Neuropsychiatric symptoms, omega-3, and mercury exposure in freshwater fish-eaters.
Mercury is a neurotoxin, absorbed primarily through fish consumption. However, the nutritional benefit from omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) may offset the deleterious effects of mercury. Increased n-3 FA have been associated with lower rates of mood disorders. The authors examined neuropsychiatric symptoms among 243 freshwater fish-eaters, with low serum n-3 FA (median = 0.11 mg/mL) and low mercury exposure (median in blood and hair = 2.22 and 0.54 microg/g). They assessed neuropsychiatric symptoms with the Brief Symptom Inventory. The results did not show the expected inverse association between serum n-3 FA and neuropsychiatric symptoms. For men who consumed more than 130 g of alcohol per week, the authors observed a positive association between serum n-3 FA and neuropsychiatric symptoms, possibly reflecting an alcohol-related release of n-3 FA from membranes into blood. They observed a positive relation between hair mercury and neuropsychiatric symptoms solely for women, suggesting that men may respond differently to mercury.
Philibert
Aline
A
CINBIOSE, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada. philibert.aline@uqam.ca
Bouchard
Maryse
M
Mergler
Donna
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D020262:Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D008628:Mercury