Health, wealth, happiness. I'm Dr. Michael Grecker and you're listening to the

Nutrition Facts podcast and while I can't promise you all of those things, if you

take a listen to the evidence-based nutrition found in this podcast, chances are

you'll learn something that you can use to make a positive change in your diet

and in your health. My job here is to bring you the information you need to make

that reality possible. Back by popular demand it's the Nutrition Facts grab bag

with the latest news on a whole variety of topics. First up the health risks

related to consuming meat from animals shot with lead ammunition. I'm often asked

in lectures of microwaves are safe to which I respond not if you drop them on

your foot but otherwise it matters what you're putting in them.

Sweet potatoes and broccoli or hot pockets and poptars. Similarly when I was

exploring the safety of hot sauces giving their potential for lead

contamination and the same reaction it matters what you're putting it on. When I

think toxic pollutants the first thing I think of is the aquatic food chain. We

know for example that giving people even just a seven ounce portion of a high

mercury fish like tuna or swordfish once a week it's about a can and a half

a tuna's worth a week can quadruple mercury levels in the blood within a few

months. What about lead? A dietary intervention was not one but five portions a

week significantly increased blood concentrations of toxic metals including

lead. Even though the background intake of lead was found to be disturbingly

high the seafood intake increased it by about a quarter. But from a public health

perspective it's important to recognize that the amount of seafood that they

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