Is Your Fish Oil Giving You Mercury Poisoning?

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Article Title:

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Is Your Fish Oil Giving You Mercury Poisoning?

Article Description:

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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.

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Distribution Date and Time: 2008-02-25 13:24:00

Written By: Mark Hyman, MD

Copyright: 2008

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Is Your Fish Oil Giving You Mercury Poisoning?

Copyright © 2008 Mark Hyman, MD

The UltraWellness Blog

http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/insulin-resistance

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:

1. Blood tests are the most common tests for mercury but only

show exposure from the last few months.

2. Hair analysis tests only show methylmercury levels from fish

consumption. Ideal levels are lower than 1 ppm.

3. 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.

4. 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:

1. Eat only small fish, like sardines, herring, and small wild

salmon.

2. Avoid tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish, and sea bass, and

nearly all river fish.

3. 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.

4. 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, ish, 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.

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, sdotter-Jonhagen M.

Omega-3 supplementation in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease:

effects on neuropsychiatric symptoms. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry.

2007 Jun 21

G, Gibson NA, Brotchie H, Heruc G, Rees AM, Hadzi-Pavlovic

D. Omega-3 fatty acids and mood disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2006

Jun;163(6):969-78. Review. Erratum in: Am J Psychiatry. 2006

Oct;163(10):1842.

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Mark Hyman, MD is a pioneer in functional medicine, practicing

physician and best-selling author. A sneak preview of his book

" The UltraSimple Diet " is available. See The UltraWellness Blog

for more on Omega 3 Fatty Acids: http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog