Seafood & Mercury - The Myth That Keeps People from Eating Fish
The common recommendation to limit seafood intake due to mercury toxicity may be based on incomplete science.
For decades health professionals have been recommending limiting seafood (especially large fish like tuna, swordfish, etc) intake due to the levels of mercury present in them. At the same time, it is practically common knowledge that seafood is high in Omega-3 fatty acids. It is also a great source for vitamin B-12, B-6, zinc, selenium, iron, and potassium. So avoiding seafood makes getting these vital minerals and vitamins more challenging. The list-item that needs closer scrutiny is selenium.
It turns out that mercury targets and binds to selenium becoming inactive. Seafood has a high amount of selenium, and this binding with mercury in effect cancels out any harmful impact that the mercury might have had on the body in the absence of selenium.
Of course, each person needs to make their own decision based consulting their healthcare professional, supplemented by personal research. To that end, I am including two studies which focus on the binding of mercury to selenium in the body.
Fish, and other seafood, can likely be a major part of one?s diet without worry about mercury toxicity.