Mercury Toxicity

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Fish is a great source of protein. It's super healthy and for some of us, it's considered a delicious and delightful meal. It's one of the healthiest foods you can ever eat. But if you are not careful enough, you will suffer from some health problems and more importantly "Mercury Toxicity".

Today we will talk about everything you should know about mercury toxicity and whether you should eat fish normally or you should stop eating it permanently!

Mercury

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Mercury is a heavy metal which is toxic that's found in water, soil and air. There are three main forms which are metallic, inorganic and organic.

Mercury can be toxic when people inhale mercury vapour or ingest any form of mercury or when you eat fish or shellfish and that's due to water pollution where they are exposed to low concentrations of mercury. Over time you can have serious health problems!

Eating fish is considered the major source of mercury exposure in humans but that's not the problem. The major problem occurs over time where the mercury accumulates in our body so that when it reaches certain levels, it's considered toxic and causes serious health problems. (Usually mercury accumulates in our body in it's organic form which is known as Methylmercury) (1,2)

Seaplants like algae absorbs mercury then small fish eat them then large fish accumulate higher levels of mercury from eating small fish.(3)

How Much is safe?

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US government agencies recommended blood mercury levels to be below 5.0 mcg per liter to prevent mercury poisoning. (4) Studies showed that people who eats larger fish such as Blue Pike had higher levels in their bodies. One study showed that 73 people had hair mercury levels higher than the recommended levels where it was linked that the main reason for this increase in mercury levels is eating high amounts of fish. (5,6)

What type of fish can harm you more?

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 One study showed that one third of fish caught in the new jersey shore had mercury levels more than 0.5 part per million which can harm many people who eats this type of fish regularly. (7)
Larger and longer-lived fish tends to contain the highest amount of mercury like Tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel and others. (8)

Mercury Toxicity

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It's a type of metal poisoning and a medical condition caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds. (9)
High levels of mercury in our blood are associated with neurological problems like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Autism. It also may be the blame for depression and anxiety. (10)
mercury toxicity has been linked to high blood pressure, High LDL cholesterol which is the bad cholesterol and increased the risk of heart attack. (11,12,13)
A study of 1800 person showed that those with the highest levels of hair mercury were more likely to die from heart-related problems than people with lower levels of hair mercury.(14)

Avoid eating fish?

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I think you won't eat fish after this article. Well, my advice to you is: "Don't worry too much"
So you probably think that i'm crazy but trust me you should eat fish at least twice per week because fish are an important source for proteins and omega 3 fatty acids.

People who are at a higher risk of having mercury toxicity are pregnant women, breastfeeding mother and young infants. They should keep in mind the following recommendations before eating fish regularly : (15)

• Stick to the low mercury fish like salmon, sardines, cod and shrimps
• Eat fish twice per week 
• Avoid high mercury fish like we mentioned above

Don't worry too much about mercury toxicity if you are eating fish just twice per week, just know that the benefits you get from eating fish outweighs the risks from mercury toxicity.
Last but not least, try to choose a variety of fish lower in mercury. (i guess you will, you better DO!)
As always if you found this article helpful. Well, don't be selfish and share it with everyone!
 "Be Healthy, Be Safe".