Recently my husband and I decided to cut chunks of hair from our nape (much to the distaste of my hairdresser) and send it away for analysis - Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis.
As we waited for the results we joked around about who would have the highest lead, mercury or copper. But both being naturopaths with an incredibly clean lifestyle and diet, we thought surely it would come back perfect!
The results were not so.
Although our nutritional elements were all within reference range (some a little lower than others), you couldn’t ignore the lone toxic element standing tall like a big black tower overlooking all the smaller towers below: Mercury.
Both my husband and I had higher than normal levels of mercury.
Neither of us have mercury fillings so it could only be one thing: fish, especially tuna.
That convenient can of tuna is having a greater cost on my balance of health. I have never had a can a day, at most probably 2 cans a week, but mercury is a sneaky heavy metal. It just keeps accumulating. We eat a lot of fresh fish but are always very conscious about the type and sustainability of the fish we choose. I should also note that some tuna species are some of the most unsustainably caught fish in the world with seabirds and other marine life being endangered as a result of the fishing methods used.
I came across a “Tuna Calculator” by the Environmental Working Group as I started looking more into the mercury levels in tuna. According to my weight and gender, I can really only safely eat 1 can of tuna a week, or none at all of Albacore tuna as I am of child bearing age.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) have been warning against the consumption of particular fish that are high in mercury for a number of years and at the same time the Australian Dietary Guidelines advise eating 2 fish meals a week for “good health”.
My husband and I have chosen to no longer buy canned tuna and only eat it once a month when we go out for sashimi. At the same time we have started a heavy metal cleanse for the next 3 months with the aim of removing the mercury from our tissues.
The following table as been developed by FSANZ to help people make the right choices when it comes to eating fish, especially if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Check out their website for more information.
Number of serves of different types of fish that can be safely consumed
| Pregnant women and women planning pregnancy (1 serve equals 150 grams#) Children (up to 6 years) (1 serve equals 75 grams #) | Rest of the population (1 serve equals 150 grams # |
| 2 – 3 serves per week of any fish and seafood not listed below | 2 – 3 serves per week of any fish and seafood not listed in the column below |
| OR | OR |
| 1 serve per week of Orange Roughy (Sea Perch) or Catfish and no other fish that week | 1 serve per week of Shark (Flake) or Billfish (Swordfish / Broadbill and Marlin) and no other fish that week |
| OR | |
| 1 serve per fortnight of Shark (Flake) or Billfish (Swordfish / Broadbill and Marlin) and no other fish that fortnight |
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