Sounds scary, but what does this really mean for your health?
Could eating a spicy tuna roll for lunch once a week actually come with safety hazards?
How about every day?
Collage: Self; Source Images: bogdan vacarciuc/Adobe Stock, Sketchify
Basically, how worried should youreallybe about mercury in tuna?
We reached out to a few experts to learn moreand hopefully net (sorry) some answers.
Heres everything you oughta know about mercury in tuna before committing to that recurring poke bowl lunch.
How does mercury get into tuna in the first place?
Two words: the food chain.
But well start at the beginning.
Then, single-celled algae known as phytoplankton absorb it.
From there, the food chain kicks in.
Then, the chain continueswith us.
Eating fish containing methylmercury is actually the most common mercury exposure route in the US, per theEPA.
Does all tuna contain mercury?
Meanwhile, albacore and yellowfin will fall somewhere in between.
In many cases, the product itself is a clue (if the label doesnt already say).
By comparison, many tuna fillets are made from yellowfin, and much tuna sashimi from bigeye.
What are the risks of mercury in tuna, and who is especially vulnerable?
Whats more, the risks associated with excessive mercury intake are different for adults than young kids.
Think an increased risk ofhigh blood pressure,heart disease, andheart attack.
How much mercury is a health concern?
And two, these reference numbers are averages, and sometimes theyre very highly variable, Dr. Sunderland says.
And bigeye tuna should be avoided, according to guidance from both the FDA and ACOG.
Other tuna species like albacore, yellowfin, and bigeye appear to be off-limits, according to the chart.
With that in mind, how often is too often to eat tuna for most of us?
Typically, we use that for everyone in this country, she says.
To give an overall recap: Low-mercury tuna like skipjack?
it’s possible for you to have them as much as you want, Van Eck says.
Thats probably okay to eat every day, Dr. Sunderland elaborates.
Middle-of-the pack tuna options like albacore and yellowfin?
You could eat that weekly, but not every day, Van Eck says.
Try sticking to once or twice a week, max, according to Dr. Sunderland.
You want to have it rarely, if ever, Van Eck says.
You really want to think about, Who am I?, Dr. Sunderland advises.
From a nutritional perspective, those are better for you, she says.
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