Doctors and medical experts are people who oppose the shark fin trade for purely health reasons. Health organizations and doctors have often warned against the consumption of shark fin soup. Though many believe that shark fin soup can improve health, fight cancer, and prevent heart disease, new research suggests just the opposite (The Telegraph 2011). Eating shark fin soup can be hazardous to human health, as sharks tend to contain mercury due to excessive pollution in the water (Shark Savers 2014). Specifically, sharks contain high levels of methylmercury, which is classified as a neurotoxin (Shark Savers 2014). In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has warned against the consumption of shark fin soup for small children and women, as the toxin is known to cause infertility (Shark Savers 2014). Also, shark fins contain BMAA, which is another neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimers disease and Lou Gehrig disease or ALS (Science Daily 2012).
Before serving shark fin soup, some restaurants treat shark fins with hydrogen peroxide in order to make their color more appealing to consumers (Stop Shark Finning 2013). Though the concentration is normally diluted, hydrogen peroxide can cause nausea and, in some cases, a stroke (Nutrition Facts 2014). The health risks of consuming shark fin soup far outweigh the supposed benefits, and doctors believe that it is in the best interest of patients to avoid consumption of the dish.
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| Effects of Mercury |
Works Cited:
Nutrition Facts. (2014) Can you take hydrogen peroxide internally?
Nutrition Facts. Nutrition Facts. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://nutritionfacts.org/questions/can-you-take-hydrogen-peroxide-internally/.
Science Daily. (2012) Neurotoxins in shark fins: A human health
concern,
Science Daily. Science Daily. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120223182516.htm.
Shark Savers. (2014) Shark Fin Soup Is Not Healthy. I’m Finished
with Fins. SharkSavers, Inc. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) https://www.sharksavers.org/en/our-programs/i-m-finished-with-fins/learn-more/shark-fin-soup-is-unhealthy/.
Stop Shark Finning. (2013). Shark fin soup facts. Stop Shark
Finning. Stop Shark Finning. (Date Accessed: February 19, 2014.) http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/shark-fin-soup-facts/
The Telegraph. (2011) Shark fin soup prized as a cure-all. The
Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8746046/Shark-fin-soup-prized-as-a-cure-all.html.
