Ever hear this: “I don’t eat tuna because of the risk of mercury poisoning”? Many clients enter our clinic with symptoms of mercury toxicity. They also show signs of essential fatty acid deficiency, especially of the omega-3s commonly found in tuna and other saltwater fish. So what’s a person to do?
Let’s clear the air about the common sources of mercury poisoning. In our local San Francisco Bay area, we find that these include amalgam (mercury) fillings, shattered fluorescent light-bulb residues, and vaccinations that contain thimerosal (a mercury-containing compound). Never has a client of ours tested at an unsafe level of mercury from tuna consumption alone.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently cautions that the level of mercury in lakes and rivers should contain no more than 144 parts mercury per trillion parts of water to protect human health. Anything beyond that amount is considered toxic and poses health risks.
Amalgam fillings used in silver-colored dental fillings contain approximately 50 percent metallic mercury. Some of this mercury enters the air a person breathes as mercury vapor or dissolves in the saliva and is then swallowed. According to the World Health Organization, the total amount of mercury released from one dental amalgam filling is estimated to fall between 3 to 70 micrograms per day (µg/day). That’s significantly more than what the EPA considers safe for a lake, and is therefore dangerous to humans.
Mercury vapor from broken or shattered fluorescent light bulbs is another common source of this heavy metal. Each bulb contains about five milligrams of mercury. When shattered or broken, the mercury inside is nearly impossible to clean. Vacuuming further disperses it into the air, making it impossible to avoid inhalation. When I was a young boy, my friends and I would pick up the long, thin fluorescent light bulbs and pretend they were our Jedi light sabers. Although that was a long time ago in a childhood far, far away, I probably breathed in more mercury than R2D2 had in his motherboard.
Mercury is also used as a preservative (as thimerosal) in eye drops, eye ointments, nasal sprays, and vaccines. These products contain low amounts, but an accumulation of trace levels from multiple applications can quickly grow to reach toxic levels.
Fresh tuna from the South Pacific Ocean is not a significant source of mercury. In fact, the fear conventional media creates in eating healthy tuna is only a matter of diverting the public’s attention from the true causes of mercury poisoning. More info can be found here.
Dr. Royal Lee knew and understood that the human body needs a regular intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) essential fatty acids are important for building brain tissue, nerves, and anti-inflammatory eicosanoid hormones such as Prostaglandin-E3. DHA and EPA are found in cod liver oil, tuna oil, and calamari oil. Dr. Weston A. Price discovered that cod liver oil was an excellent source of 22-plus forms of vitamin D, vitamin F, and CoQEnzyme10, and that many European societies consumed it on a regular basis. Dr. Royal Lee also believed other marine oils were beneficial for human health. Tuna Omega-3 Oil® is rich in DHA and EPA and balanced in a ratio of five parts DHA to one part EPA, which is exactly the same ratio found in the human body. By consuming tuna omega-3 oil on a regular basis, one could ensure sufficient intake of DHA and EPA without causing a nutritional imbalance between the two fatty acids.
The South Pacific is relatively unpolluted and serves as an excellent source for fish oil supplementation. However, when fish absorb toxins, including mercury, it’s often stored in their belly fat. Hence, Standard Process marine oils are sourced from fat found in the cheeks and tail of the fish, not the belly.
Amalgam fillings are now being carefully removed by holistic dentists across the country. Fluorescent light bulbs are being replaced and carefully disposed of at local hazardous drop-off site. And some parents are opting their children out of vaccinations. However, it’s still important to ensure that you get an adequate intake of essential fatty acids. With these crucial building blocks, the body can regenerate and promote healing.
Talk with your holistic healthcare practitioner about how Dr. Royal Lee’s whole food concentrates can support your body in the removal of harmful heavy metals to restore or maintain your health. At the same time, you can still eat your tuna sashimi—just make sure it’s caught from the seas of South Pacific, one of the cleanest sources of this fish in the world. Oh, and don’t forget the horseradish and shoyu, made from naturally fermented soybeans.
Photo from iStock/jjmm888
