Domoic Acid, a Toxin in Seafood Damages Kidney and Brain

A new study finds that domoic acid, a natural toxin found in seafood, damages the kidney. This damage was caused by concentrations much lower than the prescribed safe limits for humans.

Domoic acid has already been known as a neurotoxin that damages the human brain when taken at high concentrations. The toxin is analogous to glutamate, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Toxicity leads to the condition known as amnesic shellfish poisoning.

The natural toxin is a product of algae; it accumulates in marine organisms such as shellfish, anchovy, and sardines. While bottom feeders acted as usual store houses of the toxin, it has now become more prominent in coastal regions.

The kidney is actually what helps to eliminate domoic acid. So when you take it in, the kidney is responsible for getting rid of it. The kidney actually accumulates domoic acid, and the receptors bind to it, and they get overwhelmed.

The domoic acid is heat stable and cannot be eliminated from food by cooking. Maintaining strict regulation in the levels found in sea foods may be the only practical solution.