Mercury Pollutants present in Fish--Eliminated by Selenium

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Mercury Pollutants present in Fish--Eliminated by Selenium

JoAnn Guest

Dec 30, 2003 14:43 PST

 

Mercury Pollutants present in Fish--Eliminated by Selenium

 

We now know consumption of certain cold water fish:

 

*Thins the blood

*Protects arteries from damage.

*Inhibits blood clots (anti-thrombotic)

*Reduces blood triglycerides

*Lowers LDL blood cholesterol

*Lowers blood pressure

*Reduces risk of heart attack and stroke

*Eases symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

*Reduces risk of lupus

*Relieves migraine headaches

*Fights inflammation

*Helps regulate the immune system

*Inhibits cancer in animals (and possibly humans)

*Soothes bronchial asthma

*Combats early kidney disease

 

 

The key to the healing powers of fish lies in the omega-3 fatty

acids.

These are particularly concentrated in cold-water fish such as

anchovies, herring lake trout, mackerel, sablefish,

whitefish, blue fin tuna, salmon and sardines.

 

For more than 200 years, cod-liver oil was prescribed for a number

of ailments, including rheumatism and arthritis, because, it was

believed, it could " lubricate the joints. "

But it was not until 1985 that doctors writing in the New England

Journal of medicine recommended that arthritis sufferers could

benefit from eating fish once or twice a week.

 

In the case of arthritis, for example, the omega-3 oils

do " lubricate "

the joints by reducing painful inflammation.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin

Diseases says the oils*…unquestionably are 'anti-inflammatory'

agents. "

 

Research funded through the Institute demonstrated that these oils

blocked the formation of something called " leukotriene " B4, which

'triggers' inflammation.

The Institute reported *…a significant correlation between the drop

in leukotriene B4 and decrease in the number of tender joints… "

after the oils were prescribed.

 

Other research at Albany Medical College, New York, confirmed these

findings. Dr. Joel M. Kramer, an associate professor of medicine,

observed that patients who received omega-3 in capsule form daily

for 14 weeks suffered less pain than before the oil treatment. Their

stamina was also much improved.

 

The three capsules were equivalent to the amount of oil contained in

the average alaskan salmon dinner or one can of sardines in water,

yet the pain was significantly relieved for several days after the

omega-3 treatment period ended.

 

" Systemic lupus erythematosis " , another inflammatory disease that

attacks the skin, also reacted positively to experimental fish oil

treatments, leading on Harvard researcher to proclaim it as

 

" …the most striking protective effect ever seen. "

 

Fish oil was once something of a joke among many nutritionists. No

one

is laughing today about the healing 'powers' of fish.

Certain seafoods appear to even offer protection against killers

like heart disease and cancer.

 

The reason it would seem, is that the natural oils found in fish

appear

to curtail the body's overproduction of several hormone-like

substances

called 'prostaglandins' and 'leukotrienes'.

 

" Overactive " prostaglandins and leukotrienes can cause blood clots,

inflammations, and serious 'glitches' in the immune system.

 

 

Omega-3 oils halt these destructive " reactions " before they get out

of

control, something that is critical in preventing heart disease –

today's number one killer.

 

There are three villains lurking deep inside our bodies that cause

heart attacks and strokes.

 

They are the " plaque " that can clog arteries and dangerously

restrict

blood flow;

 

the accumulation " platelets " (sticky pieces of blood cells) that

clump

together and form clots,

 

and the sudden unexplained " spasms " of blood vessels that can throw

the

heart out of kilter or halt the flow of blood to the brain, causing

strokes.

 

Studies on fish oil show it works wonders in reducing

or 'eliminating'

all three risks.

People who eat lots of fish seem to have thinner blood, which is

less prone to clotting.

 

Omega –3 oils also reduce 'triglycerides' and dangerous

LDL cholesterol and that, say the experts, may be why fish is such a

powerful ally in the battle against heart disease.

 

Eskimos eat about 13 ounces of omega-3 rich seafood a day and rarely

ever suffer from heart attacks.

The same is true of Japanese fishermen and their families who

consume,

on average, at least seven ounces of fish daily.

 

Norwegian scientists recently discovered that a mere three ounces of

mackerel in the daily diet, thins the blood within six weeks,

significantly reducing the risks of clogged arteries, heart attacks

and strokes.

 

 

In Britain, a study involving hundreds of participants revealed that

those on a heavy fish diet developed higher concentrations of " good "

HDL cholesterol than even vegetarians.

 

The best news is that it might not even take very much fish to fight

off heart disease. Researchers at the University of Leiden in the

Netherlands monitored residents of one small town who ate only one

ounce of fish a week.

 

The results were astonishing. The risk of heart disease in the study

group was 50 percent, less than among those who ate no fish at all.

 

Experts warn that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the red

light warning us that a life-threatening heart attack may be headed

toward us like a runaway train. To stop it, they say, get that blood

pressure under control!

 

The Central Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Berlin studied

24 men with slightly elevated blood pressure.

For two weeks, half of the group dined daily on two seven-ounce cans

of

mackerel and

followed that with three cans a week for the next eight months.

Mackerel was chosen for its very high levels of omega-3 oils.

 

The results? The higher the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their

blood, the more their blood pressure dropped.

 

The conclusion: A minimum of only three ounces of mackerel a week

lowered blood pressure about seven percent- and eliminated the need

for medication.

 

Fish oils seem to be just as important in fighting cancer.

 

Those over active prostaglandins that may touch off heart problems,

are

 

also present in most cancers, says Rutgers University researcher Dr.

Rashida Karmali,

 

Now, encouraging studies at Rutgers and elsewhere indicate that fish

oils are highly effective at putting the clamps on that

overproduction.

 

And once the heavy concentration of those nasty prostaglandins is

reduced, the risks of breast, pancreatic, lung, prostate and colon

cancer also drop.

 

Eskimo and Japanese women for example eat lost of fish and seldom

develop breast cancer.

 

Migraine sufferers too may find relief with omega-3 fish oils,

according to a team of researchers at the University of Cincinnati,

Of those who took part in that study,

60 percent reported that their

chronic migraines were less severe and the frequency reduced by half

over six weeks when they took fish oil capsules.

 

The average number of attacks dropped from two a week to two every

two weeks.For some reason, men seemed to benefit more from the fish

oils than women??

 

A change in diet in which omega-3 fish oils replaced animal fats

also dramatically slowed down the rate of deterioration in people

suffering early kidney disease.

 

Fish oil may also help women who suffer from painful menstrual

cramps. These are apparently triggered by the same overactive

'prostaglandins'

that are the cause of so many other problems.

 

Asthma appears to be another of those inflammatory diseases in which

leukotrienes get out of hand and cause bronchial constriction.

 

Fish oils added to the diet have given outstanding relief in many

cases,

 

again by stifling the over active leukotrienes production.

 

The condition of about two-thirds of psoriasis patients in another

study improved after they started taking omega-3 fish oils, the Oils

seemed to move quickly into the blood and to the surface of the

skin. The more

oils that reached the epidermis, the more startling the improvement.

 

Remember the old wives tale about fish being a " brain food " that

makes you smarter?

 

Not true, say the experts, BUT the ingredients in fish and fish oils

do make it possible for you to boost your potential,

especially when you are fatigued and your mental energies are low.

 

The secret this time is not as much in the omega-3 oils, but in a

natural chemical in the fish called " tyrosine " .

 

Dr. Judith Wurtman, head of research team at the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology, discovered that seafood is high in this

potent amino acid.

 

It apparently stimulates the brain in to producing extra

" norepinephrine " and " dopamine " .

 

These are the 'neurotransmitters' that the brain needs to keep

functioning at peak efficiency.

And that makes us feel more alert.

 

Concerns about high mercury content of seafoods can be alleviated by

taking 200 mcgs of Selenium on a daily basis.

One of the major benefits of Selenium is that it tends to " flush "

heavy

metals on out of the body more swiftly, eliminating any possibility

of

serious liver damage.

 

 

 

 

History of Selenium

 

Selenium is an essential trace element which is normally obtained

from

the diet.

However, it was not until 1979 that it was recognized as a

requirement in human nutrition.

Previous to this time it was regarded as essential to animals only.

 

The first major breakthrough was achieved by Dr Klaus Schwartz who

discovered that liver necrosis in rats could be prevented with the

aid

of a kidney extract, found to contain selenium.

As a result of Schwartz' discovery, selenium became the object of an

intense programme of research, which continues today.

 

Researchers at Sian University in China in the 60's and 70's

experimented with selenium supplementation on sufferers from a heart

muscle disease which affected mainly young women and children.

 

The disease is now known as Keshan disease, Keshan being a province

in

China

with the lowest selenium levels in the world. Many people died of

the

disease, but with the aid of selenium

supplementation it has become more or less extinct.

 

In the 70's selenium deficient agricultural land presented serious

problems for the Finnish cattle industry, which were eradicated by

the

addition of selenium to fertilizers and cattle feed.

 

 

General Facts

Selenium has now been discovered to be part of the 'enzyme' system

that

controls 'prostaglandins', which have widespread functions in the

body.

 

Studies on animals show that selenium reduces high blood pressure

and,

when combined with Vitamin E, reduces angina pectoris.

 

Selenium deficient animals do not reproduce and in fact half a man's

body stores of selenium are found in the testes and seminal glands.

 

Breast milk contains up to six times as much selenium as cow's milk

and

twice as much Vitamin E.

Australian researchers have linked selenium deficiency to cot

deaths.

 

Effects of Selenium

 

Selenium's contribution to the immune system is to 'protect' the

cells

against damage caused by oxygen-'free radicals'.

 

A free radical is an 'unstable' highly volatile and incomplete

molecule

which is released as a by-product of the body's normal metabolic

processes, but which is highly 'destructive' when present in excess

amounts.

 

Selenium is the principal mineral 'anti-oxidant' and free radical

deactivator.

 

It combines with glutathione and Vitamin E to form gluathione

peroxidase,

the body's free radical controller.

 

Other factors include zinc, manganese and copper.

 

Prevention of infections and blood clots.

 

It would appear that selenium increases the 'beneficial'

prostaglandins

(a regulatory factor in the

coagulation of the blood)

and decreases the formation of harmful " prostaglandins "

(e.g. prostaglandins causing inflammation in the joints).

 

Low selenium levels are associated with ECG abnormalities indicative

of

heart problems.

 

Selenium prevents cancer.

Selenium supplementation has been effective in

the prevention of many, but not all, forms of cancer.

 

Selenium alone can give a 50% success rate, but combined with

vitamins

A & E this rises to a 90% success rate.

 

This incidence of cancer is more common in a sub-group of the

population

with low selenium " blood " levels.

 

As has already been seen, selenium protects cells from damage by

oxygen-free radicals.

It also decreases the carcinogenic 'viruses' and 'inhibits' the

division

(metasis, growth) of cancer cells.

 

 

The Link between Vitamin E and Selenium-

 

Selenium is synergistic with Vitamin E, i.e. the beneficial effect

of

combined selenium and Vitamin E is greater that the added effect of

each

single nutrient.

 

The enzyme glutathione peroxidase requires both selenium and Vitamin

E

to function. The most efficient ratio is 100 mcg Vitamin E to 25mcg

Selenium . (Selenium is 50-100 times more powerful than Vitamin E.)

 

 

Sources of Selenium

 

Good sources include cold water fish and brazil nuts.

Whole grains

and brown rice may also contain significant proportions, but levels

vary, depending on the soil content of the area in which they are

grown.

 

However, selenium is also lost in processing.

Brown rice has fifteen

times higher levels than white rice and wholemeal organic bread has

twice the levels of white bread.

 

 

Pregnant and lactating mothers require much higher levels than is

usually ingested with the diet.

 

Smokers generally have lower selenium blood levels than non-smokers.

This may either be due to a non-absorption of selenium, or a greater

formation of free radicals.

 

The chronically ill - particularly where disease or medication

produce

loss of appetite, monotonous diets, diarrhoea and vomiting.

People living in areas of particularly low selenium levels in the

soil,

e.g. China, Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

 

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest