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This past Thursday, actor Jeremy Piven from HBO's "Entourage" withdrew from his role in the Broadway play "Speed-the-Plow" due to high levels of mercury in his bloodstream. The Food Section, fellow food blog, states that Piven's doctor, Dr. Carlon Colker, attributes such high levels to a diet of sushi twice a day. Sounds like Piven is going to have to lay off the Sushi for a while.
The Piven incident supports evidence that fish has high levels of mercury that can become toxic in large quantities. Just this past September, I posted about the controversy over the FDA's refusal to acknowledge tuna's mercury toxicity. What's worse? According to a recent article from The Washington Post, the FDA is urging the government to reverse its advisory that women and children should limit how much fish they eat.
The Washington Post article explains that mercury damages the neurological development of fetuses and infants, and it poses a health risk for adults, such as the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The article's information was based on scientific studies. What will it take for the FDA to recognize that too much of certain fish can be toxic?
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12-22-2008 @11:20PM ann lemons said... Interesting the amount of scathing comments from other people associated with the show, casting considerable disbelief on the diagnosis. No opinion myself, but I believe David Mamet, the playwright remarked that he was leaving to pursue another opportunity, to play a thermometer.
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12-23-2008 @10:02AM k dino said... Color me extremely skeptical. The guy is exhausted, and rightfully so, given his Broadway run. The mercury MAY be elevated ... "more than the doc has ever seen" ... but when was the last time YOU had a mercury level drawn? Ever? This doctor is more into alternative fringe medicine, herbal potions, and bodybuilding than actual epidemiological practice. And I have a hard time believing that simply consuming sushi can cause a level of poisoning to take you out of your normal activities. Sorry. That's just not that much fish! It just isn't! And why aren't all the Japanese actors falling prey to mercury poisoning? I bet they eat more fish than Piven.
Everyone thinks of the horrible neurotoxicity of the mercury in Minimoto, Japan, years ago. But that was a situation of in-utero exposure combined with severe and overwhelming contamination that was grossly observable.
I wish Mr. Piven the best as he recovers from what is surely incredible exhaustion. I once performed in a very small run of a very small play in a very small town (over several weeks). It laid me low and affected my balance, sense of smell, and well-being: Effects that have lasted 'til today. I don't think I had one bite of sushi during that whole time. But I was EXHAUSTED. Now, multiply that by 100 and I get an idea of what a Broadway run of a successful production must be like.
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