Is it safe to consume common mollusks?

One of the big concerns about mollusk consumption is safety. The National Academy of Sciences has issued a federal report on seafood safety that warns, "The major risk of acute disease is associated with the consumption of raw shellfish, particularly bivalve mollusks." The reason mollusks are particularly risky is that they live by filtering 15 to 20 gallons of water per day.

If the water they inhabit is polluted, they end up concentrating any pathogen, such as the coliform bacteria that get into fresh and salt water from untreated sewage. Some shellfish, such as butter clams, can store toxins in their bodies for up to two years. Purchase mollusks only from reputable markets and ask to see the tag certifying that the mollusks were harvested from state-certified clean waters.

In many states, the National Shellfish Sanitation Program monitors the harvesting of clams and other bivalves. Prepackaged clams should bear a sticker from the state agency, as well. Although harvesting has been limited to areas certified as clean, such certification cannot provide complete assurance of safety when a mere handful of agents are charged with overseeing more than 10 million acres of approved shellfish beds along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts.

Thus, eating raw mollusks, even when they are from an area certified as clean, carries health risks, including gastrointestinal infection (diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal cramps) and infection with shellfish-borne viruses, such as hepatitis A. These illnesses pose significant risk to the very young or old, as well as individuals whose health is compromised, such as those with cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or any disease that impairs immunity, such as hepatitis C or AIDS. Another concern is paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP.

Normally associated with red tide, PSP can be present even in clear waters. Caused by a marine biotoxin ingested by shell-fish, including clams, PSP can cause symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and tingling or burning lips, gums, tongue, face, neck, arms, legs, and toes. Should you experience any of these symptoms, immediately seek emergency medical assistance as no specific antidote exists.

Common beans can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Common beans also contain moderate amounts of purines. Since purines can be broken down to form uric acid, excess accumulation of purines in the body can lead to excess accumulation of uric acid.

As such, individuals who are susceptible to purine-related problems, such as gout and kidney stones, may want to limit or avoid intake of common beans. Lima beans also contain large amounts of oxalate. Individuals with a history of oxalate containing kidney stones should avoid over consuming them.

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