To reduce mercury in canned tuna, choose smaller tuna species (like skipjack), opt for light tuna over albacore/white, rinse it thoroughly, and consume it in moderation, as new active packaging using the amino acid cysteine shows promise for future removal. While a new technique can extract up to 35% of mercury, it's not yet commercially widespread; your best bet now is selecting lower-mercury types and practicing smart consumption.
Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have come up with a novel approach to packaging canned tuna infused in the water-based solution of amino acid cysteine. It was shown to remove up to 35 percent of the accumulated mercury in canned tuna, significantly reducing human exposure to mercury via food.
Treatment focuses on removing mercury from your body and could include receiving:
Here's the most important takeaway – check the label before you buy a can of tuna. Smaller tuna accumulate less mercury, which makes some brands safer than others. Made with Skipjack tuna, common brands like Canned Light or Chunk Light only have about 20 micrograms of mercury in a five ounce can.
5 Ways to Make Your Canned Tuna Healthier, According to Registered Dietitians
To limit mercury intake from tuna, here are the guidelines: Best choice: Eat 2 to 3 servings per week of canned light skipjack tuna. Good choice: Eat 1 serving per week of yellowfin tuna or white albacore tuna. Choice to avoid: Don't eat bigeye tuna.
Studies have shown that dietary vitamin C can reduce the mercury toxicity in terms of reducing mercury concentrations in blood and tissues especially liver and kidney tissues through the urinary excretion as well as enhance the immune responses in organisms (Hounkpatin et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2016).
8) Mercury is dissolved by all acids, which is to say by sulfuric acid, nitric acid, acid from sea salt; it also dissolves in vinegar and in acids made from plants: but for that to happen its chemical structure must be altered.
The traditional treatment for mercury poisoning is to stop all exposures. In many cases, chelation therapy is also used. This involves giving a medication (the chelator) which goes into the body and grabs the metal (chelos is the Greek word for claw) then carries the metal out of the body, usually into the urine.
A Peer-reviewed Independent study of Light Tuna on store shelves shows mercury levels that range over 1.00 ppm mercury*. Safe Catch only uses fish that are tested and pass the strict limits defined below: 0.1 ppm for Safe Catch Elite which is 10x lower than the FDA limit of 1.00 ppm.
Buy skipjack and yellowfin tunas labeled pole-caught, pole-and-line, troll-caught, or FAD-free from the Atlantic or Pacific. Avoid all bluefin tuna, except if you confirm it's Pacific bluefin tuna from a yellow-rated source (scroll down for more information). Avoid tuna caught in the Indian Ocean.
For the most health benefits, choose fatty fish such as salmon, trout, herring, chub mackerel, and sardines. These fish are also lower in mercury.
Is canned salmon healthier than tuna? Both types of canned fish are nutritious choices, but they have some differences. Salmon contains slightly more protein, calories, and healthy fats than tuna. However, both can be part of a balanced diet!
High exposure to inorganic mercury may result in damage to the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system, and the kidneys. Both inorganic and organic mercury are absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and affect other systems through this route.
A large overdose of inorganic mercury may cause massive blood and fluid loss, kidney failure, and likely death. Chronic brain damage from organic mercury poisoning is difficult to treat. Some people never recover, but there has been some success in people who receive chelation treatment.
You would have to eat around 25 tins (at 95g a tin) of it a week before you hit the maximum tolerable intake of mercury. For pregnant people (or people trying to get pregnant), the limit would be around 12 tins (at 95g a tin) a week. It is unlikely many consumers will reach these limits.
Do not drain Safe Catch tuna. There are no additives and fillers. Empty it into a bowl, chop up the steak and mix it. The tuna will reabsorb its natural oils and juices for a moist and delicious taste.