Christiana Chiropractic PC - Liverpool New York

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Fishing for the Truth: Is Seafood Safe?

On January 12th of this year, the United State's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings advising pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and nursing mothers to refrain from eating swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish.

"But wait a minute!" you say, "what about the nutritionists who have spent the last several decades proclaiming the miracles of fish consumption? The same nutritionists who have told us seafood will extend our lives, slash our risk of disease, assist in weight loss and prevent obesity?"

In essence, neither the FDA nor the nutritionists are feeding you a "fish story:" both are true. To clear up the confusion, Dr. Christiana has outlined what patients need to know about safe fish consumption. Dr. Christiana encourages patients to review this infonnation and share it with friends and family.

Fish facts: The ABCs from the FDA and the EPA

According to the FDA, the fish in question - swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish - contain dangerous levels of an extremely destructive form of mercury called, methyl mercury. This heavy metal attacks the nervous system of growing fetuses, resulting in brain damage and learning disabilities. Methyl mercury exposure in the womb is also linked with seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, blindness and deafness.

The FDA urges at-risk women to avoid eating large, predatory fish which may contain high levels of methyl mercury - in favor of small, ocean species or farmed-raised varieties. The agency's recently released report indicates that pregnant and nursing women may safely eat 12 ounces of cooked fish per week.

Also in January, the United State's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cautioned that - due to the risk of methyl mercury contamination - pregnant women, women who are considering becoming pregnant and young children "limit fish consumption [of freshwater fish caught by family and friends] to one meal per week for adults (six ounces of cooked fish, eight ounces uncooked fish) and one meal per week for young children (two ounces cooked fish or three ounces uncooked fish)."

According to the EPA, these standards are generalizations. Fish from some waters are so contaminated that they should be consumed less frequently, or not at all. The EPA advises consumers to contact their local and state governments for specific regional guidelines.

The mother-child connection

A mother's prenatal diet can have positive as well as detrimental affects on a child. A study of 237 six- and seven-year olds from New Zealand focused on their mothers' prenatal diets, which included a copious amount of contaminated fish. The result? All of the children scored low on cognitive function tests (Risk Anal 1998;18:701-13). A similar study evaluated 1,000 seven. year-old children from the Faroe Islands. Pilot whales, which contain high levels of methyl mercury, constituted a large part of their mothers' prenatal diets. The children consequently suffered from impaired memory, attention disorders and language dysfunctions (Sci Total Environ 1996;186:141-8).

Should women who aren't pregnant - and men monitor their fish intake?

Although the government warnings apply only to those populations at highest risk (i.e., fetuses and newborns), many experts caution that contaminated fish may affect people of all ages.

Consider a study of 1,833 fishermen in Finland. Subjects with the highest hair-levels of mercury and those who ate the largest amounts of fish were two to four times more likely to suffer a heart attack or die due to cardiovascular disease, compared with subjects who had been exposed to less mercury. On the other hand, men with lower hair-mercury levels who ate fish had a significantly reduced risk of heart disease, compared with non-fish eaters (Circulation 2000;102:2677-2679). Other researchers speculate that mercury poisoning is to blame for some cases of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, attention deficit disorder and cancer (although additional research is necessary before a firm link may be established).

The causes of mercury contamination in fish

Mercury occurs naturally in the environment. However, pollution is to blame for most cases of contamination. Government studies show that fossil fuel power plants especially coal plants - generate the greatest levels of mercury emissions. Mercury in its natural, relatively safe, form enters the air and falls into the ocean, lakes and streams. In other instances, mercury in polluted soil is washed into the waterways. Once in the water, mercury interacts with microscopic sea life and undergoes biological reactions that transform it into the deadly methyl variety.

So, should you stop eating fish altogether?

Absolutely not. The best health choice is not to cast away seafood but rather to choose seafood wisely. A wealth of research indicates that eating fish at least twice a week may ward off a number of health concerns, such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, dementia and arthritis.

The health benefits of fish can be scaled down to two primary factors: 1) fish is a lower-fat, lower-calorie source of protein than meat and 2) seafood is swimming with omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to halt disease processes and curb inflammation.

It's because of these omega-3 oils that salmon has been crowned the nutritional king of Neptune's world. Although most fish contain omega3s, salmon - along with other fatty fish like tuna, mackerel and herring - is the most concentrated source.

For more information. . .

For more information on heavy metal contamination and fish, call the FDA at 1-888-SEAFOOD. Additional information is also posted on the FDA's Web site at www.cfsan.fda. gov and on the EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/ost/fish.

Learn more about nutrition.

In this chiropractic office, we strive to eliminate confusion about health topics, including nutritional concerns. To further this end, we incorporate nutritional education into our revolutionary wellness-oriented chiropractic approach. And, each month we produce an Optimal Health UniversityTM handout on a specific cutting-edge nutritional topic, like this one. To find out more about chiropractic, schedule an appointment for a chiropractic checkup today.

Our purpose is to educate and adjust families toward optimal health

with natural chiropractic care.