When it comes to lunch, nothing is as versatile as a can of tuna. Toss it with mayonnaise to make a tuna salad sandwich, slice a tomato and boiled potatoes and eggs for a niçoise salad, toss it with your favorite pasta and some seasonings, or eat it straight of the box with crackers. It would be easy to eat tuna every day and not get bored, but is it safe? If you’ve heard warnings about mercury and fish, you might be wondering whether to cut back on your tuna intake.
“I get a lot of questions about this in my medical toxicology office,” says medical toxicologist and Co-Medical Director and Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Capital Poison Center Kelly Johnson Arbor, MD. Read on to find out what she says Better life how often is Also often when it comes to eating tuna and who is most vulnerable to mercury poisoning, whether it comes from the fish or another source.
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Adding fish to your diet provides a big nutritional boost. Johnson-Arbor lists improved heart health and decreased cancer risk as some of the health benefits of eating fish.
“Many varieties of fish, including tuna, are a healthy food choice and provide many beneficial nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, choline, iron and protein,” she says. “These nutrients are necessary for brain development and also support overall health.”
She points out, however, that fish can also contain mercury, which is toxic to humans.
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“Fish can become contaminated with mercury naturally in the environment or through industrial processes,” says Johnson-Arbor. “When mercury enters waterways, it is consumed by fish and bioaccumulates in the food chain. Larger fish, including tuna, swordfish and shark, are more likely to contain levels of mercury higher than small fish.”
You might think of mercury as silver beads in an old-fashioned glass thermometer, but Johnson-Arbor says mercury in fish is different. “The mercury found in fish is usually methylmercury, an organic form of mercury,” she notes. “Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin that can damage the developing brains of fetuses, infants, and children.”
For this reason, she says, people who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, nursing parents, infants and children should limit their consumption of fish that may contain mercury, including tuna.
Johnson-Arbor has good news for adult tuna fans who aren’t pregnant or breastfeeding: “Adults who consume tuna or other high-mercury fish are unlikely to develop symptoms of mercury poisoning, and the health benefits of eating fish in general outweigh the risks of consuming methylmercury,” she says.
If you’re concerned about the mercury content of your fish, it’s worth noting that Johnson-Arbor claims that albacore, or chunk albacore, contains about triple the amount of mercury in chunk light tuna. “Guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) states that at-risk populations can consume two to three servings of light tuna chunks per week. For reference, a serving of fish is approximately the size of the palm of your hand.”
The bottom line? “Occasional consumption of more than the recommended amount of tuna is unlikely to cause adverse health effects in healthy adults,” says Johnson-Arbor.
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Of course, mercury is still toxic and presents a serious concern for vulnerable groups of people. “Children, infants, and fetuses who are exposed to high amounts of methylmercury may exhibit developmental delays, memory and learning problems, or other signs and symptoms of brain damage,” says Johnson-Arbor. . Better life. “These adverse events can occur in children born to mothers who were exposed to methylmercury during pregnancy, even when the mothers are asymptomatic.”
If your child has eaten “excessive amounts of tuna or other high mercury fish” and you are concerned about the possibility of mercury poisoning, he urges you to contact your health care provider. “Blood and urine tests can be done to assess mercury poisoning,” she says. “You or your doctor can contact Poison Control for expert advice on how these tests should be performed, as well as the interpretation of test results.”
There are two ways to contact Poison Control in the United States: online at www.poison.org or by phone at 1-800-222-1222. Both options are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.
Best Life offers the most up-to-date information from top experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not intended to replace professional advice. If you have specific health questions or concerns, always consult your healthcare provider directly.