Too Much of a Good Thing??

?

Kimberly Gubbins, CPNP

   From the desk of Kimberly Gubbins, CPNP:
 

As the common expression goes, "too much of a good thing can be bad." Recently, in the news we have heard about mercury in our children's diet and the risks it can pose. This is not something new; this is something we have known for quite some time. Mercury, an elemental metal, can be found in tuna. Because of this, we must remind ourselves, all things are okay when eaten in moderation. This applies to most things in our diet. When we consume anything in large amounts it can be unhealthy, even things we know are good for us. Although, with the recent hype about mercury in tuna, the report states "to limit tuna to one serving per month for kids under 55 lbs and to two monthly servings for older, bigger children." The reason behind this recommendation is due to the fact that mercury can cause delays in development and be toxic to their small bodies. These problems are only linked when mercury levels are found to be extremely high. According to Edward Groth, PhD a member of the coalition looking into mercury and tuna states "It is not a question of tuna or no tuna, it is how much tuna. There are a lot of benefits from tuna and the benefit is great when the intake is once of twice a month."

Resources for families:

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Protecting-Your-Children-From-Contaminated-Fish.aspx

Citations from: http://children.webmd.com/news/20120919/too-much-tuna-too-much-mercury-kids