Fish - Facts and Fears
The nutrient you need most in your diet is also the
nutrient that could be contaminated!
I'm talking about omega-3 fats—and alarming new
research suggests that the fish in which you find
these healthy fats could be brimming with mercury.
Omega-3 fats may help treat depression, heart
disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, dementia,
autism, ADHD, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases.
You'll find omega-3s in fish.
But that's not all that's lurking in fish. A recent
study of tuna sushi from different New York City
restaurants found the fish contained extremely high
levels of mercury. Mercury is the second most common
toxin found in humans—something I know all too well.
You see, I once suffered from mercury poisoning, in
part from eating too much fish. Fortunately, I got
the mercury out of my body quickly by using special
foods, supplements, saunas, and chelation therapy.
In my own practice, I often see toxic mercury levels
in my patients with depression, heart disease,
memory loss, and so many other conditions. These
problems are reversible, once you get the mercury
out.
Got Mercury?
Coal-burning industrial facilities spew out millions
of pounds of mercury each year. This toxin floats
through the air and ends up in the oceans, rivers,
and soil of our planet. And since mercury is in our
water, it's also in our fish—especially larger
varieties.
To read more about the health effects of mercury,
see my recent report on this subject in my medical
journal, which you can download for free. Autopsies
of brains of people who have had early or long-term
exposure to mercury show deposits of this toxin
throughout the entire brain.
Not sure if you're contaminated? Ask your doctor for
one or more of these tests:
- Blood tests are the most common tests for mercury
but only show exposure from the last few months.
- Hair analysis tests only show methylmercury
levels from fish consumption. Ideal levels are lower
than 1 ppm.
- A urine test after a provocation or chelation
challenge with DMSA or DMPS, followed by a six-hour
urine collection is the only way to know if you have
accumulated a lot of mercury in your body over a
lifetime. Ideal levels are less then
5-micrograms/gram creatinine.
- Urinary porphyrin testing is a noninvasive way to
tell if the mercury is poisoning your cells.
Have Your Fish and Eat It, Too!
It is possible to enjoy fish—and the many health
benefits of omega-3 fats—without ingesting mercury.
Try these tips:
- Eat only small fish, like sardines, herring, and
small wild salmon.
- Avoid tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish, and sea
bass, and nearly all river fish.
- Take 1,000 to 2,000 mg of fish oil a day. It
should be distilled or purified fish oil that's 100
percent free of industrial pollutants, especially
mercury.
- Vegetarians should eat plant sources of omega-3
fats such as walnuts, ground flax seeds, and purslane (a green vegetable). Also, supplement with
100 to 200 mg a day of algae-derived DHA (one of the
most important omega-3 fats needed for brain
function).
Quiz: Are You Deficient?
Any positive answers to the
symptoms below can indicate an omega-3 fat
deficiency.
1. Soft, cracked, or brittle nails
2. Dry, itchy, scaling, or flaking skin
3. Hard earwax
4. Chicken skin (tiny bumps on the backs of arms or
on the trunk)
5. Dandruff
6. Aching or stiffness in joints
7. Thirsty most of the time
8. Constipation
9. Light colored, hard, or foul-smelling stools
10. Depression
11. High blood pressure
12. Fibrocystic breasts
13. Premenstrual syndrome
14. High LDL cholesterol, low HDL levels, and high
triglycerides
15. North Atlantic genetic background: Irish,
Scottish, Welsh, Scandinavian, or coastal Native
American
16. Eat fish like sardines, herring, or wild salmon
less than 3 times a week
So take a good look at your life, your symptoms, and
your diet. You might need a (fish) oil change. And
remember, you can have your fish and eat it too!
References
Choi BH. The effects of methylmercury on the
developing brain. Prog Neurobiol. 1989;32(6):447-70.
Review.
Hibbeln JR, Nieminen LR, Lands WE. Increasing
homicide rates and linoleic acid consumption among
five Western countries, 1961-2000. Lipids. 2004
Dec;39(12):1207-13.
C. BERNARD GESCH, SEAN M. HAMMOND, SARAH E. HAMPSON,
ANITA EVES, and MARTIN J. CROWDER Influence of
supplementa ry vitamins, minerals and essential
fatty acids on the antisocial behaviour of young
adult prisoners: Randomised, placebo-controlled
trial Br. J. Psychiatry, Jul 2002; 181: 22 - 28.
Freeman MP. Omega-3 fatty acids and perinatal
depression: a review of the literature and
recommendations for future research. Prostaglandins
Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2006
Oct-Nov;75(4-5):291-7.
Richardson AJ. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty
acids in childhood developmental and psychiatric
disorders. Lipids. 2004 Dec;39(12):1215-22. Review.
Freund-Levi Y, Basun H, Cederholm T, Faxen-Irving G,
Garlind A, Grut M, Vedin I, Palmblad J, Wahlund LO,
Eriksdotter-Jonhagen M. Omega-3 supplementation in
mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: effects on
neuropsychiatric symptoms. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry.
2007 Jun 21
Parker G, Gibson NA, Brotchie H, Heruc G, Rees AM,
Hadzi-Pavlovic D. Omega-3 fatty acids and mood
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