How A lot Canned Tuna Can I Eat Each Week?

Canned tuna is a wholesome and handy various to contemporary fish, offering the identical low-calorie supply of protein, important vitamins, and heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids. That is seemingly why canned tuna is the second-most-popular seafood product within the U.S. after shrimp, based on the Workplace of Sustainable Fisheries.

The U.S. Division of Agriculture recommends that you simply embrace fish in your food regimen, nevertheless it’s very important to know which kinds of tuna are most secure and the way a lot is suitable for eating. Because of the danger of mercury poisoning, consuming tuna every single day would exceed the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s (FDA) really helpful protected restrict. How a lot is dependent upon the kind of tuna you eat. Canned mild tuna incorporates the least quantity of mercury, and the FDA suggests limiting your self to not more than 12 ounces (oz) every week, or not more than three 5-oz cans.

What’s in Canned Tuna?

Tuna are members of the Scombridae household and are commercially fished worldwide, each in tropical and subtropical seas. Among the many many species, canned tuna comes largely from two varieties.

1. Skipjack This comparatively small fish is probably the most plentiful and broadly fished tuna. About 70 p.c of the canned tuna within the U.S. is skipjack. It is usually known as chunk mild or flaked tuna, and producers can it in water, brine, or oil.
2. Albacore That is bigger than skipjack. Its pale meat has a fragile, delicate style. Producers usually promote albacore as white tuna. The newest knowledge means that round 20 p.c of the canned tuna consumed within the U.S. is albacore, though that is now 10 years previous. More moderen tuna consumption habits could also be totally different.

What About Mercury Content material?

All fish comprise some mercury. Being conscious of which species have the very best ranges can assist you cut back your danger of mercury poisoning.

Mercury happens naturally within the setting — resembling from volcanic exercise — however industrial air pollution can even contribute to mercury within the air, based on a research printed in 2023. Mercury builds up in rivers and streams and finally leads to the oceans world wide, the place it turns into methylmercury.

This will construct up in fish flesh over time after they take up it from the water and from meals. The quantity of mercury in a fish is dependent upon a number of components, together with the place they reside, the standard of what they eat, and the traits of the species. Usually, the older, bigger, and heavier a fish is, the extra mercury it’s more likely to comprise.

In an effort to assist customers cut back mercury publicity whereas nonetheless reaching the well being advantages of consuming fish, the FDA devised a chart itemizing fish species as “greatest selections,” “good selections,” and “selections to keep away from” based mostly on their mercury content material.

Within the research launched in 2023, tuna contained the very best mercury content material of any of the fish studied. Nevertheless, the FDA chart confirmed that several types of tuna have various ranges of mercury. Every class has particular suggestions for protected consumption, together with for kids and pregnant individuals.

How A lot Canned Mild Tuna Can You Eat a Week?

In keeping with the FDA, canned mild tuna, made primarily from skipjack, is acknowledged as a low-mercury fish and is designated a “most suitable option.”

The FDA recommends consuming 2 to three servings every week, or about 8 to 12 ounces. That features individuals of childbearing age and pregnant people.

An grownup serving of fish is the quantity that matches within the palm of your hand, or about 4 ounces. Due to this fact, the advice would make consuming two to 3 5-ounce cans of sunshine tuna every week protected for adults.

How A lot Canned White Tuna?

As a result of albacore, or white tuna, usually incorporates thrice extra mercury than canned mild tuna, the FDA has included it within the “good selections” class. Meaning the advice is one serving per week or 4 ounces for adults — about one 5-ounce can of white tuna per week.

How A lot Is Protected for Youngsters?

Feeding your youngster protein-rich, mild canned tuna helps progress and improvement. The FDA recommends serving fish to your youngsters one to 2 instances per week, utilizing a wide range of fish. However the portion dimension have to be applicable for the kid’s age and complete calorie wants.

Serving dimension for kids varies by age:

How Is the Quantity Calculated?

The FDA’s suggestion for the protected quantity of fish to eat is meant as a basic guideline based mostly on the common weight of the American inhabitants. Should you’re an grownup who weighs lower than the common (165 kilos), you might need to go for smaller parts or restrict your consumption to 2 servings of fish every week as a substitute of three.

If you would like a extra correct indication of how a lot tuna you possibly can safely eat per week, check out the tuna calculator created by the Environmental Working Group. It means that you can enter your weight, age, gender, and whether or not you have got a coronary heart situation.

Based mostly on that data, you will get ideas for the kind and quantity of fish you possibly can safely eat, together with the mercury content material and sustainability data.

What is the Commonplace for Security?

The FDA and Environmental Safety Company (EPA) regulate mercury content material requirements for consumable fish to assist public security. They established the next:

• A protected threshold for mercury content material in fish is 0.15 components per million or much less
• Reasonable to excessive ranges vary from 0.16 to 0.46 components per million
• Any fish with mercury focus over 0.46 components per million just isn’t thought of protected for consumption

The extent of mercury in a can of tuna might fluctuate considerably, relying on the age of the fish, its dimension, and the place it was caught. The EPA and FDA decide averages for every fish species, which type the idea for laws and proposals on protected quantities to eat.

The common mercury focus of canned mild tuna is 0.13 components per million, and canned albacore chunk white tuna is 0.35 components per million, based on the EPA.

Tuna in Oil or Water?

Tuna packed in water incorporates fewer energy and fewer fats, which may be useful in the event you’re attempting to take care of your weight.

For comparability, one can of white tuna in oil, drained, incorporates 331 energy and 14.4 grams of fats. A can of white tuna packed in water, drained, incorporates 220 energy and 5.1 grams of fats.

A can of sunshine tuna packed in oil has 339 energy and 14 grams of complete fats, whereas a can packed in water incorporates 191 energy and 1.4 grams of fats.