Deadly danger from the depths of the sea
These days fish are contaminated with toxic chemicals that cause cancer and brain degeneration. Also, of all products, fish is the most dangerous in terms of pathogenic bacteria. Do you think fish is a healthy food? Think again. Fish live in water so polluted that you wouldn’t even think to drink it. And yet you are ingesting this toxic cocktail of bacteria, toxins, heavy metals, etc. This happens every time you eat fish. Researchers at The University of Illinois found that people who eat fish and have high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in their blood have trouble remembering information they received 30 minutes ago. The fish body absorbs toxic chemicals from the water, and these substances become more concentrated as they move up the food chain. Big fish eat small fish, and larger fish (such as tuna and salmon) absorb chemicals from the fish they eat. Fish meat accumulates contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls that cause damage to the liver, nervous system and reproductive organs. Strontium-90 in fish, as well as cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium and arsenic, can cause kidney damage, mental retardation, and cancer (1,2,3,4). These toxins accumulate in human fatty tissues and stay there for decades. Sea food is also the #1 cause of food poisoning in the US.
Many waterways are polluted with human and animal excrement, and waste products carry dangerous bacteria such as E. coli. Therefore, when we eat fish, we put ourselves at unnecessary risk of contracting an infectious disease that can lead to extreme discomfort, damage to the nervous system, and even death.
Seafood is the #1 cause of food poisoning in the US. Seafood poisoning can lead to very poor health, damage to the kidneys and nervous system, and even death. According to a report by The General Accounting Office, the fishing industry is very poorly controlled. The Food and Drug Administration most often does not test fish for many known chemicals and bacteria. This is mercury Due to industrial pollution, fish accumulate mercury in their meat. Fish absorb mercury, and it is deposited in their tissues. If you eat fish, your body will absorb the mercury from fish meat, and a buildup of this substance can lead to serious health problems. It should be noted that a fish – this is the only way a person can come into contact with this poison. Eating fish and other marine animals is the only way humans can come into contact with mercury. New England Journal of Medicine (2003) Even small amounts of fish have a strong effect on blood mercury levels. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that women who ate fish twice a week had seven times higher blood mercury concentrations than those who hadn’t eaten fish in the previous month. Studies have also shown that if a woman weighing 140 pounds eats 6 ounces of white tuna once a week, then the level of mercury in her blood will exceed the permissible values by 30%. Mercury is poison. Mercury is known to cause serious illness in humans, including brain damage, memory loss, tremors, miscarriage, and fetal malformations. Mercury poisoning from eating fish also causes fatigue and memory loss. Some doctors call this “fish haze”. A study by Jane Hightower, a San Francisco physician, found that dozens of her patients had elevated levels of mercury in their bodies, and many showed symptoms of mercury poisoning, such as hair loss, fatigue, depression, inability to concentrate, and headache. The doctor found that the condition of the patients improved when they stopped eating fish. As Hightower says, “Mercury is a known poison. There are always problems with her, wherever she meets. The researchers also found that mercury found in marine animals can cause heart disease in people who eat fish. A recent report released by the Research Institute of Public Health in Finland found that men who have elevated blood mercury levels from eating fish are about 1,5 times more likely to experience heart disease, including heart disease. seizures. poisonous meat Mercury is not the only dangerous element in fish. People who eat fish also get polychlorinated biphenyls. Large fish eat small fish, so the concentration of PCBs in the bodies of large fish becomes higher. People who receive polychlorinated biphenyls by eating fish have brain damage, reproductive disorders, and an increased risk of cancer. Fish can accumulate very large amounts of chemicals in fish and fat, up to 9 million times more than the water they live in. Polychlorinated biphenyls are synthetic substances that were previously used in hydraulic fluids and oils, in electrical capacitors and transformers. Their use was banned in the US in 1979, but widespread use in previous years has led to their being found everywhere, particularly in fish. Polychlorinated biphenyls are dangerous because they act like hormones, cause nerve damage, and contribute to a number of diseases, including cancer, infertility, other reproductive disorders, and more. Researchers at The University of Illinois found that that people who eat fish and have high levels of PCBs in their blood have trouble remembering information they received 30 minutes ago. Polychlorinated biphenyls are absorbed by the bodies of fish. Large fish that eat small fish accumulate ever greater concentrations of PCBs in their meat and can reach levels thousands of times higher than those of PCBs. But a person would not even think of drinking this water! One bottlenose dolphin had a PCB level of 2000 ppm, 40 times the legal limit. In Eskimos, whose diet consists largely of fish, the level of polychlorinated biphenyls in adipose tissue is 15,7 parts per million. This greatly exceeds the limit value (0,094 ppm). Virtually all Eskimos had levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exceeded, and in some they were so high that their breast milk and body tissues could be classified as hazardous waste. In 2002, 38 states in the US issued recommendations regarding fish consumption, triggered by high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls. PCBs make you stupid. Dr. Susan L. Schantz of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine has been examining people who eat fish since 1992 and found that those who eat 24 or more fish in a year pounds of fish, have memory problems. On average, people around the world eat 40 pounds of fish a year.) She found that people who eat fish have high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in their blood, and because of this, they have trouble remembering information that they received just 30 minutes ago. “Adults have been found to be less susceptible to the effects of PCBs than developing fetuses. That may not be the case.” In her study, many fish eaters had high levels of lead, mercury, and DDE (formed when DDT is broken down) in their blood. Even low concentrations of lead can cause malformations and mental retardation in children. Higher concentrations can lead to epilepsy and even death. With industrial breeding, the fish becomes even more toxic. Salmon in the wild is becoming rarer, therefore 80% salmon, which is commercially available in America, comes from fish farms. Farmed fish are given wild-caught fish. It takes 1 pounds of wild-caught fish (all species not fit for human consumption) to grow 5 pound of fish on farms. Captive-raised salmon have twice the fat content of their wild counterparts, allowing more fat to accumulate. Research on farm-bought salmon from American supermarkets has shown even more PCBs than wild-caught salmon. In addition, captive-raised salmon are dyed pink to pass them off as wild-caught fish. In 2003, a case was filed in Washington state because a dye was not listed on a package of salmon. Scientists are concerned because dyesused for salmon can cause damage to the retina. The Environmental Task Force estimates that 800000 people in the United States are at lifetime risk of cancer from eating farmed salmon. Fish is dangerous for women and their children Pregnant women who eat fish endanger not only their own health, but also the health of their unborn child. PCBs, mercury and other toxins found in fish can be passed on to babies through mother’s milk. Researchers at Wayne State University found that “women who ate fish regularly, even years before pregnancy, were more likely to have babies that were lethargic at birth, had small head circumference, and had developmental problems.” The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 600000 children born in 2000 are less able and have learning difficulties because their mothers ate fish during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Even low levels of lead in the mother’s blood can make the baby sick. Especially mercury poisoning is dangerous for the fetus, because the level of lead in the blood of the fetus is potentially at 70 percent higher than that of the mother. This is likely due to the fact that the blood of the fetus accumulates mercury along with the molecules necessary for growth. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 600000 children born in 2000 are less able and have learning difficulties because their mothers ate fish during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women who eat fish during pregnancy can also cause serious harm to the baby’s brain and nervous system. Studies have shown that children born to mothers who ate a lot of fish later begin to talk, walk, they have worse memory and attention. “It could drop IQ by a few points,” says Dr. Michael Gochfeld, chairman of the Mercury Task Force. “It can impair coordination of movements”. Dr. Roberta F. White, chair of environmental safety at Boston University and director of the Boston Environmental Research Center, says children exposed to mercury before birth show worse results in tests for the functioning of the nervous system. A fish eaten by a mother will harm her child permanently Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health have found that mercury ingested from seafood can damage the heart and cause permanent brain damage in babies, both in utero and during growth. “If something happens to the brain during growth and development, there will be no second chance,” says lead researcher Philippe Grandjean. All Fish Are Dangerous According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, one in six women of reproductive age in the United States has levels of mercury that put her baby at risk. The Public Interest Research Group and the Environmental Working Group warn that women who eat more than one can of tuna a month can introduce mercury into their bodies that could harm the developing brain of a fetus. The Public Interest Research Group and the Environmental Working Group warn that pregnant women who eat more than one can of tuna a month could be exposed to levels of mercury that could harm a baby’s developing brain . Ocean fish are not the only source of hazardous pollutants Fish caught from our rivers and lakes also endanger the health of pregnant women and their children. Even the conservative EPA has acknowledged that more than half of all freshwater fish in the U.S. poses a risk to women of reproductive age if eaten twice a week, and three-quarters of fish have levels of mercury that pose a risk to children under three years of age. In Massachusetts, pregnant women were warned not to eat any freshwater fish caught in that state due to mercury contamination. In 2002, 43 states issued freshwater fish warnings and restrictions covering 30% of the nation’s lakes and 13% of rivers. In response to the growing threat, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency recommend that women of reproductive age and young children not eat certain types of fish that are particularly high in lead. But mercury is found in all fish, and since mercury is a poison, why do we need to ingest a substance that causes so many terrible diseases? Fish linked to breast cancer and infertility Fish consumption has also been linked to infertility and an increased risk of breast cancer. Every woman who eats even a small amount of contaminated fish has more problems conceiving. Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that women who consume freshwater fish have an unusually high incidence of breast cancer. A similar study by Danish researchers also found a link between fish consumption and breast cancer. Conclusion: sick mothers and sick children Fish is a serious danger to women and children, and we are at great risk whenever our food consists of fish sticks or fish soup. The only way to save your family and yourself is not to put the fish on your plate, but to leave it in the ocean. Food Poisoning According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 75 million cases of food poisoning in the United States each year, with hundreds of thousands of people hospitalized and thousands dying. And the number 1 cause of poisoning is seafood. Symptoms of seafood poisoning range from mild illness to nervous system damage and even death. Seafood can also be poisonous because it contains viruses and bacteria such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli. When Consumer Reports looked at bacterial levels in fresh fish bought from supermarkets around the country, it found that 3-8 percent of the samples contained E. coli bacteria above the legal limit. Many people get poisoned by seafood and do not realize what happened, they mistake the poisoning for “intestinal flu”. They often have vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, the same symptoms as with the “intestinal flu”. If left untreated, this food poisoning can be fatal. Children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to it. Since fish is the main source of food poisoning, a person runs the risk of getting sick whenever they eat this product. Seafood is the main cause of food poisoning. Over 100000 people get sick every year because of this food, many die, although their death could have been prevented. Caroline Smith De Waal, Center for Science in the Public Interest food safety director. Food and Drug Administration: The government is silent about what can hurt you The Food and Drug Administration does not prevent even the most contaminated fish from entering stores, nor does it require warnings to be written on fish. And this despite the fact that the Board itself recognizes that pregnant women should not eat it. Thus, it is difficult for consumers to learn about the danger. According to a report by The General Accounting Office, the fishing industry is very poorly controlled. The FDA checks fish producers every two months, many producers are not checked at all because they are not required to register with the Food and Drug Administration. Only 1-3 percent of fish imported from other countries is checked at the border. In many segments of the fishing industry, including warehouses, there is no control at all. And if tests do occur, they’re biased because the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t test fish for many known indicators that pose a danger, including mercury poisoning. According to Carolyn Smith De Waal, director of the Food Safety Science Center, “The FDA’s fish program is flawed, poorly funded, and not safe for consumers.” Whose side are they on? Although the dangers associated with fish consumption are well known, government authorities continue to put the interests of fish producers ahead of human health. The Environmental Working Group says the Food and Drug Administration has changed its stance on limiting tuna. After being pressured by the fishing industry. One of the FDA’s top experts resigned in protest after learning that the FDA had decided to ignore the science and not warn consumers about the health risks of tuna. Vas Aposhian, a toxicologist at the University of Arizona, says the government should enact tougher regulations on canned tuna. “The new recommendations are dangerous for 99 percent of pregnant women and their unborn children,” he said. I think we should be more concerned about the health of our country’s future children than the tuna industry.” Vas Aposhian, a toxicologist at the University of Arizona, says the government should enact tougher regulations on canned tuna and points out: “The new guidelines are dangerous for 99 percent of pregnant women and their unborn babies.” Animal Rights Center “Vita”