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Research has shown that pregnant women should limit their intake
of swordfish, tuna, shark and king mackerel because of their high
levels of mercury, which can cause brain damage in unborn children.
The accumulation of toxic mercury, methyl mercury, found in fish
and seafood is caused by pollution that in excess levels has been
found to be particularly toxic to the nervous system and the developing
brain of children. Traces of methyl mercury were found to be the
highest in longer-lived large fish
Health officials have recommended that women of childbearing age
should select fish such as shrimp, salmon, pollock and catfish.
The suggested guidelines for eating fish included 12 ounces per
week of fish low in mercury and no more than six ounces of white
tuna or fish caught by family or friends.
According to research, an average of 630,000 U.S. children are
born each year with toxic amounts of mercury in their blood.
Studies also revealed that white tuna contained three times as
much mercury as light tuna. For this reason, experts have warned
women of childbearing age to limit their consumption of albacore
white tuna.
Despite the mercury concerns, the U.S. Tuna Foundation has described
tuna as "nature’s healthy fast food" that is low
fat and contains many nutrients.
Yahoo! News March
18 & March
24, 2004
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