What happens if you eat tuna more than twice a week, according to experts

Do you need to mix your standing lunch order?


Regarding lunch, nothing is as versatile as A tuna box . Mix it with mayonnaise to make a tuna salad sandwich, cut a tomato and boiled potatoes and eggs for a Nicoise salad, throw it with your favorite pasta and seasonings, or eat directly from tin with crackers. It would be easy to eat tuna every day and not be bored, but is it sure? If you have heard warnings on Mercury and fish , you may be wondering if you should relieve your tuna consumption.

"I get a lot of questions about this in my practice of medical toxicology," said medical toxicologist and co-medical director and acting executive director of the National Capital Poison Center Kelly Johnson-Arbor , Md. Read more to find out what she says Better life how often Also Often, when it comes to eating tuna and which is most vulnerable to mercury poisoning, whether from fish or another source.

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Eating fish comes with many health benefits.

Person holding a sandwich with tuna fish and sliced avocado on top tomato
Akira Kaelyn / Shutterstock

Adding fish to your diet contains a large nutritional punch. Johnson-Arbor lists Improved heart health And a decrease in the risk of cancer, as some advantages for the health of fish consumption.

"Many varieties of fish, including tuna, are a healthy food choice and provide many beneficial nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, choline, iron and proteins," she said. "These nutrients are necessary for brain development and also support overall health."

However, she points out that fish can also contain mercury, which is toxic to humans.

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The tuna contains higher mercury levels than certain other types of fish.

Tuna Steaks
Tetiana Chernykova / Shutterstock

"Fish can naturally become contaminated by mercury through the environment or by industrial processes," explains Johnson-Arbor. "When mercury enters the navigable tracks, it is consumed by fish and bioaccumules in the food chain. The biggest fish, including tuna, swordfish and shark, are more likely to contain levels of mercury higher than small fish. " AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

You can consider mercury as silver pearls in an old-fashioned glass thermometer, but Johnson-Arbor says that mercury in fish is different. "Mercury found in fish is generally methylmercury, an organic form of mercury," she notes. "Methylmercury is a powerful neurotoxin that can damage the brain in development in fetus, infants and children."

Because of this, she says, pregnant people who try to become pregnant, parents, infants and breastfeeding children should limit their consumption of fish that can contain mercury, including tuna.

Most adults do not have to worry about their tuna consumption.

canned tuna salad aphrodisiac foods
Handmadepictures / Shutterstock

Johnson-Arbor has a good news for adult tuna fans who are not pregnant or careful: "Adults who consume tuna or other fish containing high mercury do not develop symptoms of mercury poisoning them -Mell, and the benefits for the health of fish consumption in general to prevail over the risks of consumption of methylmercure, "she said.

If you are concerned about the mercury content of your fish, it should be noted that Johnson-Arbor says that Albacore, or white tuna, has around the amount of light tuna mercury. "The order of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) indicate that populations at risk can consume two to three portions of light tuna per week. For reference, a portion of Fish is approximately the size of the size of the palm of your hand. "

The essential? "It is unlikely that consumption more than the recommended amount of tuna will cause harmful health effects in healthy adults," said Johnson-Arbor.

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Mercury poisoning is a serious concern for babies and children.

Cute young Asian girl eating tuna salad and corn
Kornnphoto / Shutterstock

Of course, Mercury is always toxic and has a serious concern for vulnerable groups of people. "Children, infants and fetuses that are exposed to large quantities of methylmercury may undergo delays in development, memory and learning problems, or other signs and symptoms of brain damage," said Johnson-Arbor Better life . "These undesirable events can occur in children born of mothers exposed to methylmercury during pregnancy, even when mothers are asymptomatic."

If your child has eaten "excessive tuna quantities or other fish containing high mercury" and you worry about the possibility of mercury poisoning, it urges you to contact your health care provider. "Blood and urine tests can be carried out to assess mercury poisoning," she said. "You or your doctor can contact poison control for expert advice on how these tests must be carried out, as well as the interpretation of test results."

There are two ways to contact poison control in the United States: online on www.poison.org or by phone at 1-800-222-1222. The two options are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.

Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. If you have specific questions or concerns, always consult your health care provider directly.


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