- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released an advisory about shellfish harvested from Oregon and Washington, as they were found to have elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs)
- Saxitoxin, a naturally occurring neurotoxin produced by algae, can be harmful to human health as it damages nerve tissue
- Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) include numbness of the mouth and lips, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and nausea, dissociation and respiratory paralysis
- Apart from toxin-contaminated shellfish, radioactive fish may also soon find its way onto your dinner plate, as the U.S. government recently endorsed the consumption of seafood harvested off the coast of Fukushima, Japan
(Mercola)—In a perfect world, fish and other types of seafood are some of the healthiest foods you can consume, as they offer omega-3s and other beneficial nutrients. But with most of our waterways and oceans now heavily polluted with toxic wastes, these once-nutritious foods can become ticking time bombs that can land you in the hospital.
A recent advisory1 about Pacific Northwest shellfish is a grim example of how toxic some types of seafood can be. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), shellfish harvested from Oregon and Washington were found to be contaminated with a dangerous neurotoxin that can lead to severe symptoms, including paralysis.
Paralysis-Causing Toxin Found in Pacific Northwest Shellfish
According to the FDA website, on May 30, 2024, the Oregon Agriculture Department and the Washington Health Department sent out an advisory about the recall of oysters and bay clams harvested from their waters. Apparently, the shellfish were found to have elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs),2 which can lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).3
“Paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, happens after someone eats shellfish contaminated with saxitoxin, which can cause gastrointestinal distress, neurological symptoms and a sensation of ‘floating’ or disassociation,” NBC News reports.
Oysters and bay clams that were harvested from Northern Oregon (specifically in Netarts and Tillamook bays) since May 28 are affected. Shellfish harvested since May 26 from around Willapa Bay in southern Washington may also be contaminated with this dangerous toxin.4
As of June 11, 2024, at least 31 people in Oregon have fallen ill after eating the shellfish.5 These contaminated shellfish are also circulating, as they were bought by consumers and distributed to restaurants and food retailers, not only in the two aforementioned states, but also in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada and New York.6
What Caused This Widespread Shellfish Contamination?
Saxitoxin is a naturally occurring neurotoxin produced by algae, mainly freshwater cyanobacteria and marine dinoflagellates. Matthew Hunter, shellfish program manager for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, explained that the unprecedented levels of saxitoxin in the Pacific Northwest occurred because of a massive algal bloom along the coast of Oregon.7
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, harmful algal blooms (HABs) can occur naturally; however, disruptions in the ecosystem brought on by human activities play a role not only in their frequency but also their intensity.8 The toxin levels don’t immediately subside — in fact it may take weeks, months or even up to a year for the contamination to subside, as noted by Oregon officials.9
“Oregon authorities have closed the state’s entire coastline to the harvesting of mussels, razor clams and bay clams. Agriculture officials have also closed three bays, including those named in the FDA advisory, to commercial oyster harvesting.
Officials in neighboring Washington have also closed the state’s Pacific coastline to the harvesting of shellfish, including mussels, clams, scallops and oysters, a shellfish safety map produced by the Washington State Department of Health shows,” ABC News reports.10
Symptoms of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
Saxitoxin can be harmful to human health, as it damages nerve tissue.11 What makes it even more dangerous is that the contaminated shellfish can appear perfectly safe and normal — they look, smell and taste just as other clean shellfish products do.
The FDA also warns that contaminated shellfish can retain saxitoxin for different periods of time. Some shellfish may eliminate this toxin rapidly, while others are slower to remove it from their system. This lengthens the period of time they can be toxic to humans.12
What’s more, PSP toxins cannot be killed or eliminated by cooking or freezing. Once you ingest the toxin, gastrointestinal distress and neurological symptoms may arise within minutes to a couple of hours. The symptoms, which may be mild or severe, depending on how much toxin you’ve ingested, and include:13,14
- Numbness of the mouth and lips
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Shortness of breath
- Irregular heartbeat (in severe cases)
- A “pins and needles” sensation (numbness in the arms and legs)
- Dizziness and nausea
- Loss of muscle coordination
- Feeling as if you’re floating (dissociation)
- Respiratory paralysis
At present, there is no antidote for saxitoxin poisoning.15 Medical treatment requires giving fluid and providing respiratory support.16 The good news is that if you survive 24 hours with the toxin, the prognosis is usually positive, and the toxin will not have lasting effects.
In severe cases, though, poisoning can be serious, and will require mechanical ventilation to help the patient breathe.17 Saxitoxin poisoning can be fatal and can happen in as little as two hours. It occurs because of asphyxiation, as the muscles used for breathing can be paralyzed.18 Because of the range in severity of its symptoms, the FDA advises consulting with a health care provider if you develop the symptoms mentioned above.19
Radioactive Fish for Dinner, Anyone?
Toxin-contaminated shellfish is just one of the many problems plaguing your seafood options. Soon, you may even find radioactive fish in your supermarkets, as the U.S. government recently endorsed the consumption of seafood harvested off the coast of Fukushima, Japan,20 which experienced a major nuclear accident after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Last year, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant started discharging nuclear wastewater, which was used to cool down the nuclear reactors, into the ocean,21 exposing seafood and marine life to radioactive substances. Many fishing groups have opposed these wastewater discharges, which are expected to continue for decades.22
Neighboring countries like China and South Korea, and even Russia, have also expressed concerns about radioactive contamination of marine life and imposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports as a precaution.23 However, the Japanese government claims their seafood is safe, even going as far as having officials eating Fukushima fish on video and declaring it “safe and delicious.”24
The U.S. government supports these claims; in September 2023, officials even attended a “sushi and sake” event at Capitol Hill, where around 40 members of the House of Representatives sampled fresh Japanese fish, such as flounder and seabass, from Fukushima.25
This was followed a month later by an announcement from U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, saying that the U.S. military would buy Japanese seafood in bulk and feed it to service members stationed at military bases in Japan. According to an article in The Defender, Emanuel says they will start with a metric ton of scallops, and then eventually expand to all types of seafood.26
But to bring in potentially radioactive seafood in our food supply is like playing Russian roulette with people’s health. What’s worse, the effects can build up gradually. You may not see any symptoms right away, but they can manifest years later. Hongkong’s Centre for Food Safety reports:27
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“According to a report issued by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) earlier, a fish sampled from the port area of the FNPS [Fukushima nuclear power station] was found to contain 18 times the Codex guideline level of the radioactive substance Caesium.
Caesium can be taken into the body by eating food or drinking water. After ingestion, it is absorbed into the bloodstream, distributes throughout the body, and tends to concentrate in muscles. The fish, if consumed, may pose a risk to health and increase the likelihood of inducing cancer.”
Farmed Fish — Another Dangerous Type of Seafood to Avoid
This issue of radioactive poisons from seafood has caused many to either give up eating fish or opt for farmed fish, believing it’s a safer choice. However, you may be swapping one problem for something that’s even more dangerous. Choosing farmed fish to avoid radiation is not going to do your health any favors. You may avoid nuclear radiation, but you’re getting far more of other toxins instead.
Aside from being one of the least sustainable approaches to farming, fish farming also causes many environmental problems and poses unique risks to your well-being, maybe even far worse than radioactive contamination. In fact, fish farms have been called the “CAFOs of the sea,” as they raise many of the same concerns about chemicals and pollutants associated with feedlot cattle and factory chicken farms.
Unlike wild-caught fish, which feed on natural organisms and thrive in its natural habitat, farmed fish are raised on a diet of processed, high-fat, high-protein feed that can include everything from genetically engineered (GE) soybeans and pesticides, to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins, to antibiotics.28
Salmon is one of the most widely sold types of factory farm fish, and salmon factory farms are now the fastest-growing type of food production system in the world.29 However, farmed salmon contain far more toxins than wild salmon, mainly due to their elevated fat content.
Since toxins from fish feed accumulate in salmon fat, farmed salmon generally has higher levels of contaminants than wild salmon. For example, a study found that among 700 salmon samples collected from around the world, farmed salmon have eight times higher levels of PCB concentration than wild salmon.30
How to Find Safe Seafood
With most of our waterways and oceans heavily polluted with neurotoxins, radioactive poisons, and heavy metals like mercury, dioxins and PCBs, it can be a challenge to find uncontaminated fish these days. The key is to be a smart shopper. Be selective in the types of fish you consume, focusing on those high in healthy fats and low in contaminants.
I strongly recommend buying wild fish, and wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon, in my opinion, is one of the absolute best, both in terms of nutrition and potential contamination. Aside from being rich in omega-3 fats DHA and EPA, wild-caught Alaskan salmon has a short life cycle, meaning it has a lower risk of accumulating toxins. It also doesn’t feed on other already contaminated fish, further reducing the risk of contamination.
Other great choices are small, cold-water, fatty fish like anchovies, sardines, mackerel and herring. A general guideline is the closer to the bottom of the food chain the fish is, the less contamination it will accumulate.
If you still want to take precautions, you can take chlorella tablets every time you eat fish and other seafood. Chlorella is a heavy metal chelator and can bind to mercury and other toxins before your body can absorb it, allowing these harmful substances to be safely excreted in your stool instead. In addition, it’s best to avoid larger fish, as they tend to live longer and have higher contamination levels. These include:
- Tuna (tuna steaks, sushi, and canned)
- Sea bass and largemouth bass
- Marlin
- Halibut
- Pike
- Walleye
- Shark
- Sword fish
- White croaker
Sources and References:
- 1, 4, 6, 12, 13, 19 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, June 5, 2024
- 2 Mar Drugs. 2013 Apr; 11(4): 991–1018
- 3, 14 NBC News, June 11, 2024
- 5, 9, 10, 11 ABC News, June 11, 2024
- 7, 17 U.S. News, June 11, 2024
- 8 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- 15 West J Emerg Med. 2014 Jul; 15(4): 378–381, Introduction
- 16 Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2017 Dec 6; 97(6): 1731–1736
- 18 Division of Environment Health Food Safety and Sanitation Program, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
- 20, 24, 26 The Defender, Children’s Health Defense, June 6, 2024
- 21 BBC, August 22, 2023
- 22 AP News, September 8, 2023
- 23 The Hill, November 10, 2023
- 25 Japan Forward, September 21, 2023
- 27 Centre for Food Safety, Food Safety Concern on Radioactive Contamination
- 28 Organic Consumers Association
- 29 World Wildlife Fund 2020
- 30 Harvard Health Publishing, April 1, 2004
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
