 Let’s begin by talking about mercury, so it’s clear why this information is so important. Mercury is a neurotoxin. It can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in small children and pregnant moms. In a child’s developing brain, mercury can obstruct nutrient absorption, causing learning disabilities and developmental delays. (NOTE: There is an excellent table in the article that spells out recommended servings of tuna.)
In fetuses and infants, high amounts of mercury can not only lead to cognitive problems, but cerebral palsy, deafness, and blindness. In adults, mercury poisoning can affect fertility and blood pressure. It can also cause memory loss, tremors, vision loss, and numbness of the extremities. Now, what about tuna? Mercury is an industrial chemical that can get released into the environment and settle in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Bacteria in those waters absorb it, small fish consume the bacteria, bigger fish eat the smaller fish, and so on up the food chain. Large fish, like tuna, can have dangerously high mercury concentrations. However, they can still be safe to eat in certain amounts. There are two main types of canned tuna. Chunk light comes from skipjack tuna, a smaller species, and typically contains 0.12 parts per million (PPM) of mercury. Albacore is a larger species and has higher mercury levels, about 0.32 PPM. There is an excellent table in the article that spells out recommended servings. Safer fish that have good amounts of protein and omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, herring, sardines, and anchovies. They contain less mercury as they are lower in the food chain. It is best to avoid exposure to mercury as much as possible, but if you already have symptoms of mercury poisoning, there are safe ways to naturally detoxify your body. These include supplements that can support the body’s detoxification pathways and help pull heavy metals out of the body, homeopathics that support detox pathways, treating any constipation, and more. Read the article here.
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