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| These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. | ||
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Is Mercury as Dangerous and Deadly as Lead? 
Is Mercury as Dangerous and Deadly as Lead? The "To-Do List" for a healthy lifestyle can be confusing, especially if you're one of the 3.78 million women who hope to have a healthy baby this year. Of course you'll exercise and take prenatal vitamins. You'll eat whole grains and use organic products. But what about fish? Fish is high in omega 3 fatty acids and doesn't have the hormones and pesticides that red meat and poultry can. But what about the mercury content in fish? According to the EPA, one in six babies born in the U.S. is exposed to enough mercury in the womb to cause an average IQ loss of 1.5 points, learning disabilities, and other cognitive impairments. Like lead, the brain damage caused by mercury is irreversible. And also like lead, the more scientists study mercury, the more they learn of the subtle damage mercury can cause at lower and lower levels. According to Dr. Philippe Grandjean, an adjunct professor at the Harvard School of Public Health who has studied mercury exposure in the womb for nearly 20 years, the amount of mercury the EPA considers safe for an adult to ingest per day is twice as high as a truly safe level. Harm to the fetus isn't the only danger of mercury contamination. Adults and children can suffer from hair loss, headaches, difficulty in concentrating, and other symptoms, according to Dr. Jane Hightower, an internist in San Francisco. Dr. Hightower laments that many people "were told fish was good for them, but they weren't told about the contaminants." But fish aren't the true culprits here -- in a perfect world, they would be a healthy part of a conscientious diet. Instead, pollution from coal-burning power plants has increased the amount of mercury in the environment by 200-500 percent. The emissions are transformed into methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury, by microbes at the bottom of the sea and bottom of the food chain. The concentration of mercury increases up the food chain to the big predators, like shark and swordfish and the larger tuna, which are dangerously contaminated. The EPA says that it is monitoring mercury studies but has not re-evaluated the safety level. The U.S. Tuna Foundation says the EPA's limit is "the most restrictive in the world" and that it ensures there's no risk to children. But the American Medical Association has recommended that the Federal Drug Administration consider requiring mercury warning signs wherever fish and canned tuna are sold. Legislation to reduce mercury pollution is being considered, and could reduce emissions by 70 percent anytime in the next twenty years. In the meantime, however, 75.6 million babies will be born. Will one in six of them be damaged? Mothers-To-Be: These heavy metals are real dangers. Detox yourself before you become pregnant. Once you are intending to become pregnant, be careful about food and exposure to environmental toxins. They can affect your baby and are preventable with some common sense action. "Scientists worry that mercury dangers mimic deadly lead"
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