Nutrition

Mercury in Fish Threatens Unborn

Posted by prevent on Oct 11, 2011

Pregnant women and women who may become pregnant should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tile fish because they could contain levels of mercury that could lead to brain damage in a developing fetus according to a Food and Drug Administration advisory. The advisory came on the heels of an extensive report issued by the National Academy of Sciences, which estimates that each year 60,000 children may be born in the United States with neurological problems as a result of exposure to methylmercury in the womb. According to the NAS report, “humans are exposed to methylmercury primarily through the consumption of contaminated fish, particularly large predatory...