Fish
Fish has long been touted as a health food, full of protein and
beneficial fats but actually it is one of the most contaminated foods on the
planet. Fish kills more people from food poisoning than any other food source!
The basics
Think about all the chemicals and farm pesticides and herbicides that are
washed into
the rivers and into the sea by the rain, not to mention the
human excrement that is flushed out into the ocean. Many countries around
the world still pump virtually untreated sewage out into their waters and
not surpringly fish then feed on it. Sound healthy? Fish are not programmed
to filter food, to sort all kinds of micro-organisms out from each other so
all those harmful substances are all right there in their bodies. And think
about this - fish eat each other. Those non-biodegradable toxins are passed
to the next fish, so toxins are going up and up and up, the bigger the fish.
The facts
Plankton, where it all starts out, are living in the sea which is already
highly polluted with chemical waste... it is then eaten by a little fish...
then that fish is eaten by a bigger fish... and this goes on until the fish
gets big enough for human consumption.
Platonium and Mercury has been found in the sea, and both have been found
in fish. The mercury issue really makes it clear - the larger the fish, the
worse the contamination - shark, swordfish, marlin & tuna all have high
mercury content and should be avoided. The seriousness of the mercury issue
is just coming to light really. Fish are now sadly, due to widespread
pollution, one of the worst sources of mercury and human poisoning with it.
The UK Food standards agency now recommends that pregnant women, and
women breast-feeding should avoid shark, swordfish and marlin altogether,
and seriously limit tuna intake.
Even salmon are contaminated with Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) and
dioxins (Science magazine 2004). PCBs belong to a broad family of man-made
organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. Once in the
environment, PCBs do not readily break down and are taken up into the bodies
of small organisms and fish. PCB is linked to: cancer; disruption of the
human reproductive system, including fetal brain development; and damage of
the nervous system.
So while fish now carries a government health warning for children and
pregnant women due to the toxic pollutants it contains
it is at the same time being widely promoted as the best source of omega-3
fats. There's so much hype these days about fish oils that no wonder people
feel confused.
It's true the human body needs essential fatty acids (EFAs) but the
propaganda being pushed by the industries that insist fish is necessary to
good health is misleading. Omega oils from fish are unbalanced. The omega
oils from flax seed or hemp seed however are balanced and don't come with
all the health risks that fish does! Other great plant-based sources are
rapeseed oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts and green leafy vegetables so a well
balanced healthy diet should already contain enough of the good fats that
you need. Fish oils are also an anti-coagulant (which stops blood from
clotting correctly) which could be why Eskimos often die young from brain
hemorrhages - it is thought their brains bleed because of the fish oils they
are constantly ingesting.
It has been discovered also that Eskimos have the worst recorded
osteoporosis on the planet. Blood plasma is 7.35, slightly alkaline. All
animal protein is acidic. Calcium stores held within the bones are released
to nuetralise the higher acidity. Tests have shown that after eating an
animal protein meal, excessive protein is excreted through the urine. But
plant protein is not acidic, it is alkaline, so it does not lower the ph
level. It actually protects you from Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is not
caused by a lack of calcium in your diet, it is caused by the calcium
depleters in your diet. All animal proteins, including fish, are calcium
depleters.
In a recent study, children aged seven in the Faroe Islands of Scotland,
where large amounts of mercury-laden fish is eaten regularly, had an area of
the brain that didn't work properly. And by the time they were fourteen it
has worsened. In autopsies done on humans who died of Alzheimers disease,
raised levels of mercury have been common. Other research is also linking
Alheimers disease to mercury.
Contrary to popular belief, all fish and shellfish also contain
cholesterol. Prawns, for example, contain four times as much cholesterol as
a rump steak.
And despite its promotion as a good source of unsaturated 'healthy' fats,
much of the fat found in oily fish is saturated. Grilled salmon, for
example, contains as much saturated fat as a chicken drumstick.
Conclusion
Fish is not a health food. It is acidic to your body and contains no fibre.
The essential fatty acids found in fish are not the only source, nor are
they the best. They contain saturated fat, are loaded with toxic pollutants
known to damage health and no-one knows the long term effects of being
exposed constantly to these chemicals. Our hearts don't need fish, our
brains certainly don't and our health is far better served by plant-based
alternatives. So, if you care about your body, stop listening to the
marketing deception, let your thinking evolve and eradicate fish from your
diet today!
References
www.vegetarian.org.uk
Holford, P., The New Optimum Nutrition Bible
www.grinningplanet.com
Murata, K. et al., 'Delayed brainstem auditory evoked potential
latencies in 14 year old children exposed to methlymercury', Journal of
Pediatrics (2004); Grandjean, P. et al, 'Cardia autonomic activity in
methylmercury neurotoxicity: 14 year follow-up of Farose birth cohort', ibid
Wenstrup, D. et al., 'Trace element imbalances in isolated subcellular
fractions of AD patients', Brain Research, vol 553, pp. 125-31 (1990)
Hock, C. et al., 'Increased blood mercury levels in patients with AD',
Journal of Neural Transmission, vol 105(1), pp.59-68 (1998)
www.fishinghurts.com
www.viva.org.uk
Dr Robert Young, The pH Miracle
Further resources
www.fishinghurts.com
www.viva.org.uk
www.vegansociety.com
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