I ate a popular 'health' food every day to lose weight... but it was poisoning me
Share this @internewscast.com

Nasha Montgomery was looking to lose weight and began following a healthy diet, incorporating what she thought was a powerhouse food.

A mainstay in her plan was canned tuna – promoted as a healthy staple for its high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids and essential vitamins and minerals. 

The office worker from Alabama would meal prep salads with tuna and eat it in sandwiches, with crackers for breakfast and lunch and as a snack at work every day.

On average, Montgomery, 29, would consume about six cans of tuna a week – each ranging between 5 and 12 oz. This meant she was eating between 2 and 4.5 lbs of tuna per week.

What Montgomery didn’t realize, was that tuna is high in mercury – a neurotoxin. Mercury is present in all fish, but can be at concerning levels in tuna, especially depending on the type, because they are predatory fish that accumulate a lot of mercury through their diet.

Montgomery said she mainly consumed albacore tuna, which has some of the highest levels of mercury among the fish varieties.

Most people can safely eat just 5 oz of albacore per week – Montgomery was eating up to 14 times what is considered a safe amount. 

After about four months on the diet, she began experiencing muscle cramping, hair loss and a metallic taste in her mouth – a hallmark symptom of mercury poisoning.

Nasha Montgomery (pictured), a 29-year-old office worker from Alabama, began experiencing distressing symptoms about four months into her new diet

Nasha Montgomery (pictured), a 29-year-old office worker from Alabama, began experiencing distressing symptoms about four months into her new diet

A mainstay in Montgomery's diet plan was canned tuna - promoted as a healthy staple for its high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids and essential vitamins and minerals

A mainstay in Montgomery’s diet plan was canned tuna – promoted as a healthy staple for its high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids and essential vitamins and minerals

At first, she blamed her symptoms on stress as she had just started a new job. But following a heavy metals blood test, she claims high levels of mercury were found in her body and she was diagnosed with suspected mercury poisoning.

Mercury poisoning can cause serious neurological damage and the FDA and EPA urge people to limit their fish intake because of it – pregnant women are advised to avoid fish altogether.

Symptoms include memory loss, irritability, tingling limbs and changes in vision, taste or smell. The toxin can also travel to your heart and kidneys, causing damage to the organs.

To treat the toxicity, doctors will administer chelation therapy, which removes heavy metals from the body through fluid in an IV.

Detailing her ordeal in a TikTok earlier this month, Montgomery said she would meal prep tuna with mayo, onions and relish and ‘eat it throughout the day for breakfast, snacks, lunch’ and even again for dinner if she had leftovers – going through about six cans per week.

‘It became a theme [at work], that because I was eating so often, my colleagues would call it “tuna time” instead of lunch time,’ she said.

‘Around the 4.5 month mark is when I noticed major symptoms. I started to feel sick, tired all the time, my muscles were weakening and cramping.

‘My hands and feet were tingly and numb and my hair was falling out. On occasions I started to have a metallic taste in my mouth, too.’

She went to the doctor for a regular physical, and the blood tests didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. But when the symptoms continued, doctors inquired about her diet and she mentioned she was eating a lot of tuna.

Montgomery estimated she was consuming 2 to 4.5 lbs of tuna per week

Montgomery estimated she was consuming 2 to 4.5 lbs of tuna per week

Montgomery said she would meal prep tuna with mayo, onions and relish and 'eat it throughout the day'

Montgomery said she would meal prep tuna with mayo, onions and relish and 'eat it throughout the day'

Montgomery said she would meal prep tuna with mayo, onions and relish and ‘eat it throughout the day’

That’s when doctors ran the heavy metals panel. 

‘I was in shock as I thought I was doing something right by eating the tuna as it was healthy and the things I was eating the tuna with were also healthy,’ Montgomery said.

‘I felt like I was doing right by myself, but too much of a good thing can always backfire.’

To allow her levels to return to normal, Montgomery had to go on an eight month detox from the seafood and now only eats tuna about once a month. 

‘I was detoxing like I was addicted to it,’ Montgomery said.

‘I’m very careful now about my fish choices. It took me about six to eight months to get my body back to normal.

‘Sometimes I do feel tingly or numbness in my fingers and feet but aside from that I haven’t experienced any long-term effects [from my mercury poisoning].’

Following her experience, Montgomery is eager to raise awareness about the dangers of eating too much tuna.

‘One thing I would say to people eating tuna all the time is I’d advocate for them to be more aware,’ she said.

‘Especially when it comes to something seemingly healthy like tuna, you want to make sure you’re balancing those things out.

‘It’s easy to overlook subtle symptoms, but if something feels off, it’s important to slow down, pay attention, and take care of yourself.’

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Starmer’s NHS Strategy Overlooks Key Issue: My Daughter Passed Away After 6-Hour Ambulance Delay

A dad who lost his daughter after a six-hour ambulance wait has…

Warm temperatures may affect your blood pressure – 6 safety tips for the weekend

Blood pressure reflects the force of your blood against the artery walls…

Eliminating Guilt and Finding Hope: An NHS Change That Makes a Difference

Sometimes I feel guilty that I haven’t died yet. This isn’t the…

Renowned Psychologist Highlights Unexpected Mounjaro Side Effect Impacting Relationships

Experts have sounded the alarm over a bizarre side effect that may…

US State Faces Outbreak of Rare Medieval Disease, Officials Caution on Potential Future Cases

An Arizona resident had succumbed to the Black Death, marking the county’s…

Faulty Tests Drive Silent Epidemic Across the US, Putting Thousands at Risk for Chronic Diseases

Thousands could be at risk of suffering from a chronic disease this…

Distinguishing Between Heat Exhaustion and Sunstroke: A Doctor Explains

Dr Angela Rai, GP at The London General Practice, spoke exclusively to…

Groundbreaking Discovery in Alzheimer’s Treatment Could Revolutionize Disease Cure

Scientists have uncovered a new group of rogue proteins in the brain…

Widely Used Supplement Causes Liver Damage, Leaving One Woman Hospitalized

A New Jersey woman has vowed never to take a supplement again…

Unexpected Questions That Arise When Facing Incurable Cancer

Lying peacefully on the bed the man smiled and quietly exclaimed he…

Doctors Dismissed My Heart Flutter as Anxiety, Until I Coughed Up Blood

Lindsay Herriott, 40, had an easy pregnancy, giving birth in September 2022…