Yes, for most adults, eating 2 cans of canned light or skipjack tuna per week is generally considered safe and falls within recommended guidelines for fish consumption, providing protein and omega-3s while keeping mercury intake low; however, choose smaller, younger fish like light tuna over albacore, and pregnant/breastfeeding individuals should consult guidance or limit intake due to mercury risks, notes an ABC report on tuna safety and an article from Medical News Today.
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.
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.
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.
Blackfin tuna are the only tuna not commercially harvested. They are a popular sport fish found in coastal areas in the western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil, including the Caribbean Sea. Mercury concern: Blackfin have the highest average level of mercury in the GBMS database.
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
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. It may also be called ahi tuna.
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.
First things first, canned tuna is packed with lean protein. Protein helps repair and build tissues, supports muscle growth, and keeps you feeling satisfied and full. So if you're aiming to build muscle, lose or maintain weight, or simply maintain a healthy body, canned or pouch tuna is a superb option.
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.
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.
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.
Tuna is low in calories and nutrient-dense, making it an excellent choice for maintaining a calorie deficit. Its protein and omega-3 content can help reduce cravings, support fat burning, and promote overall weight loss, though spot reduction of belly fat isn't possible.
This low-calorie, low-fat, tasty breakfast egg and tuna recipe, is not only quick and easy to make, it's a healthy breakfast to start your day.
The same amount of a chicken breast (3 ounces) provides a similar protein amount but packs about 130 calories due to a bit more fat. Tuna is mostly protein, almost no fat, and zero carbs, making it a low-calorie protein powerhouse.
Why do Safe Catch Tuna and Salmon say: Do Not Drain? At Safe Catch we do not add oil, water, fillers, preservatives, or GMO-Soy broth to our tuna or salmon. When you open the can or pouch you will find a solid steak with naturally occurring fish oils and juices that are full of healthy Omega-3s.
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?
Tuna has more selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, phosphorus, and vitamin D; however, chicken meat is richer in vitamin B5 and zinc. Tuna covers your daily selenium needs 153% more than chicken meat. Chicken meat has 41 times less vitamin D than tuna.
5 Ways to Make Your Canned Tuna Healthier, According to Registered Dietitians