In a study funded by the environmental group Oceana, University of North Carolina scientists collected samples of tuna and swordfish from more than 20 states and a variety of national supermarket chains, including Safeway, Albertsons, and Whole Foods.

50 Percent Above the Action Limit

50 percent of the swordfish samples tested by researchers exceeded the FDA's action limit of mercury 1 parts per million (ppm). Swordfish bought in Maine and Rhode Island contained more than twice as much mercury than the FDA allows. The samples ranged from 0.41 ppm to 2.33 ppm, with an average mercury concentration of 1.11 ppm.

Tuna is Dangerous for Children

Tuna fared somewhat better; overall, tuna samples averaged 0.33 ppm of mercury and those analyzed from Maine, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Montana exceeded .50 ppm. However, although this is below the action limit, it is comparable to the levels found in canned albacore tuna that led the FDA and EPA to warn children and women of childbearing age to limit their consumption of it.

The study notes that a 44 pound child consuming 6 ounces of tuna a week at this mercury concentration would be exposed to 4 times the EPA reference dose for mercury, and an 120 pound woman consuming the same amount would be exposed to one and one half times the EPA reference dose.

Oceana Free Full Text Report

Sacramento Bee September 16, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Sadly, fish would be a near-perfect food, if nearly all of the commercial ones available for sale weren't contaminated with mercury. And, because this toxic substance rapidly bioaccumulates in the food chain, it is commonly found in higher concentrations of larger, older fish and predatory species like shark, tuna, and swordfish.

If you eat a lot of fish, you'll want to know how much mercury you may be consuming by using a free online mercury calculator.

Despite its well-known dangers and role as a potent neurotoxin, many naïve people increase their exposure to mercury daily by eating contaminated fish, having it put into their teeth in amalgam dental fillings, or getting it injected into their body in the form of the flu vaccine.

To safeguard your health and that of your family, I urge you to review previous articles we have run such as Learn How Mercury Is Affecting You and the Ones You Love. You will especially want to read them if you are experiencing any of the following mercury toxicity symptoms:

Fatigue
Irritability
Feeling "foggy headed"

The above are just a few of the signs that let you know you may be suffering from metal poisoning -- a toxic accumulation of heavy metals in the soft tissues of the body. Mercury stays firmly bound to the sulfur proteins in your brain, causing damage to the microtubules that nourish your brain cells.

A safe option at your disposal to get the nutritional benefits of fish without the mercury: Taking a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily. The emphasis is on high quality, you don't want to cut corners and buy a bargain basement omega-3 product and risk not receiving all the important benefits omega-3 fats provide.

If you live in the northern US it is important to remember that the time to switch to cod liver oil is here. This is a good thing as cod liver oil is far less expensive than the equivalent dose of fish oil and also has vitamin A in addition to the vitamin D you need from less than optimal sun exposure.

Ideally it would be best to measure your vitamin D levels though to determine when you switch from fish oil to cod liver oil.