Children have more mercury in their hair than eating fish

In the study where the children's garden had to eat meat or fish three times a week, researcher Jannike Øyen of the Institute of Marine Research discovered that fish eaters were learning better. The study lasted 16 weeks and the fish-eating children received herring or mackerel, according to the portal of food.

The researchers also showed that mercury mixtures increased in the hair of children who ate fish during the study. From beginning to end of the experiment, the amount of mercury in the hair increased in the child from 0.3 to 0.6 microgram per kilogram of hair.

"It's below the level considered dangerous by the official authorities," said researcher Ingrid Kvestad.

The survey found that children who ate fish had an increased ability to work quickly. Such development has not been observed in children eating meat. This places researchers in the context of an increase in DHA of omega-3 fatty acids in children eating fish.

"In some studies, omega-3s, which have a positive effect on brain development, can neutralize some of the negative effects of mercury," says Øyen.

Mercury, and especially methylmercury, is a heavy metal toxic to humans. It affects the mental development of fetuses and infants and can lead to impaired learning ability.

(© NTB)