is it safe to eat tuna everyday?

[betoyski]

is it safe to eat tuna everyday? (fresh or canned)

i heard about the mercury content in tuna.. and i'm worried bacause i've been eating 2 cans of tuna everyday for 3 months now..

i'm allergic to chicken & eggs.. that's why i can't eat it everyday..

does salmon have mercury too? i'm planning on alternating tuna & salmon starting next week..

[Mustrainhard]

There is a lot of controversy in the medical literature on that, so I wont start another here! Yes, salmon has Hg also, so does most ocean-dwelling fatty fish. Us humans have contaminated the oceans, and now we have to deal with it Best advice I can give, is follow the US governmental guidelines and try not to exceed it, if you can. Remember there are plenty of other protein sources besides chicken, tuna and eggs.

[Beefcupcake]

I wouldn't ...

You can eat shrimp, lean beef, tilapia, salmon, cottage cheese, white turkey meat, etc.

Even if it was safe, you would get sick of it so fast and then you wouldn't even have that option. Eat different meals to keep your diet balanced from the different nutrients these offer.

[SexyChic]

Not safe....unless you like mercury poisoning.

[girl81]

Just out of curiousity, what causes an allergy to chicken? I mean to say, what specific property of chicken is the body rejecting?
I love to learn new things. (total nerd)

[PremierGirl]

wow your allergic to chicken. i couldnt live. lol

[AUTiger13]

Not safe....unless you like mercury poisoning.

Another opinion, courtesy of Dr. Johnny Bowden.

Mercury Rising?

Q: What's the final word on tuna and mercury? Tuna is a bodybuilding staple, but I'm starting to worry that I eat too much.

A: Short answer: Don't worry about it.

I say that as someone who's as worried as anybody on earth about the toxic effects of mercury, not to mention the lackluster efforts of governments to control it. There's no doubt that it's in an awful lot of fish. Where it gets tricky is when we try to define the point at which it poses a real danger to our health.

That depends on a lot of factors. A pregnant woman and her developing fetus are far more vulnerable than the average bodybuilder. Many of the warnings about high-mercury fish were in fact targeted at that population (pregnant women, not bodybuilders).

Then there's the question of how you define a "safe" level. Many people think the government's standards are too lax. To them, it's as if we said "speeding" only applies to driving over 120 mph. If that's the standard, then all of us drive safely.

But let's look at it from the other direction. If you stop eating fish, there's a price you pay. Most experts think the cost of giving up fish, in terms of global health, far outweighs the possible problems caused by mercury in your system.

Two things you can do: One, consume a lot of selenium, which seems to have a chelating effect on mercury. Two, you can get your tuna from the same place I get mine: Vital Choice in Alaska. I don't have any ownership in this company, by the way. I just think they have the purest and best fish anywhere.

On balance, I think the benefits of cold-water fish like tuna and salmon, which are such amazing sources of protein and omega-3s, far exceed the possible danger. If you're pregnant, I might modify that advice, but not by much.

[Gracehbd]

Another opinion, courtesy of Dr. Johnny Bowden.

Mercury Rising?

Q: What's the final word on tuna and mercury? Tuna is a bodybuilding staple, but I'm starting to worry that I eat too much.

A: Short answer: Don't worry about it.

I say that as someone who's as worried as anybody on earth about the toxic effects of mercury, not to mention the lackluster efforts of governments to control it. There's no doubt that it's in an awful lot of fish. Where it gets tricky is when we try to define the point at which it poses a real danger to our health.

That depends on a lot of factors. A pregnant woman and her developing fetus are far more vulnerable than the average bodybuilder. Many of the warnings about high-mercury fish were in fact targeted at that population (pregnant women, not bodybuilders).

Then there's the question of how you define a "safe" level. Many people think the government's standards are too lax. To them, it's as if we said "speeding" only applies to driving over 120 mph. If that's the standard, then all of us drive safely.

But let's look at it from the other direction. If you stop eating fish, there's a price you pay. Most experts think the cost of giving up fish, in terms of global health, far outweighs the possible problems caused by mercury in your system.

Two things you can do: One, consume a lot of selenium, which seems to have a chelating effect on mercury. Two, you can get your tuna from the same place I get mine: Vital Choice in Alaska. I don't have any ownership in this company, by the way. I just think they have the purest and best fish anywhere.

On balance, I think the benefits of cold-water fish like tuna and salmon, which are such amazing sources of protein and omega-3s, far exceed the possible danger. If you're pregnant, I might modify that advice, but not by much.

This : )

There are zillions of threads and arguments about this on the boards, but the fact is, a lot of people (on this site at least), eat heaps of tuna. I have either 1 or 2 tins, there are plenty who have double that. And we're doing just fine : )

Tuna is super cheap, lean, versatile protein, I'd be lost without it!

[betoyski]

thanks for all the replies guys.. i really appreciate it..

it's confusing.. but just to be safe.. i'll try to look for other sources of protein... and won't eat tuna everyday hehe..

thank you!!!

[Ziggaz21]

I eat 2 cans of tuna daily and still nothing yet. Just don't worry about it

[TDE]

I heard Cilantro is a good chelator of Mercury.

I believe Toxins are stored in your Fat Deposits, so It's good to go on a Fast atleast once a year, so your body cannabolizes your fat for energy. Paul C Bragg touches more on this in his book "Miracle of Fasting"
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=C2315BQY

[misslizzard]

my boyfriend and his roommate ate tuna 3 x a day for a year i think! he's ok though i'd probably get tired of that QUICK!

[Eliz1082]

Light tuna has a significantly less mercury level than other types such as albacore. The only downside is it also has a lot less omega 3 fats. If you need a quick, canned protein source and are concerned with the mercury, grab the light tuna instead. Just make sure you get enough omega 3 from salmon, fish oil supplement, or krill oil supplement (more bioavailable than fish oil).

[Iceman1800]

is it safe to eat tuna everyday? (fresh or canned)

yes

[txlftngrl]

I eat tuna 5-6 days a week...and nothing has happened yet (; I think its ok for now but everything is bad in excess these days I spose.


tex

[user4894514884]

i eat tuna everyday usually during the week. or canned salmon.
its cheap and tastes good with some olive oil and pepper

[carissa85]

Whats the best kind of tinned tuna to have? In spring water or olive oil etc? And do you eat it plain or with other stuff..

I have been having tuna in olive oil with cottage cheese on vitaweet crackers. I get so over tuna so quickly though.

Alternatives?

[the_attraction]

how about eatting tuna as you main source of protein. breakfast lunch and dinner for 2 months?

still safe the light tuna

[Bonny_Lassie]

how about eatting tuna as you main source of protein. breakfast lunch and dinner for 2 months?

still safe the light tuna

Why would you want to?

Are you doing a sponsored Tuna chomp or something?

[Linds33]

I don't do tuna, but i do eat a lot of wild caught salmon and have not had any problems
(canned and frozen).

[Rowyn]

Well, I would say its pretty unusual for the FDA to put warning labels on things unless theyv'e been proven to cause problems. Because its all about the money, honey. Unless its pretty well indisputably harmful, they are SLOW to get warnings out, IMO. And there are BIG ole warning labels on tuna cans, lol.

The whole idea of " I eat it every day, and I am okay" is just unsound logic to me. So, many people smoke cigarettes everyday and they don't get cancer. People do crack while they are preg and not all the babies have problems. Others are obese and eat high fat diets and they are kickin' it just fine. Do we know they are playing Russian roulette? Heck yeah. By the time mercury toxicity noticeably affects you, you would not be posting on this board, lol. And AFTER it affects you, you will LOSE the ability to post on this board. Heavy metals can affect you reproductively, which you may not know until your child is born with a problem? You are okay today, how about 10 years from now?


Its pretty well documented that many fish carry high levels of heavy metals and other toxins. Most especially fish like tuna, which are higher in the food chain. The higher up the food chain, the more concentrated the toxins. There are some pretty good lists out there of "safer" fish versus the more contaminated ones. Its a tragedy that pollution has made it is a choice between bad and worse, fish in and of itself is GOOD for you. What it contains from its environment makes some fish downright dangerous for your health.

[Echo814]

I am not sure if this is true or not but I have heard that the "safest" time to eat fish or shellfish is in months that to not end in "ary". So March, April, May, June, July and August are better. I think it has something to do with the red tide and mercury levels being lower during these months.

Edit: this is for fresh fish only. you have no idea when the fish were harvested with canned or frozen.

[Attaus]

I posted a lot of information on this a while back but cliffs are:

Your body can moderate mercury up to a certain point.

You should eat approximately half a can per day for a week so that you can adjust.

After that, for a 180lb man it is safe to eat 1 can per day for as long as you want. More than that risks excess mercury leaving the storage in your head to float around your brain.

Mercury causes MENTAL illness, not physical illness, so side effects aren't easily noticed.

My suggestion: eat no more than 1 can a day.

[Glamorous]

I would do some reading and then decide for yourself if you want to take the "risk."

This article is a start:

http://www.epa.gov/fishadvisories/advice/

I eat probably 3 cans/week right now. I used to eat about 5. (I'm getting sick of it!). After doing some reading, I feel comfortable with this level of consumption. When it comes time to try to get pregnant, will reduce my seafood intake, as I've read it can take up to 30 days to fully get it out of your system. I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to a baby.

[the_attraction]

Why would you want to?

Are you doing a sponsored Tuna chomp or something?

yes i am. i am a merman.

its not often a chicken goes into the water


so what kinds of see food do you recomend eating

[IanLMT]

I heard Cilantro is a good chelator of Mercury.

I believe Toxins are stored in your Fat Deposits, so It's good to go on a Fast atleast once a year, so your body cannabolizes your fat for energy. Paul C Bragg touches more on this in his book "Miracle of Fasting"

I found this thread actually searching for info on salmon (Im going to try eating it raw on crackers which I make myself alot... of course, after it is frozen to kill the beasties....from what i heard after freezing it is safe.)

And re cilantro, it is true also in regard parsley (which is in the same plant family) ... What I do is take some activated carbon every once and a while (not at the same time as other foods)... activated carbon absorbs toxins in your digestive tract....

I also will juice parsley as well as cilantro (Im talking 2-3 bunches) and drink that a few times a week... doesnt taste too great if you dont like greens... but i love it, and it has a very uplifting effect...it will give you LOADS of energy like 5 mins after you take it... talk about some "speed" pre-workout. sometimes I mix it with fresh grapefruit juice, or other citrus.... even better with wheatgrass... mmmmmmmm goood

Just my 2cents

Im a science-nerd too

[SoInsane]

I tried that **** before, got sick - of eating the tuna.

But I hear you have to eat heaps of tuna for the concentration of the mercury to build. I would probably just sway away from that much tuna. Spice it up a bit.

[cuttos]

I posted a lot of information on this a while back but cliffs are:

Your body can moderate mercury up to a certain point.

You should eat approximately half a can per day for a week so that you can adjust.

After that, for a 180lb man it is safe to eat 1 can per day for as long as you want. More than that risks excess mercury leaving the storage in your head to float around your brain.

Mercury causes MENTAL illness, not physical illness, so side effects aren't easily noticed.

My suggestion: eat no more than 1 can a day.

what are the side effects of mental illness?

[Elfie.]

The way I see it is that if even the FDA (who approve minimally tested drugs that kill people, tons of untested chemicals and questionable "food" additives every year) tell you to limit your tuna intake, then holy fack balls, you'd better pay attention.

It always worried me to see my dad eating tuna. I kept telling him "Dad, stop eating that Alzheimer fish!!" My incessant nagging paid off.

[thisguyal55]

The way I see it is that if even the FDA (who approve minimally tested drugs that kill people, tons of untested chemicals and questionable "food" additives every year) tell you to limit your tuna intake, then holy fack balls, you'd better pay attention.

It always worried me to see my dad eating tuna. I kept telling him "Dad, stop eating that Alzheimer fish!!" My incessant nagging paid off.

Hi

1. Can you give us the link to where the FDA says to limit tuna intake?
2. What does "limit your tuna intake" mean? That is not quanitifiable and would be interpreted differently by different people. I wonder how much tuna (or salmon, and specfically mercury) is too much.
3. Recommendaed intake must depend on the person consuming (male/female, pregnant or not pregnant).
4. It was mentioned in this thread that selenium consumption offsets mercury consumption. I wonder if a 1:1 selenium to mercury ratio is recommended, or if it should be greater, like 2:1?

Thanks,
Al