Fish oil preparations, mercury & coronary artery disease & 12/03 APLM
BiGol...@aol.com
coronary artery disease. Eating fish may be beneficial but high levels
of toxic mercury have been found in some fresh fish. The following
article provides evidence that commercial fish oil preparations contain
very low levels of mercury.
In the 12/03 Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine article
titled "Measurement of mercury levels in concentrated over-the-counter
fish oil preparations: is fish oil healthier than fish?," Foran et al.
state:
"For example, the Diet and Reinfarction Trial showed a 29% reduction in
overall mortality rates in survivors of a first acute myocardial
infarction who consumed fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice
weekly for 2 years. Similar studies corroborate these results.
Consequently, fish intake has been recommended to decrease the incidence
of CAD [coronary artery disease]."
"Due to the lower measured concentrations of mercury in commercial fish
oil preparations, consumption of fish oil may be preferable to consuming
fish. We have shown that mercury levels in 5 commercial fish oils are
either below the limit of detection or do not contain a significant
amount of mercury and therefore pose minimal risk of toxicity. Levels of
mercury in fish oil are similar to basal human levels observed in the
population. Some fish, on the other hand, may contain high levels of
mercury that appear to counteract the positive effects of fish
consumption on CAD. The additional benefit of fish oil is that large
doses of n-3 PUFAs can be ingested easily in a capsule without risk of
toxicity."
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Article freely available at
http://arpa.allenpress.com/arpaonline/?request=get-
abstract&doi=10.1043%2F1543-2165(2003)127%3C1603:MOMLIC%3E2.0.CO%3B2
Foran SE, Flood JG, Lewandrowski KB. Measurement of mercury levels in
concentrated over-the-counter fish oil preparations: is fish oil
healthier than fish? Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2003 Dec;127(12):1603-5.
Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts
General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass 02114, USA.
Email: klewan...@partners.org
Abstract:CONTEXT: Fish consumption has been associated with a decreased
risk of coronary artery disease. Recent studies have illustrated that
the high mercury content in cold-water fish may negate the
cardiovascular benefits of fish meals. Fish oils have similar
antiatherogenic properties to fish, and similar studies should be
performed to determine the level of mercury in fish oils. OBJECTIVE: To
determine the concentration of mercury in 5 over-the-counter brands of
fish oil. RESULTS: The levels of mercury in the 5 different brands of
fish oil ranged from nondetectable (<6 microg/L) to negligible (10-12
microg/L). The mercury content of fish oil was similar to the basal
concentration normally found in human blood. CONCLUSIONS: Fish are rich
in omega-3 fatty acids, and their consumption is recommended to decrease
the risk of coronary artery disease. However, fish such as swordfish and
shark are also a source of exposure to the heavy metal toxin, mercury.
The fish oil brands examined in this manuscript have negligible amounts
of mercury and may provide a safer alternative to fish consumption.