
Healthy Tuna’s Hidden “Dark Side” Causes Harm
It’s no wonder that canned tuna is so popular. Talk about a versatile food!
It’s the perfect thing to throw into a pasta dish. You can make it the star of a hearty tuna casserole. Or you even go “fancy” and make tuna cakes.
And, of course, there’s America’s favorite lunch… the classic tuna salad.
It’s why most households in the United States have at least one can squirreled away in their pantry.
In fact, in some cases, tuna is the ONLY fish some folks eat.
But canned tuna has a hidden dark side. And we need to talk about it.
Tuna contains mercury, a metal that’s toxic to living organisms.
Most folks know mercury can be a big problem for pregnant women and children. But too much mercury can harm every one of us.
The metal damages nerve cells, leading to:
- tremors
- insomnia
- memory loss
- headaches
- cognitive and motor dysfunction (problems thinking and moving)
But it’s not just tuna that’s a problem; it’s ALL fish.
You see, our oceans are full of mercury. Some of the metal is there naturally. But unfortunately, a lot of it is the result of human contamination.
For example, burning coal creates mercury-filled smoke that eventually settles into our waterways and oceans.
And to further complicate things, mercury tends to bioaccumulate or become concentrated in the bodies of living things.
This means the bigger the fish and the longer they live, the more mercury they can contain. Larger fish eat smaller fish, which leads to more mercury in the fish that are higher on the food chain.
Albacore tuna, which is larger, tends to have more mercury than smaller “light” tuna.
When independent, non-profit organization Consumer Reports recently tested different tuna brands, they found that NONE of the albacore tunas they tried had low enough mercury levels for someone to safely have three servings a week.
Consumer Reports suggested children shouldn’t eat albacore and that pregnant women should avoid ALL tuna. But if you’re a real canned tuna fan who eats it often, consider limiting your consumption too.
The risk of over-exposure to mercury is far too high. I suggest swapping some of those tuna meals with chicken instead.
You’ll be getting fewer omega-3s. But you can make up for any shortfalls with a fish oil supplement.
P.S. Tuna isn’t the only way we’re being exposed to mercury. Something many of us do up to eight times a day could have us gulping down troubling amounts of the toxic metal. CLICK HERE for the rest of the story.
Source:
“How Worried Should You Be About Mercury in Your Tuna?”
www.consumerreports.org

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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