How bad is tuna for you? No more than 2 cans a week?

loseweightjames

according to
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

if you're over 150 lbs you shouldn't have more than 1 can of chunk light tuna every 3 days because the high levels of Mercury

Really?? I love tuna, it's cheap, tastes great, low in calories and high in protein. I've probably been eating a can or two a day, and one can every 3 days doesn't seem like much at all. If tuna is so harmful why doesn't it come with a warning label or something?

maybe i'll eat canned shrimp instead, that has a much lower mercury levels:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115644.htm

TexasRaised89

I have NEVER heard that! i have always been told how good tuna is for you

melsinct

Try boneless/skinless canned salmon instead. The taste is surprisingly similar, I am not sure if canning tames the taste of salmon or what. My husband hates salmon usually, but he will eat canned salmon. Go figure. Salmon doesn't have the mercury issues that tuna does.

fionarama

I've been told about high mercury in certain fish as well. I take it with a grain of salt, its so nutritious. Wouldn't worry about it.

laurenk182004

I love tuna so much. They do tell pregnant women to eat only two cans a week, but I have craved it and eaten more than that with both of my pregnancies with no adverse effects.

myofibril

Re: tuna you have to be careful if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant as high levels of mercury can affect the development of an unborn child's nervous system.

Given the OP is a dude unless there's something he's not telling us there is not a huge amount to worry about...

MommaFuhrer

I like canned salmon as well!! :flowerforyou:

ErinBeth7

I will always love tuna and will eat it anyway!

karinefitness

Check out this website!
http://www.howmuchfish.com/

Now, I don't feel bad eating seafood several times a week ;-)

MsFat2Fit

I only like tuna in oil and it has lots of calories so don't eat canned tuna at all at the moment!

But I love fresh tuna...not overcooked.

warmachinejt

according to
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

if you're over 150 lbs you shouldn't have more than 1 can of chunk light tuna every 3 days because the high levels of Mercury

Really?? I love tuna, it's cheap, tastes great, low in calories and high in protein. I've probably been eating a can or two a day, and one can every 3 days doesn't seem like much at all. If tuna is so harmful why doesn't it come with a warning label or something?

maybe i'll eat canned shrimp instead, that has a much lower mercury levels:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115644.htm

well if more than 1 can of tuna is bad for me then that will be my downfall, i also eat 1 can a day sometimes even 2

loseweightjames

Try boneless/skinless canned salmon instead. The taste is surprisingly similar, I am not sure if canning tames the taste of salmon or what. My husband hates salmon usually, but he will eat canned salmon. Go figure. Salmon doesn't have the mercury issues that tuna does.

I like salmon too, but it has more of a fishy taste than tuna.

Also I haven't found small 5 oz cans like tuna, everything is big 16 oz of salmon, which is way too much to eat in one sitting since it's so filling.

if they sold salmon in 5 oz cans for about the same price as tuna (it should be, since it's 1/3rd the size) then I'd switch in a heartbeat.

still thinking shrimp. It's delicious, but 3x the price of tuna :-/

mamalade1

I'd be far more concerned about babies in utero and children whose brains are still developing. A neurotoxin at that point just can't be good. I have yet to feed it to my toddler.

Damn coal-fired generating plants!

The little tiny fish are still safe though and really good for you: sardines, herring, etc.

extre

If you buy "light" tuna, you can eat all you want of it. If you buy "white," you should limit it to a few cans a week. Fish is so good for you, the benefits outweigh the risks as long as you are eating relatively small ocean fish. The risks for adults are minimal as far as we can tell; children are the ones at risk, so that's why pregnant women and nursing mothers are supposed to limit fish. If you aren't a woman, or aren't pregnant, breastfeeding, or fertile, there's very little concern regarding eating tuna.

loseweightjames

Check out this website!
http://www.howmuchfish.com/

Now, I don't feel bad eating seafood several times a week ;-)

THANK YOU!!!!

That website is Amazing! Answered my question perfectly, said there isn't a risk unless I'm eating over 28 cans a week. Although that's only 4 cans a day, I usually only eat a can or two at work so I'm only eating about 10 a week.

Still think I'll limit my intake to 1 can a day and slowly switch to canned shrimp or salmon if I can find 5 oz cans of salmon

EDIT: Oops that 28 cans a week is for 150 lbs person. I'm no where near 150 lbs (and hope I never am!) so I think I'm safe with my 10 cans a week

thanks again!

rrgrove

everything is bad for you if you ask the wrong person

WhisperALullaby

everything is bad for you if you ask the wrong person

My college roommate had a book that "Everything Is Bad For You" and how even breathing will kill you. Just not breathing will kill you faster though...

TheAnie

everything is bad for you if you ask the wrong person

This is what I was thinking as well.

And the link to how much fish was very much appreciated! Very awesome site!

scavabird

I actually do research in toxicology, and the toxicology association suggests Much less than that for women of chilbearing age that have the potential to become pregnant in the next ten years, on the order of one can/month because much lower levels of mercury can cause birth defects.

athrax

Tuna is a great source of protein. I get the kind packed in water and drain it because I prefer the taste and don't want to have all that oil on there- yuck. Mercury in tuna has been an age-old concern for many, but one that I never really was bothered with.

CoryIda

I eat tuna several times a week. As you said, it tastes good, is low in calories, high in protein, and is very convenient. (I usually use the very low sodium chunk light tuna in water).

Here's the deal with mercury (from the tuna website):
"Canned tuna is safe and canned light meat tuna is listed on the EPA/FDA advisory as one of the fish that has very low levels of methylmercury. The trace levels of methylmercury found in canned tuna are far below the 1.0 parts per million (ppm) standard the FDA has set as safe. FDA testing has shown that canned light meat tuna has an average of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) and that Albacore (white meat) tuna has an average of 0.35 ppm. StarKist has appropriate testing procedures in place to ensure that both our light meat canned and white meat canned tuna are well below the FDA limit of 1 ppm."

Newfiedan

1 can of low sodium water packed tuna a day has not hurt me and I have been doing it for a long time now.

Tubby2Toned

The higher in the food chain, the higher the mercury levels. Best to limit shark and swordfish they really do have mercury levels that are unsafe.
Things like sardines and anchovies are going to have very low mercury.
I consider tuna safe at a can a day.

Hungry_Tuna

Aw man... I do eat skipjack light tuna (less mercury than albacore).. Maybe I should cut back!

Hungry_Tuna

Aw man... I do eat skipjack light tuna (less mercury than albacore).. Maybe I should cut back!

Nahh.. I love my tuna too much.
Here's the kind I buy...(pic from my cupboard on my blog)

marycmeadows

Check out this website!
http://www.howmuchfish.com/

Now, I don't feel bad eating seafood several times a week ;-)

great site! thanks!!

patty1138

bump

Zachor

You should try cans of chicken from Costco.

NicoWoodruff

I'll always eat fish but I am also concerned about toxicity.. which is why I only cook my own fish raw from the meat department and when I cook it I don't eat much if any of the skin from it unless it got cooked all the way to crisping, then it is yum lol.

I've read in the past that the more toxic stuff is in canned fish or the skin of the fish if wildcaught. But not sure if that's correct.. so many conflicting infos. I've heard raging debate on both sides of farm raised fish.

I tend to buy wild caught and not eat the skin.