RE: OT - Mercury Levels in Women and Young Children Are Not of Concern, USA

[Guest guest]

Okay--- why the flip flop on this? Just a few months ago they were issuing

new guidelines for women/children on fish consumption. What 's up?

OT - Mercury Levels in Women and Young Children Are

Not of Concern, USA

>

> Hardly unbiased research?

>

> Love, light and peace,

>

> Sue

>

> " Learn from the mistakes of others--you can never live long enough to make

> them all yourself. " - Luther

>

> =============================================

>

> http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15967

>

> Mercury Levels in Women and Young Children Are Not of Concern, USA

> 06 Nov 2004

>

> The US Tuna Foundation (USTF) today stated that by finding that mercury

> levels in women and young children are very low and " not of concern, " a

new

> study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

> should reassure all Americans that eating fish, such as canned tuna, is

safe

> and should be encouraged because of the many health benefits associated

with

> seafood consumption.

>

> Published in the November 5 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly

> Report, the CDC's new study confirms that mercury levels from fish

> consumption for women and young children in the U.S. are well below any

> level of concern.

>

> Specifically, CDC researchers used the ongoing National Health and

Nutrition

> Examination Survey (NHANES) to analyze the amount of mercury in the blood

of

> more than 3,600 women of childbearing age and 1,500 children aged one to

> five years and found that all had mercury levels significantly below the

> threshold for any known risk.

>

> Of added significance, the new CDC study updated previous estimates of

> mercury levels in women and young children and found that concentrations

in

> the blood of American women have actually declined over a four-year period

> (1999-2002). While CDC estimated that 8 percent of U.S. women had mercury

> levels at or slightly above the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)

> " reference dose " in 1999, this number has dropped to only 6 percent.

>

> What makes this finding even more significant is the CDC's conclusion that

> women with mercury concentrations at this slightly higher level are not at

> risk because EPA built in a ten-fold safety factor when it established its

> reference dose.

>

> At the same time, the new CDC report confirms previous findings that no

> child in the U.S. has mercury levels that are even close to the EPA's

> reference dose and are not at risk from consuming seafood.

>

> " The government's new study is reassuring because it demonstrates that

over

> 94 percent of women of childbearing age have blood mercury levels below

> EPA's reference dose, which in itself is a very conservative guideline.

> These levels are far below the blood mercury levels observed in island

> populations where effects have been reported, " said Jay Murray, Ph.D., a

> toxicologist that specializes in maternal and fetal health and a member of

> the Tuna Nutrition Council, which advises USTF on nutrition and public

> health matters.

>

> " We now have proof that mercury levels in the vast majority of women and

> young children in the U.S. are not of concern, which should go a long way

> towards reassuring the public that eating seafood, such as canned tuna, is

> safe and provides a number of important health benefits. "

>

> Even though the CDC study finds very low levels of mercury in U.S. women

and

> young children, the report urged pregnant and nursing women to follow the

> government's 2004 seafood advisory to reduce mercury exposure during

> pregnancy.

>

> Health Benefits of Omega-3s During Pregnancy

>

> Complementing these findings, the CDC report also emphasized the health

> benefits associated with seafood consumption, such as the growing body of

> evidence about the beneficial role that omega-3 fatty acids, found in

fish,

> play during pregnancy. A recent National Institutes of Health study across

> 23 countries found that women whose breast milk was rich in omega-3 were

> less likely to experience postpartum depression. Further, extensive

research

> confirms that the omega-3 fatty acids in canned tuna may prolong

gestation,

> which could reduce the incidence of premature birth. For these reasons,

the

> government's advisory makes it clear that: " A well balanced diet includes

a

> variety of fish and shellfish that can contribute to heart health and

> children's proper growth and development. "

>

> Equally important for pregnant and nursing women, canned tuna contains DHA

> (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for the

> healthy development of the fetus and young child.

>

> According to scientific studies, DHA comprises approximately 40 percent of

> the polyunsaturated fatty acid content in the cell membranes in the brain

> and 60 percent of the cell membranes in the retina and is transferred from

> mother to the fetus at a high rate during the last trimester of pregnancy.

>

> " It is important for pregnant and nursing women to understand that the

> omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are essential during pregnancy and

> lactation, " said Joyce A. Nettleton, D.Sc., RD, author of Omega-3 Fatty

> Acids and Health and another member of the Tuna Nutrition Council.

> " Accumulating evidence shows that eating canned tuna and many other types

of

> fish during pregnancy provides the omega-3 fatty acids that are necessary

> for the developing fetus to develop and thrive. "

>

> Canned Tuna Is Nature's Healthy Fast Food

>

> Besides the benefits for pregnant and nursing women, the omega-3 fatty

acids

> found in canned tuna are important for people of all ages, which is why

> several health organizations such as the American Heart Association and

the

> American Dietetic Association now recommend that people eat two to three

> servings of a variety of fish a week, including canned tuna.

>

> According to a number of recent studies, the omega-3 fatty acids found in

> canned tuna and other types of fish lowers the risk of heart disease,

> reduces the likelihood of blood clots and stroke, protects against certain

> cancers, has a therapeutic effect on autoimmune diseases, and helps to

> relieve depression.

>

> More information about canned tuna and its health benefits is available at

> the USTF Web site, http://www.tunafacts.com.

>

> Established in 1976, the U.S. Tuna Foundation (USTF) is the national

> organization representing the canned tuna processors and the fishermen who

> supply them and addresses issues ranging from fishing access arrangements

to

> federal and state regulations and domestic marketing.

>

> http://www.tunafacts.com

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

They want to sell Tuna! Just look at the source for the article.

> Okay--- why the flip flop on this? Just a few months ago they were

issuing

> new guidelines for women/children on fish consumption. What 's up?

>

> OT - Mercury Levels in Women and Young

Children Are

> Not of Concern, USA

>

>

> >

> > Hardly unbiased research?

> >

> > Love, light and peace,

> >

> > Sue

> >

> > " Learn from the mistakes of others--you can never live long

enough to make

> > them all yourself. " - Luther

> >

> > =============================================

> >

> > http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15967

> >

> > Mercury Levels in Women and Young Children Are Not of Concern, USA

> > 06 Nov 2004

[Guest guest]

Did you notice who funded this *research*, Sandy?

Sue

>

>

>

> Okay--- why the flip flop on this? Just a few months ago they

> were issuing

> new guidelines for women/children on fish consumption. What 's up?

>

> >

> > Hardly unbiased research?

> >

> > Love, light and peace,

> >

> > Sue

> >

> > " Learn from the mistakes of others--you can never live long

> enough to make

> > them all yourself. " - Luther

> >

> > =============================================

> >

> > http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15967

> >

> > Mercury Levels in Women and Young Children Are Not of Concern, USA

> > 06 Nov 2004

[Guest guest]

Yes I noticed the tuna foundation all the way through but wasn't there " new

CDC findings " in the report? That is the flip flop I am referring to.

RE: OT - Mercury Levels in Women and Young Children

Are Not of Concern, USA

>

> Did you notice who funded this *research*, Sandy?

>

> Sue

> >

> >

> >

> > Okay--- why the flip flop on this? Just a few months ago they

> > were issuing

> > new guidelines for women/children on fish consumption. What 's up?

> >

> > >

> > > Hardly unbiased research?

> > >

> > > Love, light and peace,

> > >

> > > Sue

> > >

> > > " Learn from the mistakes of others--you can never live long

> > enough to make

> > > them all yourself. " - Luther

> > >

> > > =============================================

> > >

> > > http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15967

> > >

> > > Mercury Levels in Women and Young Children Are Not of Concern, USA

> > > 06 Nov 2004

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I see what you mean, Sandy. Suspicious...things can't change that

dramatically, that quickly...

>

>

>

> Yes I noticed the tuna foundation all the way through but wasn't

> there " new

> CDC findings " in the report? That is the flip flop I am referring to.

>

>A

>

>

> >

> > Did you notice who funded this *research*, Sandy?

> >

> > Sue

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Okay--- why the flip flop on this? Just a few months ago they

> > > were issuing

> > > new guidelines for women/children on fish consumption. What 's up?

> > >

> > > >

> > > > Hardly unbiased research?

> > > >

> > > > Love, light and peace,

> > > >

> > > > Sue

> > > >

> > > > " Learn from the mistakes of others--you can never live long

> > > enough to make

> > > > them all yourself. " - Luther

> > > >

> > > > =============================================

> > > >

> > > > http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15967

> > > >

> > > > Mercury Levels in Women and Young Children Are Not of Concern, USA

> > > > 06 Nov 2004

>