2008 Woodie Awards
Attack of the toxic tuna
Bruce Friedrich
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: Opinion
Waiter, is that mercury in my sushi?
If your sushi is made with fish, the answer is probably "yes." That's the scary news reported by The New York Times, which bought and tested tuna sushi from twenty Manhattan stores and restaurants. Several of the samples were so tainted with mercury that federal regulators could confiscate them for violating food safety rules. Experts warn that similar results would likely be found in other parts of the country as well.
It turns out that eating fish can be as hazardous to humans as it is to the fish.
As someone who hails from the "land of 10,000 lakes," you'd think I'd be all about fish. Like most Minnesotans, I grew up eating fish and going fishing. Then I started to learn more about fish and decided I'd rather see these complex animals alive in their lake homes than dead on my plate. Fish, like other animals, are smart, can feel pain and even have their own distinct personalities.
Here's what else I've learned: Fish is anything but "health food."
As the Times study shows, tuna, and other fish, are often contaminated with mercury, a documented poison that can cause brain damage, memory loss, tremors, joint pain, and gastrointestinal disturbances and has recently been linked to cardiovascular disease.
If you think mercury poisoning doesn't happen in the United States, think again. San Francisco physician Jane Hightower found that dozens of her patients had high levels of mercury in their bodies, and many showed symptoms of mercury poisoning, including hair loss, fatigue, depression, difficulty concentrating, and headaches. When her patients stopped eating fish, their symptoms disappeared.
The Wall Street Journal reported on one of Dr. Hightower's patients, 10-year-old Matthew Davis. Matthew had always excelled in school, but suddenly he was missing assignments and struggling with basic math. His teachers said that Matthew could barely write a simple sentence. What's more, Matthew's fingers had started to curl, and this formerly excellent athlete could no longer catch a football. One specialist told Matthew's parents that their son had a learning disability.
If your sushi is made with fish, the answer is probably "yes." That's the scary news reported by The New York Times, which bought and tested tuna sushi from twenty Manhattan stores and restaurants. Several of the samples were so tainted with mercury that federal regulators could confiscate them for violating food safety rules. Experts warn that similar results would likely be found in other parts of the country as well.
It turns out that eating fish can be as hazardous to humans as it is to the fish.
As someone who hails from the "land of 10,000 lakes," you'd think I'd be all about fish. Like most Minnesotans, I grew up eating fish and going fishing. Then I started to learn more about fish and decided I'd rather see these complex animals alive in their lake homes than dead on my plate. Fish, like other animals, are smart, can feel pain and even have their own distinct personalities.
Here's what else I've learned: Fish is anything but "health food."
As the Times study shows, tuna, and other fish, are often contaminated with mercury, a documented poison that can cause brain damage, memory loss, tremors, joint pain, and gastrointestinal disturbances and has recently been linked to cardiovascular disease.
If you think mercury poisoning doesn't happen in the United States, think again. San Francisco physician Jane Hightower found that dozens of her patients had high levels of mercury in their bodies, and many showed symptoms of mercury poisoning, including hair loss, fatigue, depression, difficulty concentrating, and headaches. When her patients stopped eating fish, their symptoms disappeared.
The Wall Street Journal reported on one of Dr. Hightower's patients, 10-year-old Matthew Davis. Matthew had always excelled in school, but suddenly he was missing assignments and struggling with basic math. His teachers said that Matthew could barely write a simple sentence. What's more, Matthew's fingers had started to curl, and this formerly excellent athlete could no longer catch a football. One specialist told Matthew's parents that their son had a learning disability.
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Sarah
posted 3/01/08 @ 2:43 PM EST
Woah, I used to love fish when i wasn't a vegetarian! Since I now am a proud vegan, i've been looking for information like this and you will not belive how much articles on fish i've read! I didn't know fish were so dangerous. (Continued…)
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