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

loseweightjames
loseweightjames Posts: 360 Member
in Food and Nutrition
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

Replies

  • TexasRaised89
    TexasRaised89 Posts: 204 Member
    I have NEVER heard that! i have always been told how good tuna is for you
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    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
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
    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
    laurenk182004 Posts: 1,882 Member
    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
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    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
    MommaFuhrer Posts: 214 Member
    I like canned salmon as well!! :flowerforyou:
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    I will always love tuna and will eat it anyway!
  • karinefitness
    karinefitness Posts: 336 Member
    Check out this website!
    http://www.howmuchfish.com/

    Now, I don't feel bad eating seafood several times a week ;-)
  • MsFat2Fit
    MsFat2Fit Posts: 59
    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
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    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
    loseweightjames Posts: 360 Member
    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
    mamalade1 Posts: 42
    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
    extre Posts: 3
    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
    loseweightjames Posts: 360 Member
    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
    rrgrove Posts: 73
    everything is bad for you if you ask the wrong person
  • WhisperALullaby
    WhisperALullaby Posts: 67 Member
    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
    TheAnie Posts: 180 Member
    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
    scavabird Posts: 4 Member
    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
    athrax Posts: 7
    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
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    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
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    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
    Tubby2Toned Posts: 130 Member
    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
    Hungry_Tuna Posts: 361 Member
    Aw man... I do eat skipjack light tuna (less mercury than albacore).. Maybe I should cut back!
  • Hungry_Tuna
    Hungry_Tuna Posts: 361 Member
    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)

    Tuna.jpg
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    Check out this website!
    http://www.howmuchfish.com/

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

    great site! thanks!!
  • patty1138
    patty1138 Posts: 196 Member
    bump
  • Zachor
    Zachor Posts: 8 Member
    You should try cans of chicken from Costco.
  • NicoWoodruff
    NicoWoodruff Posts: 369 Member
    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.

Categories