calgary.
So, what do we do about it?
First, it is most prudent to test whether mercury (or other heavy metals) are building up in your body.
Second, avoid, avoid, avoid. This may mean removing dental amalgams or choosing to eat fish with lower mercury. It's worth it.
Finally, talk to the Doctors at Vive Integrative Health Group. Environmental medicine is a core part of our practice, and we have found through experience that removal of heavy metals will make an enormous difference in the long-term success of treatment.
- Dr. Colin
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