Can eating too much tuna REALLY lead to mercury poisoning?

[EmperorRyker]

Alright, so I know this topic's been done many times before, but browsing through those threads, I haven't found a definitive answer. All of them were either links to the various widely accepted recommendations or repudiation very eloquently put as "I've been eating tuna three times a day for months now and I'm not dead yet".

I've also stumbled upon this - http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/12/do-fish-fly.html - where the author claims that it's basically impossible for people to eat that much tuna (or other mercury containing fish) so as to get mercury poisoning. She supports her views with discerning between reference doses (if I gathered correctly, these are the recommendations put forth by various organisations) and benchmark doses.

I've also done a quick PubMed search and again, no luck, basically just some articles with the same recommendations against eating too much mercury containing fish.

Anyone more versed in these matters care to shed some more light on this, so that it's settled once and for all?

[xAlphax]

In my opinion, the lean protein source(+ Omega-3) outweighs the possible risk of mercury poisoning, I'm sure there are a wealth of sources to be read, but I just find it silly to obsess over such a small risk. And seeing as this food will very likely be a staple in my diet, maybe I'll find out.

[EmperorRyker]

Well, I'm really interested in finding out the answer to this question, as I'm currently erring on the safe side and eating 2 cans of tuna (each about 7 oz.) a week, as per the guidelines. As for being silly for obsessing over such a small risk, well, that's basically what I want to get a grasp of, just how big of a risk it is.

[Confuzzl3dOn3]

In my opinion, the lean protein source(+ Omega-3) outweighs the possible risk of mercury poisoning, I'm sure there are a wealth of sources to be read, but I just find it silly to obsess over such a small risk. And seeing as this food will very likely be a staple in my diet, maybe I'll find out.

The thing is how "small" is this risk. People say u shouldn't eat raw eggs not only for the decreased BA, but also because u increase chances of getting salmonella. Would u say this is an insignificant "small risk"?

And den the hype about GM food. Would it be bad for u and such. Some people take this really seriously and got out of their way to eat organic and all that. So i guess the question is how "small" is small enough not to care

[Johnsmatrix]

Different types of fish have different levels of mercury. You know that if we wouldnt burn coal we would have this problem yada yada yada. Too much tuna just like excess of anything else is bad. I just read an article about one of my favorite actor Jeremy Piven ( entourage ) who became ill last year and had to drop out of his broadway show. IT was because his diet was soley based of fish excluding meats and he got mercury poisoning.

[borlef]

Firstly, his diet wasn't SOLELY based off fish, he ate it like a normal person would eat meat, but his mercury level was also 30x that which they say is toxic, so you do the math. Yes Tuna is extremely high in mercury.
"About 40% of all U.S. exposure to mercury comes from eating contaminated tuna from the Pacific, and roughly 75% of all human exposure to mercury comes from eating fish, according to U.S. officials."
I wish people on here and people in general would actually know what they are talking about before they go and give others advice. They here someone say something, or they see ads on t.v. and they go talking about it like they have been studying it for years.
DON'T EAT TUNA, it's bad for you, and bad for the ocean.

[Confuzzl3dOn3]

Firstly, his diet wasn't SOLELY based off fish, he ate it like a normal person would eat meat, but his mercury level was also 30x that which they say is toxic, so you do the math. Yes Tuna is extremely high in mercury.
"About 40% of all U.S. exposure to mercury comes from eating contaminated tuna from the Pacific, and roughly 75% of all human exposure to mercury comes from eating fish, according to U.S. officials."
I wish people on here and people in general would actually know what they are talking about before they go and give others advice. They here someone say something, or they see ads on t.v. and they go talking about it like they have been studying it for years.
DON'T EAT TUNA, it's bad for you, and bad for the ocean.

Don't worry i'll eat your share 4 u :D

[SkarTissue]

I've always heard that in order to actually get mercury poisoning from eating too much fish is to literally eat pounds of it a day. Which would be way too much for your body to digest and that's when the mercury overload kicks in

[Confuzzl3dOn3]

I guess in all honesty it depends on a few things eg:
how well the individual can tolerate/dispose/excrete the mercury
how much mercury is in the fish (different brands of canned tuna would probably vary quite a bit)

I just eat about a can (roughly 110-120g) of canned tuna on like 6 out of 7 days. And sometimes at night i would have like salmon or some other fish (not canned but fresh fillets).

[gsolo]

In my opinion, the lean protein source(+ Omega-3) outweighs the possible risk of mercury poisoning, ...


Are the protein and Omega 3s you would get from tuna unique and unavailable from other sources?

What benefits do you get from the ingestion of mercury?

[JooKnow]

Always wanted to know this

[JooKnow]

I eat like 2 or 3 cans daily. Is that too much?

[AndrewWard123]

Read this http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/fish-intake-and-mercury.html

Should answer alot of questions.

[bikes4u]

what type of tuna? Albacore live longer so have more mercury.

[EmperorRyker]

Read this http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/fish-intake-and-mercury.html

Should answer alot of questions.

I've read this already and it seems to be going in the direction of "mainstream" recommendations. But when I stumbled upon the site I linked above it made me wonder whether this is actually true.

[Barn01]

Go with Skipjack ... less merc

I worked it out once and don't have all the exact numbers anymore but if I recall I could eat something like 17cans of skipjack per week before I'd hit the warning level. The most I eat is 10cans /week (2/day mon-fri)

I've never had any symtoms of merc poisoning. Besides you can still detox heavy metals with other food choices ;)

[zither]

Of course it can. There is a reason why the FDA puts a limit on mercury in seafood, and in fact this limit is significantly lower in other countries. Even though certain food products (e.g. albacore tuna) may come in under the allowed maximum, you can't just eat as much as you want and expect to be safe.

It is very convenient to say "so what, the benefits of protein and omega-3's outweigh the mercury." While this would be true if you were substituting canned tuna for a hamburger, it ignores the fact that are there are other sources of protein and omega-3's that don't provide anywhere near the mercury risk. It also ignores the fact that this is only true in moderation - once you start eating high-mercury seafood a couple times a day the marginal benefits decrease while the mercury piles up.

[Confuzzl3dOn3]

Of course it can. There is a reason why the FDA puts a limit on mercury in seafood, and in fact this limit is significantly lower in other countries. Even though certain food products (e.g. albacore tuna) may come in under the allowed maximum, you can't just eat as much as you want and expect to be safe.

It is very convenient to say "so what, the benefits of protein and omega-3's outweigh the mercury." While this would be true if you were substituting canned tuna for a hamburger, it ignores the fact that are there are other sources of protein and omega-3's that don't provide anywhere near the mercury risk. It also ignores the fact that this is only true in moderation - once you start eating high-mercury seafood a couple times a day the marginal benefits decrease while the mercury piles up.

Ok so it would be deemed ok to eat a can (about 110-120g) of tuna daily? The thing is that (here in aussie at least) they don't go around putting mercury = ___mg on their labels. I guess it'd be pretty stupid to put that on from their point of view if they're trying to sell their product (unless of course they had really low merc lvls and are trying to use that as a selling point). But its so hard to determine how high merc lvls it has so yeah.

[zither]

I would look carefully to find out what species you are eating. Here in America, the species albacore is generally labeled as "white tuna", while the species skipjack is generally labeled "light tuna". Albacore is about 4-5 times higher in mercury than skipjack. Eating a can of skipjack every day is probably safe, but you wouldn't want to eat much more mercury than that. Albacore, on the other hand, I wouldn't eat more than twice a week - and that's as an adult male; I wouldn't touch the stuff if I were a woman of child-bearing age. (There is also canned yellowfin - this is just as high as albacore)

But the best advice is just to vary your fish intake - don't eat big fish all the time. Try some other canned fish (or if you can afford it, filets). And don't worry if the other fish is less lean - these are incredibly healthy fats.

[Confuzzl3dOn3]

As far as i can see on my Portview brand tuna (bought at Aldi :D), it says flaked tuna in the ingredients. Product of Thailand. So no idea. But yeah i usually eat other fish (salmon, trout) fillets it's just for brekkie it's a lot more convenient just to pop open a can of tuna.

[Nocturnal310]

this actor Jeremy Piven was a fish lover...ate tuna, salmon for 15 months...twice a day.

got mercury poisoning.

just recovered from it.

[EmperorRyker]

Yeah, thanks for posting that, but should you have read the original post you would've seen this is exactly the kind of "evidence" I wasn't looking for.

[TheDictionary]

just chiming in.... a friend of mine ate tuna everyday for a year and got blood work done by his doctor to check for mercury, they found he did NOT have abnormal levels of mercury in his system

[JC480]

Tuna contains large amounts of selenium.

Selenium binds with mercury and the new molecule is passed harmlessly from the body. You would have to consume extreme amounts of tuna to bypass this natural protection.

A can of tuna everyday is safe for most males. Dietary considerations are different for pregnant females, seniors and children.

As with anything else...a healthy diet is a varied diet....eating too many of any one thing isn't smart as it can lead to deficiencies or "too much of a good thing".

[EmperorRyker]

Do you have any link to studies or scientific articles on that?

[JC480]

Do you have any link to studies or scientific articles on that?
Google it? There's only 1 trillion articles on it.

That's like asking for a scientific study on whether or not human beings use Oxygen.

[EmperorRyker]

I did google it and the only thing I've come up with was recommendations akin to those of FDA, where there's no mention of selenium being the saviour in regards to mercury. So if there's a trillion articles on it, could you perhaps point me towards a couple, preferably studies or scientific articles? And don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to find something that says I can eat tuna more than twice a day, but so far all I've stumbled upon called for a different conclusion.

[waynebw]

I just eat sardines...

1. Much Cheaper
2. More Vitamin D
3. More calcium (because you eat the bones)
4. Minimum Mercury (sardines are near the bottom of the food chain)
5. More EFAs

[AndrewWard123]

Sardines are the bomb.

I could live off homebrand sardines in springwater.

[EmperorRyker]

I just eat sardines...

1. Much Cheaper
2. More Vitamin D
3. More calcium (because you eat the bones)
4. Minimum Mercury (sardines are near the bottom of the food chain)
5. More EFAs

Yeah, agreed, I like sardines, as well, though they aren't cheaper where I live and it's hard to find them without oil already being added in the can.

[JC480]

I did google it and the only thing I've come up with was recommendations akin to those of FDA, where there's no mention of selenium being the saviour in regards to mercury. So if there's a trillion articles on it, could you perhaps point me towards a couple, preferably studies or scientific articles? And don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to find something that says I can eat tuna more than twice a day, but so far all I've stumbled upon called for a different conclusion.
I didn't say eating tuna more than twice a day is healthy. Variety in your diet is important.

* L.Cuvin-Aralar and R. Furness. "Mercury and Selenium Interaction: A Review." Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 1990 Oct 10;21:348-364.
* L. Raymond and N. Ralston. "Mercury: Selenium interactions and health implications." SMDJ Seychelles Medical and Dental Journal. 2004 Nov.; Special Issue, Vol 7, No 1.
* P. Beyrouty and H. Chan. "Co-consumption of selenium and vitamin E altered the reproductive and developmental toxicity of methylmercury in rats." Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 2006 Jan;28:49-58.
* K. Beijer and A. Jernelov. "Ecological Aspects of Mercury-Selenium Interaction in the Marine Environment." Environmental Health Perspectives. 1978 Aug;25:43-5.
* G. Ohi et al. "The Protective Potency of Marine Animal Meat Against the Neurotoxicity of Methylmercury: Its Relationship with the Organ Distribution of Mercury and Selenium in the Rat." Food and Cosmetics Toxicology. 1980 Apr;18:139-145.
* Y Sugiura et al. "Selenium Protection Against Mercury Toxicity: High Binding Affinity of Methylmercury by Selenium Containing Ligands in Comparison with Sulfur Containing Ligands." Bioinorganic Chemistry. 1978 Aug; 9(2):167-180

[gsolo]

I did google it and the only thing I've come up with was recommendations akin to those of FDA, where there's no mention of selenium being the saviour in regards to mercury.


learn how to use google

by entering:

"selenium mercury"

(no parenthesis)

EVERY result on the first page talks about it

[TylerDurden777]

It is definitely possible, in fact quite probable that a good number of the people on this board have mild cases of mercury poisoning already and they don't even realize it. A couple years ago, I was eating approximately 2 to 3 cans of solid white albacore daily. I started getting insomnia and became very agressive which is quite atypical for my personality. I went to the doctor because of the insomnia, and my dad wanted to have my mercury levels checked because he had seen how much I was consuming and was worried about it. I got the results back from the blood test and the doctor said on a scale of 1 to 10 normal blood mercury is around 3 or so. Mine was at 30 on this scale! Underwent chelation therapy and after a couple months I was fine. This is serious stuff, be forwarned mercury poisoning can cause serious psychological and overall health issues!

[Adimi24]

everyone look at these
http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=15903
http://www.ewg.org/tunacalculator

[Averagebeast]

everyone look at these
edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=15903
ewg.org/tunacalculator

"The best science indicates that trace amounts of mercury in the fish Americans eat simply aren't high enough to pose a health risk. But measuring only mercury further exaggerates this hypothetical risk. There's another scientific wrinkle that few environmental groups are talking about -- largely because it doesn't help to promote their scare campaigns."

[daszlosek]

I have eaten two cans of tuna for lunch every day for two months before and have never had any bad side effects.

[VTRunner]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mroussell5.htm

I can't believe no-one has posted this. Although this a bb.com article, it has a lot of useful info on the subject and gives some good tips.

[mac520]

If you're not eating tuna, what would the alternative be? Whatever you choose, I bet there's some scientific evidence somewhere out there "proving" that food is bad for you in a different way. It seems like everything is bad for you. How to know which information to trust?

[kaos006]

I eat about 3 cans a week. This website has a TUNA CALCULATOR. LMAO. Has some helpful information. Determines by sex and weight. menuplanningcentral.com/blog/how-much-tuna-is-safe-to-eat

[dustinlima]

Tuna contains large amounts of selenium.

Selenium binds with mercury and the new molecule is passed harmlessly from the body. You would have to consume extreme amounts of tuna to bypass this natural protection.

A can of tuna everyday is safe for most males. Dietary considerations are different for pregnant females, seniors and children.

As with anything else...a healthy diet is a varied diet....eating too many of any one thing isn't smart as it can lead to deficiencies or "too much of a good thing".This.... Can't believe it made it to 23 posts before this. Thanks, now i don't have to say it again

also to the guy who posted Lyle McDonald's article... scroll down to comments to see my name and no response since auguest 2009 :(

[ira_est_a_donum]

jeremy piven was eating SUSHI and SASHIMI every day.... prob many pieces of yellow tail and tuna...both are big on the food chain and high in mercury... so that was his problem...

he also was on that der cell tech and got his receeding hair line fixed... and blamed soy on the gyno...and prob the merc poisioning for the time off he needed to be out of the spot light to let his scalp heal.... so dont believe everything you read..

if you eat light tuna its generally considered safer than albacore and sushi types.... 2-3 cans of this a day shouldnt be a problem... but unless you have no access to ckn, beef, salmon, eggs or whatever..why would you eat more than that neways...

[Slimshady01]

just chiming in.... a friend of mine ate tuna everyday for a year and got blood work done by his doctor to check for mercury, they found he did NOT have abnormal levels of mercury in his system

I thought mercury is stored in your tissue and which makes a blood test inaccurate.

Its also cumulative meaning it builds up and is not easy to detox. Same thing with Fluoride.

[Locomuerte]

I was in the doctors office just a few weeks ago for a physical and we were going over cholesterol and other things and I mentioned that I ate salmon every other day and she told me that it was a little much and that since it is a bigger fish there is a risk of mercury and said that the general rule for salmon is no more than twice a week. I can't say for sure on the others but I would assume (I am by no means a scientist or medical physician) that this would hold true for all large fish.

[goldmank]

does drinking green tea help with mercury?

or is this some broscience I read?

[DorianJ]

Check this:

http://www.mercuryfacts.org/mercuryMyths.cfm

[.kool_kid.]

maybe

[tagun]

I was in the doctors office just a few weeks ago for a physical and we were going over cholesterol and other things and I mentioned that I ate salmon every other day and she told me that it was a little much and that since it is a bigger fish there is a risk of mercury and said that the general rule for salmon is no more than twice a week. I can't say for sure on the others but I would assume (I am by no means a scientist or medical physician) that this would hold true for all large fish.

Salmon is one of the lowest mercury-contaminated fish.

According to this calculator from the National Resources Defense Council, 7 large servings of salmon per week is still well within the limits considered to be safe.

It has almost 15-20 times less mercury (per 100 grams of fish) than regular tuna. Fresh salmon contains about 0.014 ppm, while mercury in canned salmon can't even be detected, it's so low. Albacore tuna contains about 0.35 ppm which is ~20 times higher than salmon. And even tuna can be eaten 2x a week, so obviously going by that number you can eat salmon 40 times a week (20 x 2) and get the same amount of mercury as you would eating tuna 2 times a week.

[limitlesshex]

Alright, so I know this topic's been done many times before, but browsing through those threads, I haven't found a definitive answer. All of them were either links to the various widely accepted recommendations or repudiation very eloquently put as "I've been eating tuna three times a day for months now and I'm not dead yet".

I've also stumbled upon this - http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/12/do-fish-fly.html - where the author claims that it's basically impossible for people to eat that much tuna (or other mercury containing fish) so as to get mercury poisoning. She supports her views with discerning between reference doses (if I gathered correctly, these are the recommendations put forth by various organisations) and benchmark doses.

I've also done a quick PubMed search and again, no luck, basically just some articles with the same recommendations against eating too much mercury containing fish.

Anyone more versed in these matters care to shed some more light on this, so that it's settled once and for all?

Yes, you can get mercury poisoning from eating too much tuna. It IS unlikely, but entirely possible, especially for someone who eats say... 250g of tuna a day. However, unless you're eating obscene amounts of tuna or other predator fish(shark) it's doubtful that you'll need to worry about it. Of course, you need to take into calculation how large you are in proportion to how much you eat daily. Women and small kids tend to be much more prone to poisoning, however.

White(albacore tuna) is a little over 3 times as high in mercury as light tuna because the fish is larger, hence it ate more smaller fish, lived longer and now has a higher mercury level.

If you're really worried about it just eat sardines, herring, or freshwater fish.

[jitendrasnv]

Hi,

Eating too much will surely way you to the health related problems.

A balanced diet is thus very helpful.

Thanks

[dejan_85]

A consumer guide to mercury levels in fish and shell-fish:

Very low:
Shrimp, Sardines, Tilapia, Oysters and Mussels, Clams, Scallops, Salmon, Crayfish, Freshwater Trout, Saltwater Perch and Mullet.

Below Average:
Pollock, Atlantic mackerel, Anchovies, Herring, Flounder, Crabs, Pike, Butterfish, Catfish, Squid, Atlantic Croaker, Whitefish.

Above Average:
Pacific Mackerel, Smelt, Atlantic tilefish, Cod, Canned Light Tuna, Spiny Lobster, Snapper, Skate, Freshwater perch, Haddock

Moderately High:
Carp, Halibut, Sea Trout, Sablefish, Sea Bass, Pacific croaker, American lobster, Freshwater Bass, Bluefish

High:
Canned albacore tuna, Spanish Mackerel, Fresh/Frozen Tuna, Grouper, Marlin, Orange Roughy.

Very High:
King Mackerel, Swordfish, Shark, Tuna sushi/Bluefin tuna, Gulf of Mexico tilefish

[dejan_85]

Salmon is one of the lowest mercury-contaminated fish.


It has almost 15-20 times less mercury (per 100 grams of fish) than regular tuna. Fresh salmon contains about 0.014 ppm, while mercury in canned salmon can't even be detected, it's so low. Albacore tuna contains about 0.35 ppm which is ~20 times higher than salmon. And even tuna can be eaten 2x a week, so obviously going by that number you can eat salmon 40 times a week (20 x 2) and get the same amount of mercury as you would eating tuna 2 times a week.

Actually canned fish have a slightly higher mercury level than non-canned.

[salongirl]

I tried to post 3 links but this forum will not allow me to post links unless I have 30 posts...... Hmmm

[sgt_kelly]

I hammered on tuna and albacore everyday, and just recently had my bi-annual check for liver and kidney health at my job......levels were perfectly normal and healthy!

[patzyy]

yea like said above its possible, but unlikely

[DorianJ]

Yes, you can get mercury poisoning from eating too much tuna. It IS unlikely, but entirely possible, especially for someone who eats say... 250g of tuna a day. However, unless you're eating obscene amounts of tuna or other predator fish(shark) it's doubtful that you'll need to worry about it. Of course, you need to take into calculation how large you are in proportion to how much you eat daily. Women and small kids tend to be much more prone to poisoning, however.

White(albacore tuna) is a little over 3 times as high in mercury as light tuna because the fish is larger, hence it ate more smaller fish, lived longer and now has a higher mercury level.

If you're really worried about it just eat sardines, herring, or freshwater fish.

I have actually read that the risk is non-existant and there are no example of mercury poisoning from eating fish in the literature. In fact tuna seems to be the only source of LCPUFA in the diet of children from poor income families. Removing or limiting tuna from their diet for hear for mercury has actually worsened their health from removing the only LCPUFA source in their diet.

The best science suggests that the tiny amounts of mercury in fish aren't harmful at all. A recent twelve-year study conducted in the Seychelles Islands (in the Indian Ocean) found no negative health effects from dietary exposure to mercury through heavy fish consumption. On average, people in the Seychelles Islands eat between 12 and 14 fish meals every week, and the mercury levels measured from the island natives are approximately ten times higher than those measured in the United States. Yet none of the studied Seychelles natives suffered any ill effects from mercury in fish, and they received the significant health benefits of fish consumption.

In November 2005, The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published new research from Harvard University that put the risk from fish-borne mercury in its proper context. Dr. Joshua Cohen, the study's lead author, summed up the issue for MedScape Medical News: "[W]e're talking about a very subtle effect of mercury … changes that would be too small to measure in individuals."

[xxjoker12]

Firstly, his diet wasn't SOLELY based off fish, he ate it like a normal person would eat meat, but his mercury level was also 30x that which they say is toxic, so you do the math. Yes Tuna is extremely high in mercury.
"About 40% of all U.S. exposure to mercury comes from eating contaminated tuna from the Pacific, and roughly 75% of all human exposure to mercury comes from eating fish, according to U.S. officials."
I wish people on here and people in general would actually know what they are talking about before they go and give others advice. They here someone say something, or they see ads on t.v. and they go talking about it like they have been studying it for years.
DON'T EAT TUNA, it's bad for you, and bad for the ocean.

dont eat tuna its bad for u.............ur a joke if u actually think tuna is bad for you lol.........ive been eating 4 cans of tuna for 4 years and i havent got sick once....

[watertoy]

Eating more tuna is safer for the average person.

I think the consensus is you can eat as much as you want. The omegas and such are overall good.

[codek]

is there any studies from asian countries. Especially Japan. They eat sushi everyday.

[bloodsimple1234]

this actor Jeremy Piven was a fish lover...ate tuna, salmon for 15 months...twice a day.

got mercury poisoning.

just recovered from it.



so he says.

[almightyares]

What really bothers me is other peoples "accounts" of their exposure. You hear "my friend did this" or "i did that for this long." I believe these worthless comments can make people think that certain things are "relatively safe."

This isnt the case here, and some of you posted really good information. The threat of mercury is real...just because a few people on the internet who you never met said that they "ate 4 cans of tuna a day for a year and had their blood test results with normal mercury levels," doesnt mean that you should believe them, nor think that you can get away with the same.

My sister had mercury poisoning, and she ate tuna probably once a day. It wasnt a fun experience for me either, because I was in the hospital all the time with her.

Just trying to help people realize somethings.

[Yevonnael777]

Yeah, agreed, I like sardines, as well, though they aren't cheaper where I live and it's hard to find them without oil already being added in the can.

eat catfish
cheap and low mercury :D

[IanGeda1]

I say a can a week to be safe and then you won't have to worry about it

[ALEXH-]

I eat a can of tuna every day. Been doing so for last few months at least. Love my tuna.

[snorkelman]

Methylmercury (MeHg) is very toxic, and impacts the human nervous system when ingested. Research thus far has yielded great disparities in the amount and distribution of contaminants in different fish species. Both the benefits and dangers contained in fish appear to be dose-dependent, which has resulted in researchers in the past decade just beginning to establish a dose-response curve, based on the limited data available in this area, so that individuals can weight the benefits against the potential harns. See, Good fish/bad fish: a composite benefit-risk by dose curve. Gochfeld M, Burger J. Neurotoxicology. 2005 Aug;26(4):511-20. See also, Health benefits and potential risks related to consumption of fish or fish oil. Sidhu KS. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2003 Dec;38(3):336-44.


Recently, scientists attempted for the first time to create a model that can be refined in the future as more data become available on cardiovascular and neurodevelopmental risks of methylmercury (MeHg), and the health benefits of consuming fish and fish oils. Specifically, this recent study for the first time provides an integrated analysis for methylmercury (MeHg) and omega-3 FA that uses dose–response relationships on common end points and that evaluates the net effect on a species-by-species basis.

See, Quantitative approach for incorporating methylmercury risks and omega-3 fatty acid benefits in developing species-specific fish consumption advice. Ginsberg GL, et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2009 Feb;117(2):267-75.

The study concluded that omega-3 fatty acid benefits outweigh methylmercury (MeHg) risks for some species (e.g., farmed salmon, herring, trout); however, the opposite is true for others (swordfish, shark). Other species were associated with a small net benefit (e.g., flounder, canned light tuna) or a small net risk (e.g., canned white tuna, halibut). These results were used to place fish into one of four meal frequency categories. See, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2649230/table/t3-ehp-117-267/ which shows that swordfish, shark are best to be avoided whereas tilapia, pollack, flounder, shrimp, trout, herring, salmon can pretty much be eaten in unlimited amounts. However, the authors were careful to note that “because of persistent organochlorine contaminants in certain species such as farmed salmon, one must consider consumption limits based on cancer risk or other end points (Foran et al. 2005). Data for such contaminants should be analyzed to make sure that unlimited consumption of these species is appropriate.” The authors stated, “We estimated sword-fish and shark to have a substantial net risk, even at one meal per month; thus, they are in the do not eat category.” The authors specifically noted, “It may be theoretically possible to obtain omega-3 FA benefits and avoid some of the contaminant issues by taking fish oil supplements…[but] omega-3 FA supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so label accuracy, quality control, and contaminant testing may be issues.”

The following chart lists the estimated omega-3 fatty acid and methylmercury (MeHg) levels in commonly eaten fish.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2649230/table/t2-ehp-117-267/

[EmperorRyker]

Hmm, I still don't know how to what extent these figures are actually applicable. Yeah, so we know that mercury can lead to impaired health, but it seemse that they again looked at it as if it came isolated and didn't really take into account the selenium and the whole context let's say tuna comes with. It seems that they infer certain things by looking at the mercury content of fish and the mercury accumulated in the body (hair), but overlook the important step of whether mercury is actually accumulated due to fish consumption or not. They address the fact that when such and such amount of mercury accumulate in the body that becomes detrimental and that particular fish hold such and such amounts, but then they just assume those two ends can be tied together as if it there really was no additional step between them.

[fitliftkit]

Canned salmon has no mercury. If you look hard enough, you can find smaller cans (same size as tuna) and in foil bags.

[Seany6]

does drinking green tea help with mercury?

or is this some broscience I read?

I don't believe it has any direct action.

Coriander/Cilantro apparently helps remove heavy metals from the body including mercury.

So I make a pesto from it every once in a while, even if it doesn't work.. tastes good and very healthy. :D

http://home.earthlink.net/~jedcline/cilantro.html

[bloodsimple1234]

Canned salmon has no mercury. If you look hard enough, you can find smaller cans (same size as tuna) and in foil bags.

I make salad with canned salmon I buy from whole foods and I get it to taste just like tuna salad!


I don't believe it has any direct action.

Coriander/Cilantro apparently helps remove heavy metals from the body including mercury.

So I make a pesto from it every once in a while, even if it doesn't work.. tastes good and very healthy. :D

http://home.earthlink.net/~jedcline/cilantro.html

it helps a little,there is also a product made by jarrow called heavy metal detox-pretty decent product.

this and limiting tuna intake will help.

[InclineDBPresss]

Any 2.50/Lb or less chicken is just as good as tuna price per amount of protein-wise.. I hardly ever have tuna unless I run out of grilled chicken in my fridge

[jhoov01]

Any 2.50/Lb or less chicken is just as good as tuna price per amount of protein-wise.. I hardly ever have tuna unless I run out of grilled chicken in my fridge

I ate roughly 30 cans of tuna a week (I was poor) for 7-8 years and was diagnosed with mercury poisoning. So to answer the original OP YES!!!

[MetalZav]

I ate tuna anywhere from 1-3 times a day for a few weeks. Nothing major happened, but did stumble across a lot of mercury warnings, so I only have one can maybe every other day or so. Sometimes I'll have sardines instead. Regardless of the accuracy of the mercury levels, I figure it's better to be safe than sorry. Plus, you can still get your protein/omega-3 from a myriad of other sources.

[Barn01]

I ate roughly 30 cans of tuna a week (I was poor) for 7-8 years and was diagnosed with mercury poisoning. So to answer the original OP YES!!!

How much antioxidants were you taking at the time?

Greens
Vitamin types and amounts?

If you aren't ridding your body of the heavy metals that you're consuming then yes you're going to get sick over time. It's all about balance. Consume more antiox and you can get away with eating more tuna.

Stick to Skipjack, as far as I know it has the lowest merc content.

[Sabaren]

Why not eat canned salmon instead? Sources show it is very low in mercury and Chicken of the Sea reports that their canned salmon is wild caught. It is more nutrient dense, especially Omega-3 FA having 33% more than canned tuna.

Why do people even bother with tuna?

[Barn01]

Why not eat canned salmon instead? Sources show it is very low in mercury and Chicken of the Sea reports that their canned salmon is wild caught. It is more nutrient dense, especially Omega-3 FA having 33% more than canned tuna.

Why do people even bother with tuna?

The differences are
- Some prefer the less fishy taste
- It's usually cheaper
- Less fat

[Jericho786]

Who cares. If it happens it happens. Fact is anything of too much is bad. People nowadays eat garbage constantly. Dont be paranoid, this is just my hones opinion.

[P0w3rH0us3]

Hey man,
I study Human Nutrition and we were just reading a study similar to this.
It measured the levels of fish consumption in pregnant females and also measured their blood mercury levels and then measured the cognitive function of their babies at 3 years of age to determine what had an effect.

They found that those who consumed a large quantity of fish were more likely to have higher levels of blood mercury (as you would assume) but even those who had the highest levels of blood mercury still benefited greatly, in terms of cognition, from the increased fish intake.

High intake was defined as those having more than 4 servings of fish per week and further statistics done showed that those who ate predominantly tuna compared to those who ate other fish had lower blood mercury levels.

The discussion went on to say that you don't really need to limit fish intake, but eat more of the smaller fish as they live for a shorter time period and therefore do not bioaccumulate as much mercury as larger fish do (eg, swordfish).

Sorry this is pretty long and not entirely bang on, but in terms of cognition/mental function there seems, in my opinion, to be little detrimental effect of tuna intake on blood mercury levels.

But the study was done on pregnant women and measured babies' cognitive function at 3 years. So probably not applicable to 20-30 year old bodybuilders wondering about physical implications of mercury. Hopefully it gives some insight.

[NinjaZX10R]

TS,

I think it should be noted that there is a distinction between something that would be labeled as outright mercury poisoning if you were hospitalized and all the health ramifications of consuming lots of mercury over the long term.

As for mercury poisoning I have first hand accounts of it by someone in my family (female cousin) who eat a few cans of tuna per day and also some tuna steaks for when she didn't eat canned in addition to other meals as part of a crash diet. Basically, she was trying to lose weight but wasn't really clued in on proper diet and someone at her job suggested tuna as a lean protein source meal that would help her lose weight so she integrated into her daily eating habits and lost weight (yup, she sure did lose weight).

She started experiencing all sorts of crazy health problems and spent months going to different doctors. She was having crazy short term memory loss. You'd introduce her to some friend and a few minutes later she didn't know their name. She was going to the store and forgetting why she went and coming home with random ****. She had chronic diarrhea, skin issues, weight loss, etc etc etc. She went from being a healthy but pudgy girl to somebody that looked like a concentration camp survivor and acted like she had Alzheimers. I saw her on average of ounce per month during all this and heard about the rest through her mother (my aunt). She got so sick that she ended up having to move back in with her mother to take care of her. Everyone in the family thought she had contracted some mystery disease and the way her health deteriorated I personally thought she might die within a year or two.

FINALLY, some doctor got clued in that she was eating lots of tuna. Don't know how it wasn't narrowed down sooner (obviously, I wasn't at her doctors apps with her). Long story short, the doctor told her to stop eating tuna and, literally, with a few weeks she was feeling better and after a month or so she looked underweight but healthy. ALL, literally ALL of her health issues went away within a few weeks of stopping all the tuna.

Since all that happened I have been very careful about avoiding mercury since I saw her health declining with my own eyes. I would see her on average ounce per month and it was easy to notice the negative changes in her health. As far as all the ailments she had I had to hear about those through my aunt (her mother) but it was pretty much a laundry list of very unpleasant ****.

Plain and simple: Mercury is very very very nasty stuff. It should be common sense around here to avoid it as much as possible regardless of whats been PROVEN or not. Every time I hear people say "well, it's not been PROVEN so I'm gonna do it" I have to laugh. What REALLY makes it a no brainer is that there are so many other options that don't contain high levels of mercury. Sardines are a very good example. They contain almost ZERO mercury.

So, my question is simple: Why even bother with tuna at all when sardines are available and there are other fish options that contain little to no mercury. Also, some high quality wild caught salmon has been shown to be virtually free of mercury. You just have to chose salmon carefully and make sure you know where it came from (no farmed **** for example). Another good option is catfish from certain areas that has been shown to contain no mercury and not issues with pollution runoff.

Simple: Tuna can have high levels of mercury. Tuna is not the be-all-end-all of the fish kingdom nor is it the only option. It's completely unnecessary to consume it. There are BETTER options both in terms of low mercury and in terms of nutrition so why the hell so many people on this board go crazy over tuna I don't know. You'd think tuna was the only food available or something.

As a general rule I would suggest you ignore all the people on this board who CLAIM to eat 20 eggs per day and two cans of tuna per day and 8 billion grams protein per day etc etc etc. Use the brain you have for christs sake. It's kinda like the folks who run around having unprotected sex while claiming the risk of STD's is overblown and you shouldn't stress about it. It really doesn't take much in terms of intelligence to ignore them and do the smart thing. The great thing about the tuna mercury issue is that, unlike with sex, there are lots of better options anyway! :)

[sully862]

The whole reason you can get mercury poisoning is that the body does NOT have any means to eliminate mercury. You will maintain in your tissues every bit of mercury you eat -- always! So I'm with you in finding some alternatives to tuna. I do love it, and I'm not sure I want to eat sardines with bones etc...yuck.

[Ericfitness86]

the only thing ive ever know to be true about this is that albacore has way more than normal tuna. why i dont know, but either way if your concerned then just cut it back a bit. i personally only eat fish a couple times a week(usually salmon).

[GeraldGarner]

I haven't read through every message, but this is a summary after research that I have done over the years.

Mercury is not good for you. It has many neurological effects, including memory loss, depression, muscular affects, mood disorders etc etc. Just googling will get you the basis of what you're dealing with.

"Mercury Poisoning": The thing about getting "mercury poisoning" is that it is not like catching a flu, where you either have it or you don't. It's a progression, much like cholesterol sticking to the arteries. That means the symptoms are a progression. It is only called mercury poisoning when mercury can be attributed to the cause. This means you could be experiencing the effects and not even comprehend that mercury can be the cause.

Why tuna? Tuna is at the top of the food chain in the ocean (much like swordfish). It eats fish, who eat smaller fish, etc etc. This means mercury is much more concentrated in the larger fish, for the most part, because they consume more smaller fish and downward.

Why so much mercury? Although there are natural levels of mercury in the ocean, industrialization, coal mining/burning, improper disposal of mercury products have caused an unnatural spike in mercury in the ocean. Starting at the basic level of plankton, it works its way up the food chain.

Social Reasons: The calories a tuna consumes compared to the calories it produces is 10 fold. In other words, simplifying, 10,000 calories of sardines equals 100 calories of tuna. Why not just eat the sardines? This is similar to cow meat vs vegetables they consume.

Tuna are also over fished. They are a wild species, and their numbers are dwindling. This is basically the American Bison in the ocean. If you want them to survive, you stop eating them.

Other: Mercury must be labeled as hazardous waste when disposing of it. Mercury fillings are banned in many western countries (why it isn't banned in the U.S. is another discussion). Check out "The cove" for some mercury (and dolphin) entertainment.

I don't really get why people eat tuna (of course many aren't aware of any of this, gotta love the gov). There's plenty of available substitutes. I don't know, I tend to ramble.

[GeraldGarner]

Who cares. If it happens it happens. Fact is anything of too much is bad. People nowadays eat garbage constantly. Dont be paranoid, this is just my hones opinion.

That's a positive outlook on life. I'm sure every scientist will agree with you. People eat ****, yet our disease rates go up. Funny how that works.

"Let's try some of this DTD, if it screws people up, then it screws people up. Facts are for pussies."

Unless you're trolling..

[NickZwayne]

i was eating up to 10 servings a day (i know it's retarded but at a meal goal of ~50g protein/meal and being a college student who doesn't always have time to cook...and there you have it...

I suffered from it pretty bad for a couple months before i finally figured out what i was doing to myself.

I literally struggled to feel "normal" on any given day, I was perpetually in a daze, could barely think straight...socially inept, literally couldn't think of responses to say to people in a conversation...hard to described. couple months later I'm all good again, eating grilled chicken like crazy.

[NegativeX]

I eat up to 3 cans of light tuna a day (6 servings) for months now (usually 5 days a week)... always wondered about this.

I 'feel' fine, but who knows. Getting some blood work done in April, will have them check my Mercury levels and reply back to this thread.

/subbed

[AgentSkyhawk]

when i have tuna in the cans i usually have green tea with it. according to muscle and fitness march 2010 issue, "black/green tea reduced mercury absorption by 92 percent when ingested with mercuty contaminated mackerel."

i figure if it does that with mackerel it will more than likely do it for tuna. they say to drink a cup but i drink two.

edit: did da math. I usually eat lite canned tuna(have some at hq) and that has 0.12 mercury content according to the bodyrecomposition link. multiplyed by 92 percent. for some reason if i did 0.12 times 0.92 it gave me something higher so i did it this way.

0.12 x .50= 0.06 x.42 =0.0252

amidoingitrite?

[Lackeos]

I wonder whether accumulated mercury in the brain that crosses the blood-brain barrier will or won't show-up in a blood test. Maybe it's possible to have normal blood mercury levels and dangerous mercury levels in the brain?

[TheBarbellTolls]

when i have tuna in the cans i usually have green tea with it. according to muscle and fitness march 2010 issue, "black/green tea reduced mercury absorption by 92 percent when ingested with mercuty contaminated mackerel."

i figure if it does that with mackerel it will more than likely do it for tuna. they say to drink a cup but i drink two.

edit: did da math. I usually eat lite canned tuna(have some at hq) and that has 0.12 mercury content according to the bodyrecomposition link. multiplyed by 92 percent. for some reason if i did 0.12 times 0.92 it gave me something higher so i did it this way.

0.12 x .50= 0.06 x.42 =0.0252

amidoingitrite?

No. Do 0.12 x 0.08 instead. Should show you the total reduced amount.

[Robb817]

The answer to your question (thread title) is yes.. It absolutely can. I know someone that got it. He ate a ton of tuna at work like everyday for a week. Obviously.. a very excessive amount.

[AllGenetix]

i eat all you can eat sushi 4x a week. my mercury levels were over 60 (ref range of 0-5).

no symptoms and doc seemed okay with it as it is organic form of mercury.

[Jordansook]

this is a intresting one

[Hellonearth01]

Also worth nothing, not sure it's been mentioned already, that tuna comes in more than one form.

Canned tuna does not have as much, or any canned fish for that matter, mercury as say...a whole, frozen fish. Frozen fish has been proven to have a lot more mercury in it

[The_Sorrow]

People eating tuna for months over and over is beyond me. I mean, too much of something is ALWAYS bad in the end. Don't be surprise if you get poisoned by eating tuna 15 times a week for a year. I'm not saying it WILL happen,but you know...

[beeroy]

People eating tuna for months over and over is beyond me. I mean, too much of something is ALWAYS bad in the end. Don't be surprise if you get poisoned by eating tuna 15 times a week for a year. I'm not saying it WILL happen,but you know...

i'd be cautious for that parasite that fish have, the ones that attack the human brain i forgot what its called.

[ExEctomorph]

I was eating 280g of tuna 6 days a week for about 7 months. I've stopped now until i get proper clarification.

To answer your question:
- It depends on where the tuna is sourced
- The size of the tuna

Bigger fish tend to have higher levels of mercury and depending on the ocean there are obviously different levels of mercury.

I think just play it safe and replace it with chicken! Might be a bit more expensive but it's most probably better in the long run.

[Mean_Bean]

I eat more canned salmon, and canned chicken. Although tuna is (and will always be) on the menu. Yes, I had mercury poisoning after eating a can a day for over a year. It is real, blood tests don't lie. Salmon is better for you anyways.

[IndiraMethi]

I eat more canned salmon, and canned chicken. Although tuna is (and will always be) on the menu. Yes, I had mercury poisoning after eating a can a day for over a year. It is real, blood tests don't lie. Salmon is better for you anyways.

I agree with you on salmon vs. tuna... good alaska salmon is best!

[PickItUp]

These are NOT my words...I found this info a month or so ago:




Mercury is NOT an issue:


Even though the world's fish contain slight amounts of mercury, eating lots of fish carries no detectable health risk from low levels of the substance, even for very young children and pregnant women, concludes the most comprehensive study of the subject yet.



The findings come from a nine-year University of Rochester study conducted in the Republic of the Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean where most people eat nearly a dozen fish meals each week and whose mercury levels are about 10 times higher than most U.S. citizens. Indeed, no harmful effects were seen in children at levels up to 20 times the average U.S. level. The work is published in the August 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.


http://www.rochester.edu/pr/releases/med/mercury.htm

The EPA and others ASSUME the toxicity of mercury is linear and the body has no method of excreting mercury, this is patently false. Also, the toxicity of mercury is based on the ASSUMPTION all biologic mercury exists as methyl mercury because in the parts per TRILLION range they measure, there is no way of identifying the mercury compound. Elemental mercury is nearly non-toxic. Mercury sulfide (the mineral cinnabar) is also nearly non-toxic. Most biologic mercury exists in complexes with sulfur-containing amino acids, this is why mercury is concentrated in keratin protein structures like hair and nails.

[Mean_Bean]

These are NOT my words...I found this info a month or so ago:




Mercury is NOT an issue:


Even though the world's fish contain slight amounts of mercury, eating lots of fish carries no detectable health risk from low levels of the substance, even for very young children and pregnant women, concludes the most comprehensive study of the subject yet............................................... .....

This is absolute bull****,mercury poisoning is bad for you. ANY POISONING is bad for you. Period.

[Abjaar]

Everyone is talking about Tuna and Mercury poisioning, but what about the BPA in Tuna

[TheWaffleIron]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=140293793&p=792765383&viewfull=1#post792765383


Though the concentration of mercury in tuna may vary, the majority of literature has estimated that, per gram of fish tissue, there are .2 micrograms of mercury (that is, .2 ug/g). For example, 6 oz. (of tuna) is equivalent to 180 g, and thus would have to contain 36 ug of mercury.

Set by the EPA, the Reference Dose (RfD) of methyl mercury - the amount of mercury that can be safely consumed without "overt" side effects - is .1 ug/kg/day. At this intake, mercury levels in blood will be approximately 6 ug/L. (Important note: at 60 ug/L, adverse health effects have been noted.)

Edit: For a 100-kg (~220 lbs.) person, .1 ug/kg is equivalent to 10 ug of mercury; this is the amount of mercury in 50 g, or 1.667 oz, of tuna. (30 g equals 1 oz.)

[Barn01]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=140293793&p=792765383&viewfull=1#post792765383

Good info ... repped!

[nholtnholt]

I eat more canned salmon, and canned chicken. Although tuna is (and will always be) on the menu. Yes, I had mercury poisoning after eating a can a day for over a year. It is real, blood tests don't lie. Salmon is better for you anyways. I'd like to know more about what you experienced with Mercury poisoning. I stopped eating canned tuna for fear of Mercury but have been wanting to start eating salmon.

[rand18m]

I'd like to know more about what you experienced with Mercury poisoning. I stopped eating canned tuna for fear of Mercury but have been wanting to start eating salmon.

This will be of help!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2649230/

[Theoculese]

Not sure it's valid to bump this but I've had mercury poisoning from dieting strictly on tuna. Before I was bright enough to research what to. I was 16 once lol. Symptoms were fits of anger sore teeth and trouble sleeping. Nausea in spurts. Mercury ears the enamel from your teeth as well. Dr told me to stop eating tuna for at least a year as it was literally deteriorating my brain. Also recommended skipjack as alternative. As was mentioned in a previous response in this thread.