mercury

[hb]

ive been reading up on this forum and i keep coming accross one thing, MERCURY. "Tuna contains mercury" what is mercury and why is it so bad?

 

[Lt dan]

maybe because its a poison. ohyeah, and it will make you go insane. but i dont think its that bad unless youre pregnant.

 

[hardwork]

Originally posted by hb
ive been reading up on this forum and i keep coming accross one thing, MERCURY. "Tuna contains mercury" what is mercury and why is it so bad?

Mercury is an extremely toxic element that was, for a long time, dumped into the sea as a biproduct of manufacturing.

Methylmercury is the mercury most often found in nature (usually inside organisms). It builds up and takes a bit for bodies to get rid of it.

Most all fish have at least traces of mercury in their bodies. But carnivorous fish (IE, tuna and shark, amongst others) eat already-poisoned fish, and thereby take in all that extra mercury. Then we eat those over-poisoned tuna and shark.

Poisoning from tuna isn't easy, but it sure ain't difficult. (Moderation is the key, I think.) Salmon and most other freshwater fish are A-okay for consumption; it's mainly just carnivorous and/or sal****er fish that are the "big" hazards.

As Lt dan said, Mercury is a poison. Straight Mercury/"Quicksilver" (the only metal liquid at room temperature) can be absorbed through your skin. It takes a trip through your bloodstream, where it ends up in your menges, your brain-brain, and your brainstem, where it inhibits nerve action. (The Sparknotes: it kills you by killing your brain.)

Methylmercury will also kill you, but since it's diluted a bit with methane, it takes longer. If you start to lose your hair, lose your memory/sex drive, and develop weakening muslces and shaky hands, your brain is dying: lighten up on the tuna/shark intake.

If you're pregnant, nursing, or only in the single digits' worth of age, the less mercury you take in, the better. Mercury messes with your brain, and growing brains need all the help they can get.

Enough of my meandering thought! http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=mercury or Google it!

 

[Ripped]

I wouldn't worry about it. As with the whole salmonella in raw eggs issue, its way overhyped. You can safely have as much as you want without being concerned...

 

[hb]

sounds pretty serious to me

 

[Ripped]

...And in my post above I meant you can have as much tuna as you want... not mercury .

 

[livin large]

Originally posted by Ripped
...And in my post above I meant you can have as much tuna as you want... not mercury .

Absolutely not. At most, 1 can a day. That is probably still too high a risk for me, but you're probably going to be safe with it. The recommended max for pregnant woman and children is 1 can per week.

Also, if you're going to eat tuna, don't eat Albacore - get the chunk light. Albacore has higher mercury levels.

 

[Ripped]

I disagree with confidence . How bigger a can are we talking here? I still stand by what I said. Obviously not stupid amounts of tuna, but a few cans will (obviously dependant on a few variables...) not be of any threat.

 

[livin large]

The recommendation was based on 6 oz cans...

If you're eating a $hitload of tuna, consider cutting back. If you're eating moderate amounts, you're probably fine. If you feel yourself becomming retarded, eat less.