How Much Mercury Is There In Tuna Fish?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Pick your tuna. *An average 5-ounce serving (1 can) of light tuna contains

18.11 micrograms

of mercury. *An average 5-ounce serving (1 can) of albacore tuna contains 49.53 micrograms of mercury. *An average 5-ounce serving of tuna steak or tuna sushi could contain up to 97.49 micrograms.

How much tuna is safe per week?

The United States Food and Drug Administration recommends keeping the consumption of

albacore (white) tuna to under 4 ounces per week

and skipjack (light) tuna to under 12 ounces per week. These amounts should be lower for children and women who are or may become pregnant.

How much tuna is too much per week?

You would have to eat around

25 tins (at 95g a tin)

of it a week before you hit the maximum tolerable intake of mercury. For pregnant people (or people trying to get pregnant), the limit would be around 12 tins (at 95g a tin) a week. It is unlikely many consumers will reach these limits.

Which canned tuna has lowest mercury?


Canned light tuna

is the better, lower-mercury choice, according to the FDA and EPA. Canned white and yellowfin tuna are higher in mercury, but still okay to eat. Bigeye tuna should be avoided completely, but that species isn’t used for canned tuna anyway.

How do you rid your body of mercury?

The traditional treatment for mercury poisoning is to

stop all exposures

. In many cases, chelation therapy is also used. This involves giving a medication (the chelator) which goes into the body and grabs the metal (chelos is the Greek word for claw) then carries the metal out of the body, usually into the urine.

How long does mercury stay in the body?

When you breathe in mercury vapors, however, most (about 80%) of the mercury enters your bloodstream directly from your lungs, and then rapidly goes to other parts of your body, including the brain and kidneys. Once in your body, metallic mercury can stay for

weeks or months

.

Will eating tuna everyday hurt you?

The American Heart Association recommends eating omega-3-rich fish, such as tuna, twice a week for good health. It’s wise, however, to include variety in your tuna diet. Because tuna is a source of mercury,

you should avoid eating tuna everyday

, especially higher-mercury varieties like albacore tuna.

How do you know if you have mercury in your body?

Long-term exposure to high levels of methylmercury causes effects primarily on the nervous system. Symptoms of long-term high level methylmercury exposure include

disturbances in vision, hearing and speech, as well as tingling and numbness in fingers and toes, lack of coordination and muscle weakness

.

Which tuna has the most mercury?


Albacore tuna

is a larger species and contains higher levels of mercury. Canned white albacore tuna typically contains about 0.32 parts per million of mercury. Canned light tuna contains about 0.12 parts per million of mercury.

Which fish is low in mercury?

Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are

shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish

. Another commonly eaten fish, albacore (“white”) tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna.

Is StarKist tuna full of mercury?


All StarKist Tuna is well below FDA’s 1ppm

. We follow a robust testing policy in all of our plants and can assure you that StarKist Tuna is safe to eat and falls well below FDA’s stringent requirements. In general, Americans don’t eat enough seafood.

How much mercury is in StarKist tuna?

Two familiar US brands, StarKist and Chicken of the Sea, accounted for 60 percent of our light tuna samples. The overall average mercury levels in the two brands were 0.131 and

0.126 μg/g

, respectively, and one set of samples of each brand had much higher than aver- age levels.

What fish has high mercury?

  • Shark.
  • Ray.
  • Swordfish.
  • Barramundi.
  • Gemfish.
  • Orange roughy.
  • Ling.
  • Southern bluefin tuna.

What causes too much mercury in the body?

The most common cause of mercury poisoning is from

eating seafood

, but people can get mercury poisoning from industrial processing, thermometers and blood pressure machines, dental work, and old paints.

Is salmon high in mercury?

Salmon is

low in mercury

.

Both wild and farmed Atlantic salmon have much lower mercury levels than most other fish species.

What foods get rid of mercury?

  • cilantro.
  • garlic.
  • wild blueberries.
  • lemon water.
  • spirulina.
  • chlorella.
  • barley grass juice powder.
  • Atlantic dulse.

What mercury poisoning feels like?

Symptoms of mercury poisoning. Symptoms of mercury poisoning depend on the form of the mercury that was the source of the exposure. Early symptoms of mercury poisoning can include

a metallic taste in the mouth and numbness and tingling in the hands, feet and face

.

What organ is affected by mercury?

High exposure to inorganic mercury may result in damage to

the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system, and the kidneys

. Both inorganic and organic mercury are absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and affect other systems through this route.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.