Is Your Fish Oil Giving You Mercury Poisoning?

I'm talking about omega-3 fats—and alarming new
research suggests that the fish in which you find these
healthy fats could be brimming with mercury. Omega-3 fats
may help treat depression, heart disease, Alzheimer's
disease, cancer, dementia, autism, ADHD, inflammation, and
autoimmune diseases. You'll find omega-3s in fish.

But that's not all that's lurking in fish. A recent study
of tuna sushi from different New York City restaurants
found the fish contained extremely high levels of mercury.
Mercury is the second most common toxin found in
humans—something I know all too well.

You see, I once suffered from mercury poisoning, in part
from eating too much fish. Fortunately, I got the mercury
out of my body quickly by using special foods, supplements,
saunas, and chelation therapy. In my own practice, I often
see toxic mercury levels in my patients with depression,
heart disease, memory loss, and so many other conditions.
These problems are reversible, once you get the mercury out.

Got Mercury?

Coal-burning industrial facilities spew out millions of
pounds of mercury each year. This toxin floats through the
air and ends up in the oceans, rivers, and soil of our
planet. And since mercury is in our water, it's also in our
fish—especially larger varieties.

To read more about the health effects of mercury, see my
recent report on this subject in my medical journal, which
you can download for free. Autopsies of brains of people
who have had early or long-term exposure to mercury show
deposits of this toxin throughout the entire brain.

Not sure if you're contaminated? Ask your doctor for one or
more of these tests:

1. Blood tests are the most common tests for mercury but
only show exposure from the last few months.

2. Hair analysis tests only show methylmercury levels from
fish consumption. Ideal levels are lower than 1 ppm.

3. A urine test after a provocation or chelation challenge
with DMSA or DMPS, followed by a six-hour urine collection
is the only way to know if you have accumulated a lot of
mercury in your body over a lifetime. Ideal levels are less
then 5-micrograms/gram creatinine.

4. Urinary porphyrin testing is a noninvasive way to tell
if the mercury is poisoning your cells.

Have Your Fish and Eat It, Too!

It is possible to enjoy fish—and the many health
benefits of omega-3 fats—without ingesting mercury.
Try these tips:

1. Eat only small fish, like sardines, herring, and small
wild salmon.

2. Avoid tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish, and sea bass,
and nearly all river fish.

3. Take 1,000 to 2,000 mg of fish oil a day. It should be
distilled or purified fish oil that's 100 percent free of
industrial pollutants, especially mercury.

4. Vegetarians should eat plant sources of omega-3 fats
such as walnuts, ground flax seeds, and purslane (a green
vegetable). Also, supplement with 100 to 200 mg a day of
algae-derived DHA (one of the most important omega-3 fats
needed for brain function).

Quiz: Are You Deficient? Any positive answers to the
symptoms below can indicate an omega-3 fat deficiency.

1. Soft, cracked, or brittle nails

2. Dry, itchy, scaling, or flaking skin

3. Hard earwax

4. Chicken skin (tiny bumps on the backs of arms or on the
trunk)

5. Dandruff

6. Aching or stiffness in joints

7. Thirsty most of the time

8. Constipation

9. Light colored, hard, or foul-smelling stools

10. Depression

11. High blood pressure

12. Fibrocystic breasts

13. Premenstrual syndrome

14. High LDL cholesterol, low HDL levels, and high
triglycerides

15. North Atlantic genetic background: Irish, Scottish,
Welsh, Scandinavian, or coastal Native American

16. Eat fish like sardines, herring, or wild salmon less
than 3 times a week

So take a good look at your life, your symptoms, and your
diet. You might need a (fish) oil change. And remember, you
can have your fish and eat it too!

References

Choi BH. The effects of methylmercury on the developing
brain. Prog Neurobiol. 1989;32(6):447-70. Review.

Hibbeln JR, Nieminen LR, Lands WE. Increasing homicide
rates and linoleic acid consumption among five Western
countries, 1961-2000. Lipids. 2004 Dec;39(12):1207-13.

C. BERNARD GESCH, SEAN M. HAMMOND, SARAH E. HAMPSON, ANITA
EVES, and MARTIN J. CROWDER Influence of supplementa ry
vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids on the
antisocial behaviour of young adult prisoners: Randomised,
placebo-controlled trial Br. J. Psychiatry, Jul 2002; 181:
22 - 28.

Freeman MP. Omega-3 fatty acids and perinatal depression: a
review of the literature and recommendations for future
research. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2006
Oct-Nov;75(4-5):291-7.

Richardson AJ. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in
childhood developmental and psychiatric disorders. Lipids.
2004 Dec;39(12):1215-22. Review.

Freund-Levi Y, Basun H, Cederholm T, Faxen-Irving G,
Garlind A, Grut M, Vedin I, Palmblad J, Wahlund LO,
Eriksdotter-Jonhagen M. Omega-3 supplementation in mild to
moderate Alzheimer's disease: effects on neuropsychiatric
symptoms. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2007 Jun 21

Parker G, Gibson NA, Brotchie H, Heruc G, Rees AM,
Hadzi-Pavlovic D. Omega-3 fatty acids and mood disorders.
Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Jun;163(6):969-78. Review. Erratum
in: Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Oct;163(10):1842.

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Mark Hyman, MD is a pioneer in functional medicine,
practicing physician and best-selling author. A sneak
preview of his book "The UltraSimple Diet" is available.
See The UltraWellness Blog for more on Omega 3 Fatty Acids:
http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/