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Introduction Mercury is a metal existing naturally in the earth's crust. Through a combination of natural and anthropogenic processes, mercury gets deposited in water and becomes methyl mercury through biotransformation [...], The health effects of mercury in humans are mostly on the developing nervous system. Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding must be targeted in order to decrease mercury exposure to the populations at highest risk--infants, unborn fetuses, and young children. This purpose of this study is to understand the demographics of fish-consumption patterns among women of childbearing age (including pregnant women) in Martin County, Florida, and to analyze the associations of mercury levels in participants' hair with socio-demographic variables in order to better design prevention messages and campaigns. Mercury concentrations in hair samples of 408 women ages 18-49 were assessed. Data on demographic factors, pregnancy status, fish consumption, and awareness of fish advisories were collected during personal interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. The geometric and arithmetic means of hair mercury concentration were 0.371 and 0.676 µg/g of hair. One-fourth of the respondents had a concentration ≥ 1 µg/g of hair. Consuming a higher number of fish meals per month, consumption of commercially purchased or locally caught fish higher in mercury, White race and income ≥ $75, 000 were positively associated with the likelihood of having higher hair mercury levels. This study confirms the existence of a higher overall mean hair mercury level and a higher percentage of women with [greater than or equal to] 1 µg/g hair mercury level than those reported at the national level and in other regional studies. This suggests the need for region-specific fish consumption advisories to minimize mercury exposure in humans. Keywords Fish consumption * Hair * Mercury * Women of childbearing age

Golding et al. (2013) described regression analysis of dietary contributions to maternal blood mercury levels, nested within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Fish intake explained only [...]

Christine Albert Sudden cardiac death remains a major cause of mortality in developed countries (7). Substantial evidence from observational and experimental studies suggests that increasing intake of n-3 fatty acids [...], Adding n-3 fatty acids from fish oil--eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)--to our diet is likely to lower our risk of cardiovascular disease, according to some previous studies and basic research but other studies in people with cardiac disease have shown negative, disappointing results. Daan Kromhout et al. (1) now show that low doses of a mixture of EPA and DHA (EPA-DHA) or the plant-derived lipid α-linoleic acid (ALA) did not have a beneficial effect in reducing sudden cardiac death in people that had suffered myocardial infarction in the past. A subgroup of women and diabetics, however, showed less risk for arrhythmias when taking ALA alone. These controversial results pose questions and challenges for the future use of these lipids in cardiovascular therapy.

Consumption of apples and fish in pregnancy may protect against childhood asthma and allergic disease. Associations between maternal vitamin E, D and zinc intake, and asthma, wheeze and eczema in [...]