For most adults, 2-3 cans (8-12 oz) of low-mercury light tuna per week is generally considered safe, but for higher-mercury albacore (white) tuna, it's best to stick to one can (around 4 oz) weekly, while pregnant individuals, young children, and those planning pregnancy should significantly limit or avoid tuna due to mercury risks to development, opting for other low-mercury fish.
Based on the FDA's recommendation, the average adult can eat 2-3 cans of light tuna such as our Wild Planet Skipjack Wild Tuna each week without any concern. That's about 4-6 tuna sandwiches depending on your tuna salad recipe and how robust you like your sandwiches.
Should you eat tuna every day? We don't recommend eating anything every single day! It's a good idea to eat a variety of food to get all the nutrition you need. Seafood, including tuna, should be enjoyed 2 to 3 times a week.
Canned tuna is the only seafood in some people's diets. So that's why mercury contamination is such a concern in this particular fish. Mercury is a known neurotoxin. Too much of it is harmful to children, whose bodies and brains are still growing.
The symptoms don't look all too unique. Headaches, difficulty sleeping, muscle weakness and twitching are a few. I ate canned tuna daily for a few years but never experienced mercury poisoning as far as I'm aware.
Halibut, grouper, mahi-mahi, albacore tuna and canned tuna fall under the FDA's “good choices” category and should be eaten no more than once a week. Swordfish, orange roughy and bigeye tuna are best avoided, as they contain the highest levels of mercury.
If you're counting calories and maximizing omega-3 fatty acids, then tuna in water might make a great choice. On the other hand, if moisture, flavor, and vitamin D levels are your focus, then olive oil-packed tuna might be better. Whatever tuna you choose, it's important not to go overboard for this mild-flavored fish.
Healthy tuna recipes
The healthiest canned tuna is typically chunk light skipjack packed in water, due to lower mercury levels and fewer calories than albacore, but for maximum omega-3s, opt for pole-and-line caught albacore (in moderation due to mercury). Look for "no salt added" for sodium control, sustainable sourcing (pole-and-line/FAD-free), and brands that test for mercury (like Safe Catch or Wild Planet https://www.asweetpea).
Safe Catch's Original Elite Wild Tuna. Safe Catch Elite Tuna, simply the lowest mercury tuna of any brand.
This is because tuna contains higher levels of mercury than other fish. If you are breastfeeding, there is no limit on how much tuna you can eat.
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.
Initial signs and symptoms, such as fever, chills, shortness of breath, metallic taste, and pleuritic chest pain, may be confused with metal-fume fever, which is caused by cadmium exposure. Other possible symptoms include stomatitis, lethargy, confusion, and vomiting.
Fresh and canned tuna provide the same good omega-3 fats. However, canned tuna can be higher in sodium, fat and calories if it is packed in brine or oil. So be sure to choose canned tuna in water to minimise the sodium and fat content.
It's generally safe for all population groups, including pregnant women, to consume 2-3 serves of any type of tuna or salmon a week, canned or fresh. Canned tuna usually has lower mercury levels than other tuna because tuna used for canning are smaller species that are caught when less than 1 year old.
The concerns around daily intake stem from its mercury content. However, according to the NHS, which states a healthy, balanced diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, there's nothing there to say you can't eat tuna every day, unless you're trying for a baby, or pregnant.
In more severe cases, symptoms such as bronchospasm, respiratory failure, and low blood pressure may be present (vasodilatory shock). Patients with tuna poisoning have symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain.
According to the FDA, canned light tuna, made primarily from skipjack, is recognized as a low-mercury fish and is designated a "best choice." The FDA recommends eating 2 to 3 servings a week, or about 8 to 12 ounces.
“According to the FDA, the average adult can safely eat about six to nine ounces of tuna per week,” says Dr. O'Neill. “That typically works out to one to two cans, depending on the size.” But there are some exceptions.
The Bottom Line
If you're looking for a water-packed canned tuna, Blue Harbor (view at Amazon) is a delicious choice for albacore packed in water—and it's sustainably sourced, as well. Or, if you'd rather buy an oil-packed canned tuna, you won't go wrong with Tonnino's yellowfin option (view at Amazon).
OUR WINNER: Fresh Tuna!
We have to hand it to fresh tuna for its higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The official recommendation is that we should eat two portions of fish a week, of which one portion should be oily.
If you're concerned about limiting the amount of mercury you consume, and if you've eaten no other fish during the week, Consumer Reports says up to 12 ounces a week of Bumble Bee Chunk Light, Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light, Safe Catch Wild Elite, and StarKist Chunk Light tunas are the safer choices among the products ...
Which one should I choose?