A study conducted by epidemiologists at Indiana University and published in the journal Diabetes Care is the first to establish the link between mercury and diabetes in humans. It was carried out on young volunteers without diabetes at the start of the study, followed for 18 years and on whom the level of mercury (from the nail of one toe) and glucose repeatedly.
His results establish the link between mercury levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes after taking into account lifestyle and other dietary factors such as intake of magnesium and D’omega-3 fatty acids, which could counter the effects of mercury. Study participants with the highest mercury level have a 65% increased risk (HR) of type 2 diabetes. These results highlight the importance of choosing Pisces and seafood known to have low levels of mercury, such as shrimp, mussels, mackerel or salmon and avoid fish with high levels of mercury, such as swordfish and tuna.
The health effects of fish consumption are therefore made up of interactions between essential nutrients and contaminants present in fish. In this study, the researchers conclude that “the association between mercury exposure and the incidence of diabetes was considerably strengthened after controlling omega-3 and magnesium intake.”