One fish, two fish, red fish – ew, fish.
Since 2004, women, especially, have been warned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency to limit their consumption of tuna due to high levels of mercury contained in the fish.
A recent study conducted by The New York Times reiterates the reasons.
The study, which tested tuna sushi from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants, found that “sushi from five of the 20 places had mercury levels so high that the Food and Drug Administration could take legal action to remove the fish from the market.”
According to Bryan Davis, general manager of Sodexho Dining Services, precautions are being taken at Fairfield’s Stag and Barone cafeteria to prevent the harmful fish from being consumed by the campus community.
The canned tuna used at Fairfield is albacore and the sushi served in the Stag is of the yellowfin species, Davis said.
“We are not serving the bluefin variety mentioned so extensively in the [New York Times] article, which seems to be the prime source of high mercury levels due to the size of the fish. We would caution eating any types of seafood to limit their intake per the guidelines given by the FDA,” he said.
According to the article, studies conducted over the past few years suggest that, among health problems, mercury puts adults at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and neurological symptoms. Studies also show that canned tuna does not contain as much mercury as fresh tuna does.
Gary Nelson, director of the Fairfield Health Center said that, according to his understanding, “mercury is a heavy metal, so you should probably limit your intake to about three times a week.”
He added that he is not an expert on the subject.
Like everything in life, Nelson said, tuna intake should be done in moderation. But it should not be completely cut out of one’s diet because of the benefits they provide such as Omega-3.
“Supportive but not conclusive research” shows that Omega-3 fatty acids, or essential fatty acids, may “reduce the risk of coronary heart disease,” according to a release from the FDA in 2004. At this time, coronary heart disease caused 500,000 deaths a year in the United States.
An article by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention cites the Handbook of Pediatric Environmental Health, which states, “To reduce hazards from fish consumption, individuals can be counseled to eat non-predator fish rather than predator fish such as shark, swordfish, and tuna; to eat small rather than large game fish; and to eat fewer fatty fish like carp, catfish, and lake trout, which accumulate higher levels of chemical toxicants.”
Self magazine noted that the following types of fish can be enjoyed at any time with limited risk: catfish, crab, flounder, salmon, scallops, shrimp, yellowtail snapper, sole, tilapia and trout. Thus, seafood lovers should not be entirely discouraged from a fish-filled diet. But sushi lovers should be aware that local Asian and Japanese restaurants such as Sweet Basil, Wild Rice and Sakura offer yellowtail tuna on their menus, not the bluefin tuna that was examined in the New York Times study.
While most warnings are aimed at pregnant women, women expecting to become pregnant, and children, the body stores mercury for up to one year after consumption, and a buildup of the substance can be harmful to anyone, according to the FDA Web site.
Leave a Reply