🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <11447.274288bf@ecs.umass.edu> keene@ecs.umass.edu writes:
>Help!!!!! I desperately seek information.
>I am a competitive athlete who has found that 120grams of protein a day 
>is ideal for my body type.  For the last 3 months I have been consuming the 
>bulk of this protein in the form of Solid White Tuna mainly because each 

Since when is Tuna flesh white?

>can contains apx 40grams of protein and only 3-4 grams of fat, and most 
>importantly it seems to be the most economical.  But a friend of mine 
>recently asked me how many cans of tuna do I consume a day - apx 3 I 
>answered.  He then told about the heath risks involved - that is tuna has a 
>high mercury content, and that anything over 1 can a day can build up toxic 
>levels of mercury in my system!
>
Tunafish are known heavy metal sinks; they contain high levels of practically
any heavy metal that can be found in seawater. So you don't want to consider
just mercury, you'll also have to count in things like zinc or, worse, 
cadmium. Tunafish on average contains more cadmium per unit weight than is 
acceptable here in Holland (though the rules can't be that strict because it
is not illegal to can and sell tuna). Why and how tunafish accumulate heavy
metals isn't known (I think, at least I havve never seen any explanation) but
it has nothing to do with environmental contamination. Even tunafish from 
central oceanic waters exhibit this trait. Of course contamination of seawater
with heavy metals can make things even worse!
My advice would be to lower your daily tunafish intake.

Henk Verhaar <aritoxm@accucx.cc.ruu.nl OR aritoxm@accucx.UUCP>
the local Cannondale boy

(My daytime employer doesn't know a thing about bicycles and my bicycles
don't know about my employer so no global disclaimers. Sorry though)