Presumably, Ellis Conklin was trying to be funny when he reported in the Seattle Weekly that Sushi Could Make Us Dumber Than Breadsticks. Whats really dumb is believing that a notorious activist group with a single-minded anti-mercury agenda is an objective authority on anything involving science.

Conklin quotes Ned Groth of the Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) on the dangers of mercury in sushi. There does appear to be evidence now that adverse effects occur from normal amounts of seafood consumption, Groth claims. What evidence might this be? It comes from a report drafted by none other than Groth himself.

Groth is the same researcher who once admitted that his survey on mercury in school lunches was based on anecdotal evidence from a friends grandson in New Jersey.

Ultimately, anti-mercury activists like Groth dont care about sushi or seafood. They want to eliminate coal-fired power plants and theyre willing to manufacture frightening news about popular foods to advance their cause.

But seafood, unlike french fries or jumbo soft drinks, is a healthy and affordable source of protein and essential nutrients. Scaring people about seafood means fewer people will get the nutritional benefits they need.

The irony of Conklins article is that actual, peer-reviewed scientific research has found neurological advantages for infants and children whose mothers consumed seafood during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. For adults, more seafood means less heart disease, less fat, and more Omega-3 fatty acids that aid cognitive ability.

Conklin may have thought he was writing a funny article about sushi and intelligence but readers are left with a conclusion that is the polar opposite of reality. And [Moreover?] by allowing his column to be hijacked by an agenda-driven activist with questionable credentials, Conklin is complicit in discouraging Americans from eating the healthy seafood they need.

The consequences are not funny at all.