Tuna's a pretty good, cheap source of lean protein, and I admittedly eat it on an almost daily basis. I was more concerned with it until I saw an episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown was focusing on canned tuna. He, and some internet articles, say that if you eat light skipjack tuna, rather than albicore, it's such a small fish that the mercury content would only be harmful to pregnant women and children.
Do you guys think that's true, that it's okay to eat tuna regularly if you choose the smaller, cheaper variety?
That's the type I've been eating, 'cause I don't notice enough difference in taste to compensate for the higher price. If you guys generally think it's a bad idea, I figure it's just as cheap to buy Value Brand turkey, since it's almost three dollars for six servings, and tuna's 60-80 cents for what I consider one serving.
Mercury in Tuna
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
Re: Mercury in Tuna
Tuna limits are reccomended these days at 3 serves a weerk. Light is still high on the Mercury, so therefore limit to 2-3 times a week, because whilst things like Vitamin C and Tryptophan can Chelate heavy metals, you need to allow the body to create a state of chelation, not retention where heavy metals are concerned. That includes any possible Cadmium and Lead in Fish, as long term retention can cause toxic buildup, affecting things like Brain and Nervous system function.
Also any healthy Fat sources like Omega Eggs, Flax, Soy products,(Soybeans, Nattokinase, Tempeh, Edemame, Tofu), Avocado, Peanuts, Nuts, Oils, Seeds, certain Spreads, Low Fat Cheese, that have Omega 3, are a good substitute, as most contain Protein and the Omega 3 partially converts in vivo, (bit of wasteage), to EPA and DHA, the Fish Fats anyway, so no need to necessarily eat Fish that much anyway, if at all.
A simple alternative to Tuna, would be Chicken and Olive Oil. That's one of many examples.
The only issue with some of those, are things like Lactose in Cheese and also Soy, Peanuts, Nuts and Sesame Seeds, as those four can contribute to certain allergic reactions like respiratory problems, Eczema, possibly some kind of intestinal discomfort and possibly other problems besides, but that's not a very common thing, so unless you have issues with those, include them in the diet if you wish.
Also Peanuts are apparently high Arginine carriers, which might be an issue if you have a Herpes virus, as Arginine can worsen it, but in all probability that's a lesser consideration than the allergic reactions mentioned above.
Also any healthy Fat sources like Omega Eggs, Flax, Soy products,(Soybeans, Nattokinase, Tempeh, Edemame, Tofu), Avocado, Peanuts, Nuts, Oils, Seeds, certain Spreads, Low Fat Cheese, that have Omega 3, are a good substitute, as most contain Protein and the Omega 3 partially converts in vivo, (bit of wasteage), to EPA and DHA, the Fish Fats anyway, so no need to necessarily eat Fish that much anyway, if at all.
A simple alternative to Tuna, would be Chicken and Olive Oil. That's one of many examples.
The only issue with some of those, are things like Lactose in Cheese and also Soy, Peanuts, Nuts and Sesame Seeds, as those four can contribute to certain allergic reactions like respiratory problems, Eczema, possibly some kind of intestinal discomfort and possibly other problems besides, but that's not a very common thing, so unless you have issues with those, include them in the diet if you wish.
Also Peanuts are apparently high Arginine carriers, which might be an issue if you have a Herpes virus, as Arginine can worsen it, but in all probability that's a lesser consideration than the allergic reactions mentioned above.
Re: Mercury in Tuna
Pretty much the only reason I ate it so frequently was because of the seemingly lower price, but I don't even like seafood that much. I'll definitely switch to the sliced turkey and 80-97% lean ground beef. Thanks for the detailed reply.