Who is concerned about mercury?

MED2012COLORADO
MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
in Food and Nutrition
I would like to eat fish or tuna fish all the time because i love it! However since watching a documentary about mercury, i am freaked out Who believes the hype? or is it?...............How about you fish eaters are you concerned?

Replies

  • MED2012COLORADO
    MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
    I am relieved and happy no one is concerned. I tend to over react when i hear stuff. The old saying dont believe everything you hear is true. I am going to eat some TUNA!!!! :drinker:
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Not all fish have the same levels of mercury. It is certainly nothing to be freaked out about. However, I certainly wouldn't be sucking down cans of albacore tuna a day either. Moderation in all things is key, as is knowing the difference between sardines and swordfish.

    From NRDC:

    LEAST MERCURY

    Enjoy these fish:
    Anchovies
    Butterfish
    Catfish
    Clam
    Crab (Domestic)
    Crawfish/Crayfish
    Croaker (Atlantic)
    Flounder*
    Haddock (Atlantic)*
    Hake
    Herring
    Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
    Mullet
    Oyster
    Perch (Ocean)
    Plaice
    Pollock
    Salmon (Canned)**
    Salmon (Fresh)**
    Sardine
    Scallop*
    Shad (American)
    Shrimp*
    Sole (Pacific)
    Squid (Calamari)
    Tilapia
    Trout (Freshwater)
    Whitefish
    Whiting

    MODERATE MERCURY

    Eat six servings or less per month:
    Bass (Striped, Black)
    Carp
    Cod (Alaskan)*
    Croaker (White Pacific)
    Halibut (Atlantic)*
    Halibut (Pacific)
    Jacksmelt
    (Silverside)
    Lobster
    Mahi Mahi
    Monkfish*
    Perch (Freshwater)
    Sablefish
    Skate*
    Snapper*
    Tuna (Canned
    chunk light)
    Tuna (Skipjack)*
    Weakfish (Sea Trout)

    HIGH MERCURY

    Eat three servings or less per month:
    Bluefish
    Grouper*
    Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
    Sea Bass (Chilean)*
    Tuna (Canned Albacore)
    Tuna (Yellowfin)*

    HIGHEST MERCURY

    Avoid eating:
    Mackerel (King)
    Marlin*
    Orange Roughy*
    Shark*
    Swordfish*
    Tilefish*
    Tuna (Bigeye, Ahi)*
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    Not concerned at all. It's so far away ... heck, even Venus is between us and it. But it is really hot, so I would be very concerned if you wanted to live there ... imagine that AC bill ... sheesh ...
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
    I acutally am concerned about it. I do not eat fish, but my hubby eats a lot of fish and I worry about it.
  • MED2012COLORADO
    MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
    Not concerned at all. It's so far away ... heck, even Venus is between us and it. But it is really hot, so I would be very concerned if you wanted to live there ... imagine that AC bill ... sheesh ...
    LOL Love it .
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I would like to eat fish or tuna fish all the time because i love it! However since watching a documentary about mercury, i am freaked out Who believes the hype? or is it?...............How about you fish eaters are you concerned?

    I am sure that i don't eat enough fish to be concerned. Once or twice a week will not cause problems. I have also heard that it's a good idea to eat cilantro with your fish. It will help push any heavy metals out of your body so that they don't cause issues.
  • MED2012COLORADO
    MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
    Thank you so much for that list. Good to know. :flowerforyou:
  • ephemerata
    ephemerata Posts: 82 Member
    i eat 2-6 cans of tuna per week. i watch myself for symptoms of mercury toxicity, but so far i've been fine. i've only exhibited one symptom, which is decrease in concentration, and i'd attribute that to a lower calorie diet and general distractability. so, honestly, i'm not super concerned, but i'm not flippant about it either.


    here are the symptoms of chronic mercury toxicity:

    CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

    irritability
    anxiety/nervousness, often with difficulty in breathing
    restlessness
    exaggerated response to stimulation
    fearfulness
    emotional instability
    -lack of self control
    -fits of anger, with violent, irrational behavior
    loss of self confidence
    indecision
    shyness or timidity, being easily embarrassed
    loss of memory
    inability to concentrate
    lethargy/drowsiness
    insomnia
    mental depression, despondency
    withdrawal
    suicidal tendencies
    manic depression

    numbness and tingling of hands, feet, fingers, toes, or lips
    muscle weakness progressing to paralysis
    ataxia
    tremors/trembling of hands, feet, lips, eyelids or tongue
    incoordination
    myoneural transmission failure resembling Myasthenia Gravis
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    I have tuna for lunch alot of weekdays.. as well as some dinners I have salmon.. I also enjoy pigging out on sushi.. not really worried
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    I've eaten a can of tuna in front of a scientific poster session discussing levels of mercury in albacore and their health effects...
  • MED2012COLORADO
    MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
    I would like to eat fish or tuna fish all the time because i love it! However since watching a documentary about mercury, i am freaked out Who believes the hype? or is it?...............How about you fish eaters are you concerned?

    I am sure that i don't eat enough fish to be concerned. Once or twice a week will not cause problems. I have also heard that it's a good idea to eat cilantro with your fish. It will help push any heavy metals out of your body so that they don't cause issues.
    Thank you for the tip :happy:
  • sassi5
    sassi5 Posts: 49
    I am worried about it and dont eat fish that is high in it. I try and stay away from moderate as well. I love fish but I like my brain functions and eye sight more. Also I would, if I choose to have children one day, would like to have children with out birth defects caused my mercury. Generally larger fatty fish will have higher levels. The only one that really doesn't in that category is salmon. Its all around horrible for you. There is other fish you can eat. Plus tuna is over fished anyways and the whole industry is totally f-ed up anyways... why support it.
  • sarah3333
    sarah3333 Posts: 222 Member
    Holy cats! Where have I been? I have been eating 1 can of low sodium albacore tuna every day for over a year! Umm oops! I need protein, what are some low calorie protein options. : /
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    Not concerned at all. It's so far away ... heck, even Venus is between us and it. But it is really hot, so I would be very concerned if you wanted to live there ... imagine that AC bill ... sheesh ...

    I agree I think it will be ok but its definitely the finest place for the GREATEST sun burn of all time.. :laugh:

    mercury-planet-profile-101111-02.jpg?1289855758
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    I'm more concerned about Pluto. Pluto will always be a planet to me. **** those astronomers. As Pluto says, "Hey astronomers, your mom thinks I'm big enough."
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    my coworker saw me eating tuna everyday. She told me that her brother ate TWO cans of tuna per day for like a few years and it caused him to start to lose his hair :-/

    I don't eat it everyday anymore lol.
  • blacklaceroses
    blacklaceroses Posts: 48 Member
    I eat it a lot being a pescatarian.
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
    Mercury?

    Freddie_Mercury_Picture.jpg
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    I'm more concerned about Pluto. Pluto will always be a planet to me. **** those astronomers. As Pluto says, "Hey astronomers, your mom thinks I'm big enough."

    I agree with this..:drinker:
  • RobynC79
    RobynC79 Posts: 331 Member
    Mercury, like many heavy metals, is concentrated as you move up through the food chain - so eating fish-that-eat-fish-that-ate-fish (etc!) gives you a higher exposure that eating fish lower on the food chain. However, unless you eat a lot of marine fish or have other reasons to limit your intake (if you are pregnant, for example) you most likely need not be overly concerned.

    As a general rule (although there are now some emerging exceptions), fish that are higher up in the food chain (swordfish, tuna, sharks, etc.) are often not sustainably fished, so it's a good incentive to cut down your consumption of these species in general.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,994 Member
    A pescatarian girlfriend actually started eating meat recently because her dietician noticed that her mercury levels were alarmingly high. I guess if you eat a lot fish, try to stick to species low down on the food chain (with the exception of salmon, apparently). Ie avoid eating carnivores.
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    Mercury, like many heavy metals, is concentrated as you move up through the food chain - so eating fish-that-eat-fish-that-ate-fish (etc!) gives you a higher exposure that eating fish lower on the food chain. However, unless you eat a lot of marine fish or have other reasons to limit your intake (if you are pregnant, for example) you most likely need not be overly concerned.

    As a general rule (although there are now some emerging exceptions), fish that are higher up in the food chain (swordfish, tuna, sharks, etc.) are often not sustainably fished, so it's a good incentive to cut down your consumption of these species in general.

    Concentrated heavy metal rules :smokin:

    metal_horns.jpg


    BTW OP I am not concerned about mercury in foods.
  • MED2012COLORADO
    MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
    THANK YOU! I learned a lot and had some laughs. The people on MFP rock!
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    I am not concerned about Mercury, but i am concerned about Mars. Once humans get ahold of a planet, things start getting a little crazy....
  • Rope_Jumper
    Rope_Jumper Posts: 22
    Not concerned at all. It's so far away ... heck, even Venus is between us and it. But it is really hot, so I would be very concerned if you wanted to live there ... imagine that AC bill ... sheesh ...

    I agree I think it will be ok but its definitely the finest place for the GREATEST sun burn of all time.. :laugh:

    mercury-planet-profile-101111-02.jpg?1289855758

    After they declassified Pluto to a star, I was worried about some of the other planets as well. I'm over it now.lol
  • halobender
    halobender Posts: 780 Member
    ... I just came in here to make a joke about the planet.

    Damnit.

    ... Damnit.

    Well I'll give real response reply instead:

    I vary on my concern. I don't eat nearly as much fish as I used to—I used to eat sushi at least once a week and then some salmon as well. I've heard that so little of it is in there that the average person has nothing to worry about. Honestly I kind of pick and choose the things I'll be concerned with, and I just love fish too much to be too concerned.

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