Where does it end?
What is not unhealthy when not used in moderation? Isn't that why we are all here? Some how or other some substance or food has gotten the better of us. Tuna is just the latest buzzword in dangers and warnings. Not only are the warnings pointed at tuna, but any large and especially deep seas fish, including those used to produce Omega 3 fish oil capsules. (Steve, I am talking to you!
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Yes there are mercury warnings associated with deep water and large fish (like tuna) however these same warnings exist also for fresh water fish to varying degrees. Pollution is everywhere and not limited to specific types of fish or food for that matters. Acid rain and manufacturing makes fresh water fish just as unheathy in their own way. I will never forget my buddy catching a nice sized carp in a local river back home, that was supposed to be safe, only to find after getting it home it smelled like diesel fuel and was inedible to the extreme. And that was from a supposed safe source. Not only do most major supermarker chains irradiate their fruit and veggies to make them last longer, but they are coated in pesticides and then WAXED (keeping the looks AND poisons in), yet how many of us just give that apple a 10 second rinse and pop it in our guts? Did you know that McDonalds and most restaurants use special bleaches to make their french fries not go brown after cutting? I know, I worked in those places and you couldnt touch that powdery crap with your bare hands (big warnings on the box) but you mix it with water and soak your french fries in it to keep them white... Then serve them to customers......
Ever wonder why those pre-washed salad-in-a-bag things never look brown and nasty? They are in sealed bags with no airflow, they should be brown in a day, but they last for weeks..... Hmmmmmm
The people most at risk of mercury poisoning from fish, bar none, are costal peoples whose diets consist primarily of fish. Tuna is getting a bad rap since as a bigger fish and one that is generally caught older (in order to maximize size) it has more long term exposure. Deep seas fish used to be considered safer but now that simply isnt the case either.
But unless you are eating tuna everyday and in large amounts, I would not be too concerned. Many a well paid research council has been developed in the past in order to create these incredible "warnings" and create a paycheck. In Canada during the potato famine a large group of very well paid researchers was employed for years as a crown investigations team to come to the conclusion that the potato famine in the 70's was caused as a result of not enough potatos..... Millions in tax payer money well spent.....
There are certainly more important issues in everyday life to be concerned with. How much crap do we breathe in every day walking down the streets of our home towns? Certainly we dont all live in the middle of the rainforest.... How many of us are risking deadly skin cancer everyday by walking down those same streets? (do we all REALLY slather sunblock on ourselves everyday?) How many of us sit in smokey restaurants or bars inhaling all manner of toxins and poisons in second hand smoke? (How many of us suck them directly from the stick?) etc etc etc.... I would honestly laugh in the face of someone smoking a cigarette telling me how unsafe tuna is...
My point is, you don't need to "give up" tuna and more than you need to give up coffee, or fruit or water for that matter. The key to tuna and everything else is moderation. Dont stay in the sun too long unprotected, dont smoke cigarettes, dont drink 10 bottles of diet coke a day, dont drink 5 gallons of water in 10 minutes, dont dont dont dont, and so on...... There will ALWAYS be something to avoid and something to be afraid of. And somewhere someone will always make a profit fromthose fears. (damn those chicken ranchers!!)
Unless we are all prepared to live in atmoshpere controlled boxes, buried deep under the ground, who among us is truly safe?
sirant
