Do We Have to Throw Away Our Fishing Poles?

That Trout May Be Too Poisoned to Eat

I love to fish. Even though, when I take my son Dylan fishing, he catches fish like crazy, and I never seem to catch a thing. But it doesn’t matter. Fishing puts us in a different world. As the Babylonian proverb says, “The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent fishing.”

So… How sad it was for me to discover that we can’t eat the fish caught in most streams anymore.

I’ve always believed it’s better to eat wild cod, wild salmon, and bass we catch in freshwater streams, because it’s far healthier than farm-raised fish. But there’s some disturbing news I need to share with you. Wild-caught fish is not the clear-cut choice it used to be.

When about 300 streams across the U.S. were tested, one hundred percent of the fish were found to be contaminated with mercury.₁ It’s gotten that bad.

And, more than two thirds of the fish had more mercury than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says is safe.

The mercury is coming from industrial pollution. It rains down from the atmosphere and settles in our water, where it builds up in fish.

But mercury accumulates in fish more than a million times over the concentration you find in water. It binds to red blood cells and gathers in the muscle tissue of the fish. This is the part you eat.

When you eat fish contaminated with mercury, your body mistakes it for an amino acid, the building block of protein. Mercury seeps into every tissue and organ of your body. Your body allows it to cross into the brain and affect your nervous system.

What the heck are we supposed to do now?

I’m not trying to tell you to stop eating fish. What I’m hoping is you’ll become more aware of your exposure to mercury, so you’ll eat the right kinds of fish.

We have to look into this problem with a little more detail…

Mercury Toxins: Can Mercury Cause a Heart Attack?

You don’t feel what mercury is doing to your body. It destroys your nerve cells and invades your heart, bones, and brain. It can drop your IQ and cause handicaps like blindness, deafness, and cerebral palsy in your kids._2,3

But symptoms aren’t always apparent. You could forget names or have trouble concentrating and paying attention. Your reflexes may be slow. Or you develop numbness and tingling.

Unfortunately, most doctors don’t know that symptoms like these may mean you have mercury poisoning.₄

Mercury can make you feel like you’re crazy. I read one study where half of the subjects exposed to mercury had extreme anxiety and exhibited symptoms of mental illness. The control group had almost no incidents.₅

Mercury can also disrupt your immune system. To the point where you can’t fight off infections and viruses. Many people believe mercury is to blame for autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s disease, Lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.₆

But did you know the mercury from too many fish dinners can also give you a heart attack?

Just this past year, researchers looked at Nordic whaling men, who live on a diet of fish. The scientists discovered a link between the mercury in the fish the men ate and heart disease.

As mercury levels in the men went up, blood pressure and atherosclerosis went up. This study was one more confirmation of what has been suggested for a long time. Mercury can give you cardiovascular disease.₇

Mercury Toxins: Skip the Tuna Fish Sandwich

Yet, there are proven health benefits to eating fish as well…

All fish have quality protein. Lots of vitamins and minerals. And if you eat fatty ocean fish, you get the “fish oil” that’s so important – the omega-3 fatty acids like ecosapentaenoic acid (EPA), dicosahexanoic acid (DHA), and linolenic acid.

Omega-3’s can reduce pain and make headaches go away. They reduce inflammation and make your brain work better. Omega-3’s are great for your cardiovascular system. They protect you from heart attack and stroke.

In a review published by the American Heart Association, the eating habits of more than 222,000 individuals were studied for almost 12 years. They concluded that the more fish you eat, the less chance you have of dying from cardiovascular disease.₈

I encourage you to take in plenty of omega-3’s. But if you’re getting them mainly from fish, you need to choose carefully and minimize your exposure to mercury.

If you eat even small amounts of shark or swordfish, you’re taking a huge risk. You have a 50% greater chance of having a heart attack just by eating either of these fish.₉

As a rule of thumb, the bigger the fish, the more mercury. A large fish that’s lived longer has had more time to accumulate high levels of mercury. Big fish with the greatest risk are:

1. Shark
2. Swordfish
3. King mackerel
4. Tilefish

But there are far more than four fish available in any fish market. So it’s best to weigh the benefits and the risks when you buy your dinner.

Fulton Fish Market in NYC is the largest wholesale market of fish in the U.S. Just this past year, scientists analyzed fish for their mercury content. Tuna, mahi-mahi, and swordfish had levels far above what you should eat. On the other hand, shrimp, scallops, and Atlantic salmon had very low levels.₁₀

So, you swear off shark and swordfish… no big deal. But tuna? How about your tuna fish sandwich?

Both light and white (albacore) canned tuna contain mercury. But albacore has almost four times the amount. Your best bet is to skip the albacore. Light tuna is your best choice. But limit yourself to one meal per week. Even small amounts of mercury can build up rapidly in your body.

This goes for other fish such as lobster, sea bass, or tuna steaks. They present the same risk as canned tuna. Limit them to once a week.

But, when you eat fish like salmon, herring, and trout, you’re getting a lot of protection from omega-3’s and relatively low levels of mercury. Eating more fish like tilapia, pollack, flounder, and shrimp can also magnify the benefits of eating fish.

Here’s a short-list of fish that contain higher amounts of omega-3’s and lower levels of mercury:₁₁ But take note: even though you see “farmed” next to Atlantic Salmon on the list, it’s not a good idea to eat farm-raised fish. When you eat farm-raised fish, it causes inflammation in your body. That can lead to disease.

Fish Species	Omega-3’s	Mercury
	mg/6 oz	ug/g
Salmon, Atlantic, farmed	3,658	0.014
Herring, Atlantic	3,424	0.04
Trout	1,744	0.03
Pollack	922	0.06
Flounder/Sole	852	0.05
Shrimp	536	0.01
Tilapia	240	0.01

When it comes to freshwater fish that you catch yourself, it’s harder to come up with a short list. The EPA has been trying to compile a nationwide database on the mercury in fish since 1995.

But they ran into a big stumbling block. There are no standards for testing. Each state has widely different collection methods, equipment, and procedures.

For example, one state tests the genus, “trout,” which contains many species. Another state tests species such as “brown trout” or “rainbow trout” individually.

Alabama has equipment that won’t measure mercury under 0.2 ppm. They list it as a “non-detected” amount. But the fish does contain mercury, and other states measure it carefully. It throws off the results.

The environment also plays a part. Many things such as temperature, depth, and calcium levels in the water can affect mercury levels in fish. They’re always changing.

Yet, with all the problems and considerations, the EPA has finally come out with a database. The fish and toxic levels vary depending on the state and their standards. Click here to check the advisories in your state.

The top six freshwater fish with highest levels of mercury throughout the nation are:₁₂

• Largemouth bass
• Walleye
• Northern pike
• Channel catfish
• Bluegill sunfish
• Common carp

Follow these guidelines to keep your mercury levels low:

1. Avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. These large fish contain unacceptable levels of mercury.
2. Eat up to 12 ounces (two 6 oz. servings) per week of fish that are low in mercury, such as salmon, pollock, herring, or light tuna. Or shellfish such as shrimp, oysters, clams, mussels, squid, and scallops.
3. If you eat fish such as largemouth bass or walleye that may have higher levels, eat no more than one 6 oz. meal per month.
4. If you eat fish caught from streams, stick to smaller pan species, such as perch, bluegill, or crappie. Smaller fish don’t have as much time to absorb mercury.

Mercury Toxins: How to Rid Your Body of Mercury Poisoning

To reduce the mercury already in your body, make detox a part of your regular routine.

• Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement, and eat a high-protein diet during an oral detox. Sulfur-bearing amino acids found in protein help you detox more quickly. Drink plenty of water to flush out toxins.
• Add detoxifiers such as cilantro and garlic to whatever you cook. Cilantro is great in salad or on salmon. Garlic goes with a variety of dishes.
• For a more intensive detox, buy chlorella, aged garlic, NAC, MSM, or activated charcoal. You’ll find them at your local vitamin shop. Start with the lowest dose listed below. Gradually build up to a higher dose. Take your supplements with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

NUTRIENT	ACTIONS	DOSE
Vitamin C	Vitamin C is a precursor to glutathione, one of the body’s most important antioxidants.	Take 1,000 mg twice a day in divided doses.
NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine)	NAC is a natural sulfur-containing compound found naturally in food.	Take 1,000-2,000 mg NAC per day. (You can take NAC along with one of your doses of vitamin C.)
MSM (Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane)	MSM is a natural sulfur-containing compound found naturally in food.	Take 1,000 mg MSM per day. (You can take MSM along with your other dose of vitamin C.)
Chlorella	Chlorella is algae.   C. Pyreneidosa is the form with the best metal absorbing properties.	Most people can tolerate high doses of it with great success. Take 1 gram with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can increase the dose to up to 3 grams 3 to 4 times a day.
Garlic	Use fresh, freeze-dried, or aged garlic for best results. It contains a bioactive form of selenium, which is a potent mercury detoxifier.	Start with one capsule or one clove and slowly increase to three capsules or cloves after each meal.
Cilantro	Cilantro is a kitchen herb and one of the best detoxifiers for your central nervous system. It mobilizes so much mercury; it can’t always carry it out of the body fast enough. So use it in combination with chlorella.	Eat organic cilantro, make a pesto, tea, or buy a tincture. Take 2 drops 2 times a day before meals or 30 minutes after taking chlorella.  Increase to dose to up to 10 drops three times a day.
Activated Charcoal	Activated charcoal is used in every emergency room to treat poison victims.  It is safe and effective to use every day.	Powdered charcoal is best. Take 20 grams per day, mixed in a glass of water.  If you take it in tablet form, you need up to 280 g per day.

1. Gorman, S. “Mercury Tainted Fish Found Widely in U.S. Streams.” Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE57J01720090820. Accessed 03 2010.
2. Cohen JT, Bellinger DC, Shaywitz BA. “A quantitative analysis of prenatal methyl mercury exposure and cognitive development.” Am J Prev Med. 2005;29:353-365.
3. Castoldi AF, Coccini T, Ceccatelli S, et al. “Neurotoxicity and molecular effects of methylmercury.” Brain Res Bull. 2001;55:197–203.
4. Yokoo, E. “Low Level Methylmercury Exposure Affects Neuropsychological Function in Adults.” 2003 Feb. biomedcentral.com. Accessed 03 2010.
5. Bailer J. “Adverse health effects related to mercury exposure from dental amalgam fillings: toxicological or psychological causes?” Psychol Med. 2001 Feb;31(2):255-63.
6. Hess, E. “Environmental chemicals and autoimmune disease: cause and effect.” Toxicology. 2002 Dec; 181-182:65-70.
7. Choi, A.L., Weihe, P., et al, “Methylmercury Exposure and Adverse Cardiovascular Effects in Faroese Whaling Men.” Environmental Health Perspectives. 2009; 117(3): 367-372.
8. He K, Song Y, et al. “Accumulated evidence on fish consumption and coronary heart disease mortality: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.” Circulation. 2004 Jun 8;109(22):2705-11.
9. Ginsburg, G. Toal, B.“Quantitative Approach for Incorporating Methylmercury Risks and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Benefits in Developing Species Specific Fish Consumption Advice.” Environmental Health Perspective. 2009 Feb; 117(2).
10. Chang, M. “Tissue Analysis for Mercury and PCBs from a New York City Commercial Seafood Market.” 2009 National Forum on Contaminants in Fish Portland, Oregon. Accessed 03 2010.
11. Ibid.
12. “The National Survey of Mercury Concentrations in Fish Data Base Summary, 1990-1995” Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed 03 2010.