Disease Proof

Wow! A week of recalls, first beef—yuck—and now salmon spread. Why you ask? Oh just a little Listeria contamination. The Associated Press has more:

Jensen's says 936 tubs of its Seattle Style Wild Smoked Salmon Spread Lemon Dill and Onion are being recalled because of the possibility they are contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes — an organism that can cause serious infections in the young, the elderly and those with weak immune systems.


The spread in question is coded "Sell by 10/20/07." It was distributed in retail stores in Western Washington and sold in 7-ounce plastic tubs.

Like fish doesn’t have enough problems? According to Dr. Fuhrman fish is a real catch-22. From Eat to Live, here’re a couple reasons why. Take a look:

Fish is a double-edged sword, especially because fish has been shown to increase heart attack risk if polluted with mercury.1 It seems that the cardioprotective effects of eating a little fish is lost when you eat lots of fish, most likely because lots of fish exposes you to high mercury levels, which can promote lipid peroxidation.2 Lipid peroxidation plays a major role in the development of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

Kind of puts a damper on my sushi fascination—darn it!
1. Salonen, J. T., K. Seppanen, K. Nyyssonen, et al. 1995. Intake of mercury from fish, lipid peroxidation, and the risk of myocardial infarcation and coronary, cardiovascular, and any death in eastern Finnish men. Circulation 91: 645-55.

2. Salonen, op. cit.