Yes, tuna contains mercury, which can harm a baby's developing brain and nervous system, so pregnant women should limit it, especially albacore (chunk white) tuna, favoring light canned tuna and consuming 2-3 servings of low-mercury fish weekly, avoiding high-mercury types like shark and swordfish.
Fresh tuna steak (bluefin) is high in mercury and should be avoided during pregnancy. Canned tuna is low in mercury and can safely be eaten 2-3x per week. Fresh Yellowfin and albacore tuna are somewhat high in mercury and safe to eat 1x per week.
You should limit tuna because it has more mercury in it than other fish. If you eat too much mercury, it can be harmful to your unborn baby. You should limit oily fish because they can have pollutants such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls in them.
Key Takeaways
You can safely eat tuna in pregnancy as long as you choose options with low mercury levels, such as Skipjack tuna and canned light tuna, and eat them in moderation. Per the ACOG, you should eat 6 to 12 ounces of seafood per week in pregnancy.
Is canned tuna safe to eat regularly? Yes. It is safe for everyone (including pregnant women) to consume canned tuna as part of their fish intake. Canned tuna generally has lower levels of mercury than tuna fillets because smaller tuna species are used and the tuna are generally younger when caught.
Women should not consume excessive amounts of seafood in pregnancy (ie, no more than 2 weekly average size servings). Hair mercury level above 0.3 μg/g indicates a potentially excessive body burden.
Symptoms include tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular effects, headaches and cognitive and motor dysfunction. Mild, subclinical signs of central nervous system toxicity can be seen in workers exposed to an elemental mercury level in the air of 20 μg/m3 or more for several years.
During pregnancy, avoid high-risk foods like deli meats/pâté, soft cheeses, raw or undercooked eggs/meat/seafood, unpasteurized dairy/juices, and large predatory fish (shark, swordfish) due to Listeria, Salmonella, Toxoplasmosis, and mercury risks, plus alcohol, excess caffeine, and unwashed produce/sprouts to protect your baby from serious infections and developmental issues.
To lower your exposure to mercury, don't eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish. Skip uncooked fish and shellfish. To avoid harmful bacteria or viruses, don't eat fish and shellfish that has not been cooked.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding can eat both white (albacore) and light canned/pouched tuna as part of a variety of their 2-3 servings of seafood each week. For the general population, there are no types of commercial seafood to avoid.
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.
Bake some tuna, pan fry it, or throw it on the grill — you really can't go wrong with how you cook it. You want the internal temperature of the tuna to be at 145 degrees, or until all the flesh has changed color, begun to brown, and the meat separates easily with a fork.
The American Pregnancy Association recommends different serving sizes based on tuna species: Skipjack tuna: Up to 12 ounces weekly. Yellowfin tuna: Limited to 6 ounces per week. Albacore tuna: Limited to 4 ounces per week.
Made with Skipjack tuna, common brands like Canned Light or Chunk Light only have about 20 micrograms of mercury in a five ounce can. Larger fish like Albacore and Yellowfin have up to 50 micrograms per can, while Atlantic Bluefin, the largest tuna, can have as many as 283 micrograms per five ounces.
Once mercury has entered the body, it can take months before it is eliminated, mainly through the urine and feces. Levels of mercury can be measured in blood, urine, and scalp hair. These tests may help to predict possible health effects.
The FDA offers specific guidelines to limit some varieties of canned tuna when pregnant and breastfeeding. 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.
Consuming fish high in mercury could damage your nervous system and impair brain development in young children and unborn babies. 8 Tuna, particularly albacore tuna, tends to have higher mercury levels. Light tuna is a safer bet for those limiting mercury intake. Salmon generally has very low mercury levels.
Safe Catch Elite Tuna, simply the lowest mercury tuna of any brand.
Mercury can pass from a mother to her baby through the placenta during pregnancy and, in smaller amounts, through breast milk after birth. Mercury exposure can affect the infant's brain and nervous system development during pregnancy and after birth.
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.
The FDA makes three recommendations for child-bearing women and young children: Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tile fish because they contain high levels of mercury. Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
Pregnant women are more likely to get sick from certain germs spread through food, like Listeria. Some foods are more likely to spread harmful germs, including undercooked meat and eggs, unpasteurized milk and cheese, and unwashed produce.
Yes, honey is generally considered safe for pregnant women to eat. The bacteria that cause botulism are a concern for infants since their immune systems are not yet fully developed. Fortunately, these bacteria do not typically affect adults and cannot cross the placenta to harm the fetus.