Does Selenium in Seafood and Fish Protect Against Mercury Toxicity?

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., "Ask Brierley," March/April 2012 EATINGWELL MAGAZINE

Since fish is one of the best "brain" foods, we wanted to share some new information we found in this article from EatingWell Magazine.

A common concern when choosing seafood is mercury. And for good reason: mercury binds up selenium, an essential mineral that's vital to the developing brain and nervous system.

But here's the good news: eating ocean fish that contain more selenium than mercury protects against mercury toxicity.

Ocean fish (e.g., halibut, salmon) and shellfish (e.g., lobster, crab) are chock-full of the mineral: 17 of the top 25 selenium food sources are seafood (it's also in red meat, eggs and chicken).

The fact that most ocean fish are so high in selenium explains why more and more research suggests the benefits of eating seafood outweigh any risks mercury exposure could pose.

Bottom Line: Kids, women who are or could become pregnant and nursing women should follow the EPA's advice to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish (they contain mercury levels that can be higher than or equal to selenium). But it appears to be unnecessary to limit albacore tuna to 6 ounces a week, says Nicholas Ralston, Ph.D., health effects research program leader at the University of North Dakota. "Like most varieties of ocean fish, tuna contain mercury, but provide far more selenium."

Final's Week Tips

It’s finals week for many high school and college students. Synergy Training Center would like to offer a few tips for having a successful week.

Remember to:

1. Get plenty of sleep, try to get 8 hours. Cortisol levels go up when you are stressed, sleep helps alleviate some of that stress, which will give you better cognitive performance and recall the next day during your test.
2. Eat wisely during the entire week. Plenty of brain food; whole grains, fish, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and veggies. Minimize your intake of processed & fast foods, sugar and pop.  Healthy, light snacks between meals can help keep blood sugar stable for a long day of testing.
3. Hydrate - 1/2 your body weight in ounces is a minimum requirement for keeping your body and brain well hydrated.
4. Don’t stop your exercise routine during finals week. Exercise, throughout heavy study periods, can increase blood supply, oxygen and neural connections, it also reduces stress.  Even a 15 minute study break and some kind of exercise, can rejuvenate the brain.
5. As much as possible, keep a regular routine of meal times, exercise, waking up and bed times.

Get your mind right - like an athlete prepares for competition your brain needs to be put right. Go into finals week as if it is your March Madness, it’s the most important competition at the moment. Focus on each class as a different game. Think only of that one test, keep your head in the game. Then, when you have finished, move on to the next “game”; don’t dwell on what you couldn’t or didn’t know on the last one, it’s over and done. Keep your thoughts on the moment at hand for each test.