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Old June 20th 05, 07:40 PM
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Roman,

Thanks for posting this article. It is not new news, but it is
important news, and bears repeating. I am just snipping a few
comments to emphasize.


In misc.kids.pregnancy Roman Bystrianyk wrote:
: Marla Cone, "Calculated, Risk Is Worth Benefit of Eating Fish", Los
: Angeles Times, June 20, 2005,
: Link:
: http://www.latimes.com/features/heal...-health-womens

: Fish is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help young brains develop
: and seem to protect against heart disease. But it also is tainted by
: mercury, a potent neurotoxin that interferes with the building of
: brains.

This the important pair of benefits and risks we have to balance.

: The researchers concluded that pregnant women should eat fish because
: their babies are likely to score higher on intelligence tests. But they
: also reported that the benefits of the nutrients disappear and the
: babies' intelligence scores drop substantially if the fish contains
: high levels of mercury.

Yes. However, eating fish is not the only way to get the omega-3
fatty acids pregnant women need for thier babies development. Perhaps
it would also be useful to point out the alternatives. They can take
DHA supplements from either seaweed or flaxseed. (where do you think
the fish get their omega-3's? seaweed, of course!)

: The FDA entirely rules out swordfish and shark as well as king mackerel
: and tilefish, found on the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico, for
: pregnant and nursing women and young children. Some white and albacore
: tuna, canned and fresh, also have high mercury levels. Generally, the
: darker the fish meat, the higher the mercury content.

This is the first important thing people need to know. What fishes
not to eat. However, I think there is another message here. How did
all this mercury get into these fish anyway. From industrial pollution,
of course. Just maybe this is a clarion call to stop this industrial
discharge and clean up our oceans. Todd, here is another great issue
for a dedicated activist to take on for the benefits of the babies of
the world!

: Sardines, herring, canned light tuna, cod, haddock, tilapia, sea bass
: and shrimp are considered good, low-mercury choices. Small fatty fishes
: such as sardines and herring are especially beneficial to babies
: because they contain a lot of fatty acids.

Gread advice for those who want to know what is safe in how much quantity.

: Salmon is generally low in mercury and high in fatty acids, but some
: farmed salmon contains high concentrations of other contaminants, PCBs,
: which are also risky for babies.

I don't think this is just a salmon problem. I think it is a fish
farming problem. This problem is the same "industrial farming"
techniques that plagues the beef and poultry industries. Maybe we
need to develop guildelines for "Certified Organic Fish Farming".
Until then I will only eat wild caught fish!

: The FDA's recommendations on fish consumption are available at
: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/admehg3.html

There are a lot of messages in this article, not only about what to
eat or avoid in order remain healthy and to make sure our children
remain health. There is a strong message about what happens when
we foul our own food supply, and we should take that to heart enough
that we do something to clean it up!

Larry