The answer is yes. And celebrities can prove it.
According to People magazine, Jeremy Piven is just one famous face that can be associated with mercury poisoning. In 2008, Piven’s doctor pulled him out of a Broadway show due to the health issue, which Piven developed as a result of ample amounts of both sushi and Chinese herbs. Testing showed that his mercury levels exceeded the normal amount six-fold.
Elevated mercury levels also afflicted actress Daphne Zuniga. When doctors didn’t know what was causing her to feel dizzy and forget her lines, she suggested the possibility of mercury poisoning. And sure enough, she had higher-than-normal levels of mercury.
Mercury Rising?
According to Live Science, mercury is a naturally occurring element, and it can be found in three different forms: elemental, inorganic and organic.
"Human activities like coal burning, gold mining and chloralkali manufacturing plants currently contribute the vast majority of the mercury released into our environment," Dr. Anne M. Davis, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics director at the Didactic Program in Dietetics of the University of New Haven, tells Live Science.
The problem is that mercury can pose a threat to health when it finds its way to water sources. The fish that people eat consume mercury, then it is passed on to humans. Consequently, experts say 80 to 90 percent of organic mercury found in humans can be attributed to eating seafood.
And some environmental factors contribute to this health issue. According to Eco Watch, mercury that is considered the most dangerous is called methylmercury. And at one time, industrial facilities contributed to this issue by dumping methylmercury into water sources.
One well-known tale of this type of behavior took place in Japan in the 1950s and '60s. As a result, more than 2,000 people got mercury poisoning related to fish that had been caught in Minamata Bay. Eco Watch says that this is why the neurological syndrome associated with massive mercury poisoning has been named Minamata disease.
Eco Watch says that these concerning behaviors have also been seen in American waterways. For example, Allied Chemical Company dumped up to 20 pounds of mercury into Onondaga Lake (located in New York) on a daily basis at one time.
Plus, the burning of fossil fuels results in mercury issues when mercury finds its way into the air supply. Experts say that this mercury eventually finds its way to the ground, and then into the ocean by way of rain. It then makes a conversion from elemental mercury to methylmercury. At this point, it is thought to make its way into the food chain, starting with the tissues of the smallest creatures and then working its way up the food chain to humans.
But what about tuna?
You may have heard that tuna is a large concern. This is said to be because tuna is a predator, making it possess the ability to be high in mercury. Consequently, some health experts say that pregnant women should avoid tuna altogether to eliminate health risks.
“Canned tuna contributes more than one-third of the mercury exposure of the average American,” Philippe Grandjean, M.D., tells Time. “About one in six women in coastal U.S. populations have elevated mercury exposures that could cause harm to the fetus.”
But this doesn’t mean that you will develop mercury poisoning from eating seafood. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this shouldn’t be a concern for the majority of people. However, some people are in a higher risk group than others. For example, women who are pregnant, children and elderly people fall into this category. Plus, some people’s risk increases because they consume large amounts of fish in general.
Choosing the Right Fish
That said, you can make educated choices when it comes to fish. The EPA provides three recommendations on how to do this. This is particularly important for those in high-risk groups.
The first general rule of thumb is to avoid seafood that is known to be filled with high levels of mercury: shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish.
Second, eat two meals or 12 ounces of fish weekly, focusing on fish that contain lower levels of mercury. Common examples of these types of seafood include shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish.
Know that albacore tuna contains higher levels of mercury than canned light tuna. As a result, your meals containing fish should be limited to six ounces or one weekly meal of albacore tuna.
Third, stay up to date on the news. Follow advisories in your community regarding the safety of the fish found in local bodies of water. Find out which fish are of concern and how much mercury these fish contain.
And if you can’t find information on this concept, consume up to six ounces or one meal a week consisting of locally caught fish. In addition, don’t eat any other fish in a week in which you eat local fish.
And when it comes to kids, use these general rules of thumb. However, you’ll want to provide children with smaller portions of fish in meals. After all, their bodies are smaller than ours.
Plus, remember that fish isn’t the only way to obtain omega-3s if your goal is to boost your weekly amount of these health-boosting fatty acids. According to U.S. News & World Report, beans are a rich source of omega-3s. Kidney, pinto and mung beans are great choices in this respect. This makes for a great reason to make chili.
Further, nuts contain these fatty acids. Walnuts and flaxseeds are packed with them. So add them to salads for a great health boost. And common vegetables can serve as a source. Broccoli, cauliflower, winter squash and spinach all contain omega-3 fatty acids.