Eating Tuna Daily, bad for me?

FredDoyle

Here are the Health Canada guidelines for various fish:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/environ/mercur/cons-adv-etud-eng.php

AlabasterVerve

I eat too much tuna fish. It's just so quick and easy to mix up a can of tuna and dump it over some lettuce and tomatoes. I really need to quit being lazy and start making chicken salad more often. I think it tastes so much better anyway and I always make a big pot of soup from the carcass which is nice with it getting colder.

Next week is covered because that's exactly what I do with our leftover turkey but I'm definitely going to add a chicken to the weekly grocery list and cut back on all the tuna.

imdukesmom

Try alternating with pink salmon pouches. I have been eating white tuna pouch 1 day and pink salmon the next. Salmon is not an issue but when I researched, white tuna is worse then light tuna so you need to limit it. It goes by weight. Google the topic and you will find how to get the right amount for you! I'm just getting started but I've lost 6 lbs in 9 days. THANKS YOU TUNA & SALMON!

stealthq

The big risk is from albacore. Choose "light" tuna and AVOID "white" or albacore, but either way, you might want to eat less if you plan on having children (and especially nursing). Try the little pouches of salmon too - they are low risk and yummy.

And fight against coal-burning power plants, which is where most of this mercury comes from!

Before people start protesting random coal burning power plants ...

The US EPA has required scrubbers to remove, among other things, mercury from coal power plant (and other significant sources of mercury) emissions since 2011. The primary source of mercury pollution, as opposed to naturally occurring mercury, is from coal power plants in countries that do not take similar measures.

ETA: this doesn't mean the situation is likely to improve - those other countries are burning a lot more coal than the US, too. I try to avoid eating tuna more than 2x per week. I eat light tuna from the packet because I like it better. Did not realize albacore was a bigger problem - glad I don't prefer it.

QueenBishOTUniverse

Here is the information I provide for my students. I recommend that any woman of reproductive age at least consider limiting their intake of high level mercury fish.

http://seaturtles.org/programs/mercury/

This is what consumer reports has to say about the issue:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/january/food/mercury-in-tuna/overview/index.htm

I use their info because I would consider them to be a relatively non biased source on this subject.

ETA: the first link also provides a phone app so it is possible to quickly ascertain the mercury load of any seafood item you are purchasing.

missemmapeel

The only thing I'd add to the post is that tinned tuna tends to be rendered from smaller fish, so mercury levels are lower in them than they are in slabs of mature albacore tuna that you might eat if having a tuna steak or sushi at a restaurant.

Pie319

I work on hazardous waste cleanup sites and regularly have my blood tested for mercury (among other things) as part of my job health and safety program. I eat 3-5 cans of tuna a week in addition to potential exposure from my job and my mercury levels are not elevated AT ALL.

QueenBishOTUniverse

I work on hazardous waste cleanup sites and regularly have my blood tested for mercury (among other things) as part of my job health and safety program. I eat 3-5 cans of tuna a week in addition to potential exposure from my job and my mercury levels are not elevated AT ALL.

So you eat maybe121-200% of the EPA recommended weekly limit for someone your size. Given that the EPA limits are probably somewhat conservative it's not altogether surprising that you're levels are not problematic. That does not negate the fact that it is something people in general would be better off considering, especially if they are of the petite female variety.

sweetsarahj

Hi there. Canned tuna is not as high in mercury as fresh tuns. It has to do with the size / age of the fish when it is caught. Albacore is the highest mercury of the canned tunas. I usually buy skipjack. There's some good info below.


The text below is copied from Health Canada’s website (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/environ/mercur/merc_fish_qa-poisson_qr-eng.php#ca2)

What is the consumption advice?
Canadians are advised to limit consumption of fresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, escolar, marlin, and orange roughy. In general, you can eat up to 150 g per week of these fish species combined. However, women who are or may become pregnant and breastfeeding mothers can eat up to 150 g per month. Young children between 5 and 11 years of age can eat up to 125 g per month. Very young children between 1 and 4 years of age should eat no more than 75 g per month of these fish species.
Separate advice is applicable only to canned albacore (white) tuna. This advice does not apply to light tuna. Women who are or may become pregnant and breastfeeding mothers may consume up to 300 g (four Food Guide servings) a week of albacore tuna. This is equivalent to about two 170-g cans of albacore tuna per week. Children between the ages of 5 and 11 years of age may consume 150 g (two servings or about one 170-g can per week) and children 1 to 4 years of age may eat 75 g (one serving or about ½ of a 170-g can per week). Note that there are approximately 120 grams of tuna meat in a 170-g can of tuna after the liquid is drained.
Canned Tuna
Canned tuna, especially canned light tuna, is one of the most popular types of fish for many Canadians. The fish used in canned tuna products are generally younger and smaller and have significantly less mercury than fresh or frozen tuna, so that most Canadians don't need to be concerned about consuming canned tuna.
However, for those who consume large amounts of canned albacore tuna, there is some potential for exposure to higher levels of mercury than is considered acceptable.
Because of this, Health Canada has issued advice for children and some women on the consumption of canned albacore tuna. The advice does not apply to canned light tuna, nor does it apply to Canadians outside of the specified groups.
Canned albacore tuna is also often called canned white tuna, but it is not the same as canned light tuna. Canned light tuna contains other species of tuna such as skipjack, yellowfin, and tongol, which are relatively low in mercury. Canned light tuna also tends to be lower in cost relative to albacore tuna.
Why are there recommendations for canned albacore tuna but not others types of canned tuna?
All canned tuna, including albacore, is typically below the Canadian standard of 0.5 ppm total mercury. However, some people eat canned tuna as frequently as every day. If frequent consumers of canned tuna regularly choose canned albacore (white) tuna, their exposure to mercury could reach unacceptably high levels. The same concerns do not exist for canned "light" tuna because it contains less mercury than canned albacore tuna. Various species can be labelled as "light" tuna including skipjack, yellowfin, and tongol.
Why is the consumption advice for fresh/frozen tuna different from that for canned tuna?
Tuna that are used in canned products are typically younger and smaller fish and therefore tend to contain significantly less mercury than the larger tuna fish that are sold as fresh and frozen products.

nopotofgold

Isn't all deep water fish have Mercy now? everything ends up being bad for you. If you want change it up with canned turkey or salmon or something not canned.