Why Are Mercury Safety Standards so Lax in America?

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Why Are Mercury Safety Standards so Lax in America?

 

 

An extensive report in the Chicago Tribune reveals that seafood

consumers in the United States are at serious risk for mercury

exposure, since regulators are ignoring their own experts, issuing

flawed warnings, and setting policies favorable to industry rather

than consumers.

 

Three Times the Legal Limit

 

The Tribune staff tested a piece of imported swordfish from a grocery

store, untested by any U.S. regulatory agency and carrying no warning

labels. They discovered that it contained three times the legal level

of mercury.

 

At Risk for Decades

 

The reporters further showed that repeated neglect by the U.S.

government has unnecessarily put Americans at risk for decades.

Failures on the government's part include a lack of mercury testing,

failure to adequately warn consumers, and an unwillingness to enforce

their own rules.

 

Ignoring Their Own Scientists

 

In some cases, regulators ignored the advice of their own scientists,

who concluded that mercury was far more dangerous than what consumers

were being told. Regulators have also routinely made decisions that

benefited industry at the expense of public health.

 

Mercury can cause learning disabilities in children and neurological

problems in adults.

 

Chicago Tribune December 12, 2005

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

If you ever eat store-bought fish you'll want to read this awesome

report by the Chicago Tribune about the perils of eating this

mercury-contaminated food. Perhaps it was written in reaction to the

study conducted earlier this year by scientists at the University of

North Carolina showing that 50 percent of the swordfish samples tested

by researchers exceeded the FDA's action limit.

 

Sad to say, the gist of the Tribune report is probably nothing new to

many of you who visit my blog. The advice regularly dispensed by the

FDA and EPA regarding the hazards of eating fish is so misleading and

faulty that you may be led to believe you're eating a " safe " amount of

fish when, in fact, you're not.

 

And, even though the FDA acknowledges people may be harmed by eating

these mercury-laden fish, environmental regulations governing this

toxic metal haven't changed over the past quarter-century. Despite

comments to the contrary by David Acheson, the FDA's chief medical

officer, one agency scientist confessed today's mercury standard

reflects the science of the 1970s. U.S. standards are considered to be

among the weakest in the world.

 

This hardly comes as a surprise, though, when you consider that the

FDA and other U.S. regulatory agencies are in the pockets of industry.

It isn't your health they're looking out for, but the bottom lines of

their " business partners. "

 

Fish oil or cod liver oil is a " supplement " that I believe nearly

every one of you reading this should be taking, as it is far less

expensive than seafood and typically free of heavy metal

contamination. I actually don't consider it a supplement but a food

source.

 

One important factor to remember about taking fish oil is: Since most

fish of all varieties, as the Trib article mentions, have high levels

of mercury -- a tasteless but toxic heavy metal -- it's vital you find

a FISH OIL source free of impurities.

 

How do you know which fish oil is best for you? Here are three quick

tests:

 

1. Make sure that your brand is free of mercury and PCBs. This will

not be on the label so you will need to:

 

* Contact the manufacturer for their analysis

* Review an independent third party that has analyzed the product

* Hire a company to test the product yourself

 

2. Confirm that there are very low oxidation products in the fish or

cod liver oil.

 

It is important to understand fish oil and cod liver oil have

long-chain unsaturated fats (primarily EPA and DHA) and they are very

susceptible to oxidation or damage. If the oil is not processed

properly damage will occur. Many years ago nearly all the fish oils

were oxidized. That is why when you mention cod liver oil to most

anyone they turn up their nose in disgust. Typically, they only taste

bad when they are oxidized.

 

3. Make certain that your fish oil or cod liver oil has therapeutic

levels of vitamin E in it.

 

Nearly all manufacturers insert a small amount of one unit per

teaspoon. This is sufficient to prevent oxidation of the fish oil in

the bottle. However, after you consume it this is woefully inadequate.

Your body will tend to oxidize the fish oil and much larger doses of

vitamin E are needed to prevent the fish oil from going rancid in your

body.

 

You see, generally our diet contains far too much omega-6 fat (found

in margarine and vegetable and sunflower oils). Experts looking at the

dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids suggest that in early

human history the ratio was about 1:1. Currently most Americans eat a

dietary ratio that falls between 20:1 and 50:1! The optimal ratio is

most likely closer to the original ratio of 1:1.

 

For most of us this means greatly reducing the omega-6 fatty acids we

consume and increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids such as those

found in fish oil.

 

And, as I mentioned above, while fish WOULD BE an excellent omega-3

source, mercury levels in almost all fish have now hit dangerously

high levels across the world, and the risk of this mercury to your

health now outweighs the fish's omega-3 benefits.

 

 

 

Related Articles:

 

Mercury In Your Fish

 

Autism and Mercury

 

Is Toxic Mercury Exposure Ruining Your Life?