Mercury Levels in Tuna Higher than Ever Limit Consumption to Reduce Mercury Exposure, PoisoningElizabeth Renter Mercury in Tuna An Ongoing Issue According to Medical News Today, the Mercury Policy Project has suggested children under 55 pounds should only have light tuna once per month and should never have albacore tuna. Children over this weight can have light tuna up to twice per month, though less is ideal. The exposure to mercury for children should be of even more concern for pregnant mothers, who can transfer the exposure to their unborn child. This could result in numerous negative effects, with recent research showing that ADHD could be a result of the mothers mercury levels. Mercury levels in the U.S. population are measures higher than in Europeans. This is largely because the European Union has tighter restrictions on food and drink. (They also recently set the stage to ban mercury used in dental fillings). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests all Americans test levels of mercury in their bodies. Fish and shellfish develop an overabundance of methylmercury, a toxic form of mercury, from the water. Different fish have greater concentrations of mercury. Tuna, shark, and swordfish, for example, typically have some of the most. Methylmercury is then passed to humans when they consume the fish. Fish mercury levels are increasingly becoming a problem. Mercury poisoning from eating too many contaminated foods can cause an abundance of health problems. Those may include: muscle weakness, loss of coordination, loss of peripheral vision, speech and hearing impairments, and red cheeks, nose, and lips in children. Pregnant women in particular are told to steer clear of mercury-containing fish as their children can suffer cognitive impairments and compromised nervous systems. To keep the body free of mercury, you can avoid these fish altogether. Here are several suggestions for detoxing from mercury exposure, including: Additional Sources: Explore More: This article first appeared at Natural Society, an excellent resource for health news and vaccine information. 