Source: Optimal Fitness Newsletter for April 1st 2007
According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a Public Release on March 8, 2007, the health risks posed by mercury contaminated fish is sufficient to warrant issuing a worldwide general warning to the public especially children and women of childbearing age-to be careful about how much and which fish they eat. That is one of the key findings comprising “The Madison Declaration on Mercury Pollution” published in a special issue of the international science journal Ambio.
Some of the major findings in the declaration were:
On average, three times more mercury is falling from the sky today than before the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago
The uncontrolled use of mercury in small-scale gold mining is contaminating thousands of sites around the world, posing long-term health risks to an estimated 50 million inhabitants of mining regions.
Little is known about the behavior of mercury in marine ecosystems and, the ingestion of which is the primary way most people at all levels of society worldwide are exposed to this highly toxic form of mercury.
Methylmercury exposure now constitutes a public health problem in most regions of the world.
Methylmercury levels in fish-eating birds and mammals in some parts of the world are reaching toxic levels, which may lead to population declines in these species and possibly in fish populations as well.
There is now solid scientific evidence of methylmercury’s toxic health effects, particularly to the human fetus.
New evidence indicates that methylmercury exposure may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in adult men.
Increasing mercury concentrations are now being found in a number of fish-eating wildlife species in remote areas of the planet.
This news, although not new is now being brought to the public by the world’s leading mercury scientists. According to Dr. Mercola @ www.mercola.com, mercury is extremely toxic, and it only takes a few milligrams of mercury to kill you. Mercola states, “the only way I advocate eating fish is if you first have it lab tested to make sure it is free of mercury (and other harmful pollutants like PCBs). Otherwise, it simply is not worth the risk.” Mercola tested fish from Vital Choice, that takes salmon from the interior of Alaska and were delighted to find that it tested safe from mercury and PCBs. You can order the Alaskan wild red salmon from Vital Choice conveniently on our site by going to Healthy Fish From Vital Choice. I am sure there are other companies that test for low mercury concentrations, although I have not seen better data than that of Vital Choice. At this time it’s the only fish I can safely recommend. If you do not eat fish or do want to take the chance of eating the wrong fish, consume a fish oil instead. I reccommend Vital Choice, Metagenics, Standard Process, Nordic Naturals, and Carlsons, but there are many good sources. Calculate your mercury risk now by going to the online mercury calculator at GotMercury.org.
This Public Release can be seen at : http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/uow-mco030207.php
For more information on mercury toxicity and mercury testing contact Brien at 650-654-4604 or [email protected].
In Health,
Brien
