Something fishy You've probably spent a significant amount of time -- not to mention money -- to ensure that your drinking water is safe. Bottled water, filtration systems, etc.: It all adds up. Although it's well worth the cost when you consider what you're keeping out. But what about the things swimming around in that water before it gets to you -- the fish, shellfish, and other sea life that many of you eat on a regular basis? They're continually exposed to some pretty harsh substances in that water. And I'm not just talking about mercury here. While that may be the big headline-maker, it turns out that mercury may be among the least of our concerns when it comes to eating fish. According to a recent study sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the American Pharmacists Association, there are measurable levels of all sorts of prescription drugs in Lake Michigan and public water supplies derived from it. The researchers found traces of Tylenol, ibuprofen, birth-control pill hormones, beta blockers, antidepressants, and anti-seizure medications. In fact, that anti-seizure medication was found even in water that had already been treated. The researchers claim that the levels are too low to have an impact on humans simply through consuming public water supplies, but they did acknowledge that these drugs could have a potentially devastating effect on the fish and other sea life living in the lake. While I support the ecological argument they're making, I think they stopped short of seeing the big picture here -- that humans eventually consume many of these fish and that, in turn, means that we do need to be concerned about these substances floating in our water, even if we could care less about the overall environmental aspect. Unfortunately, there's no good answer or solution to this problem just yet. Fish and seafood do provide great sources of nutrition and some essential nutrients we all need. It's just a shame that even if we choose to keep pharmaceuticals out of our homes, we still don't have the ultimate power to keep them out of our lives -- or even our bodies -- altogether. For the time being, you may want to consider cutting back on the fresh water fish you eat and adjust your intake of fish oil accordingly to compensate. Dr. Wright recommends 1 Tbsp of fish oil per day along with 400 IU of vitamin E. Source:
"Pharmaceuticals contaminating public water supplies: anti-seizure meds found in Lake Michigan," NewsTarget (www.newstarget.com), 6/6/07 | 
