# Is Tuna really that bad for you...?



## jekylljim (Nov 10, 2014)

Hi,

I knew tuna had mercury in it but this morning was told I eat too much of it.

Too much of anything is bad for you in my opinon. Then you get the "you shouldn't drink too much alcohol" "you shouldn't eat too much fatty foods" "too much bread makes you fat" "caffeine is bad for you" blah blah blah.

Is Tuna just another cliche or should you really not eat so much of it? I have a tin or 2 most days for lunch - maybe I should go to McDonalds every lunchtime instead if its that bad??!?


----------



## lorsban (Sep 2, 2009)

Yeah I heard about that tuna thing but I'm not sure what the scientific basis is and how it translates to each can. 

The tuna business is huge and goes through a bunch of areas and I'm not sure which areas are affected by this mercury issue. 

Safer bet if you like fish is to buy whole fish or fresh fillets from a fishmonger. If that's not an option, just research the kinds of fresh seafood you have in your grocery. Go for freshness not packaging.


----------



## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

If you read claims on the internet first assess the website. Who runs it?

If you hear it on the dr oz show ignore it. The opposite is probably true. dr oz is a discredited quack who should lose his license for malpractice.


----------



## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

Mercury Levels in Fish | NRDC

Executive Summary | Environmental Working Group

Also generally good to avoid farmed salmon for a variety of reasons including contamination:

Risk-based consumption advice for farmed Atlantic and wild Pacific ... - PubMed - NCBI

See also:


----------



## LaXCarp (Jul 19, 2008)

If your concerned about the mercury in tuna, try and incorporate chelating foods into your diet (foods that bind to heavy metals) like cilantro, garlic, brazil nuts, chlorella, etc. 

Also, if you are concerned about mercury levels in your body I would first start with assessing your exposure from amalgram fillings and the flu shot. Both expose your body to significantly higher levels of mercury than you would from eating tuna.


----------



## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

LaXCarp has no idea what he's talking about. Those foods won't adequately remove heavy metal, especially in the volume consumed in the diet. A can of tuna has MUCH more mercury in it than the older/multidose flu vaccination formulations.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

An elementary grasp of statistics will give us an insight into these claims. A little education can go a long ways in facilitating our understanding of how some of this comes to light.


----------



## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

There are much better and more reliable sources of information than the NRDC and EWG.

Basically -- they are liars.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

There are liars, Damn Liars and Statisticians.


----------



## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

dave54 said:


> There are much better and more reliable sources of information than the NRDC and EWG.
> 
> Basically -- they are liars.


Says someone on a biking forum with no credibility, offering no evidence, and no alternative sources on mercury in fish...

Basically you're an ignorant troll.

Isn't conflicting with other leading resources like Monterey Bay Aquarium's seafood watch either.

Seafood and Human Health from the Seafood Watch Program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium


----------



## HitmenOnlyInc (Jul 20, 2012)

This is getting good...subscribed.


----------



## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

Only damn liars and fools are the idiots on this thread offering nothing but trolling and personal opinions. 

My sources are solid like the MBA I just posted above which has further details on these sources which don't conflict with the EWG or NRDC:

"Mercury data are taken from a study published by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Stonybrook University, compiled from more than 300 government databases and peer-reviewed scientific studies on mercury levels in U.S. seafood."


----------



## Ridnparadise (Dec 14, 2007)

3 subjects in one thread. There are 2 problems in tuna - decreasing stocks due to overfishing and mercury concentration through the food chain. Both can be regional. Older and larger tuna of some species will have higher mercury levels. Most commercially caught tuna near Australia are young and healthy.

Second subject is flu vaccinations and that is only a problem when the uneducated avoid having them and promote rubbish about the health risks.

Third subject is amalgam fillings which stabilise very rapidly after being put in and are not associated with toxicity. Problem is people make money by fraud and scare tactics as well as ripping them all out to be replaced with gold or synthetics at ridiculous cost.

A can of reputable tuna daily, chomped on your amalgams and fed via your flu vaccinated arm is going to be OK


----------



## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

Right on the money Ridnparadise, for tuna it depends on the species, source, and person consuming them (pregnancy/nursing status and young children should not be eating them daily).

What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish (Brochure)


----------



## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

syadasti said:


> Says someone on a biking forum with no credibility, offering no evidence, and no alternative sources on mercury in fish...
> 
> Basically you're an ignorant troll.
> 
> ...


I am glad you admit you are an ignorant troll. Few of your ilk have the integrity to do so. MBA is not exactly the highest quality source either -- just another left wing eco-freak group (nice aquarium, but their politics are extreme left).


----------



## lorsban (Sep 2, 2009)

Ridnparadise said:


> 3 subjects in one thread. There are 2 problems in tuna - decreasing stocks due to overfishing and mercury concentration through the food chain. Both can be regional. Older and larger tuna of some species will have higher mercury levels. Most commercially caught tuna near Australia are young and healthy.
> 
> Second subject is flu vaccinations and that is only a problem when the uneducated avoid having them and promote rubbish about the health risks.
> 
> ...


Right On!


----------



## jekylljim (Nov 10, 2014)

Think I'll just cut down from my usual intake which is Mon - Thur at work.

Its just so difficult to make an informed decision about things these days. Sometimes the more you research something, the more confused and lost you can get! There are so many theories that conflict with each other, weather it be diet, exercise and training, water intake etc etc...


----------



## LaXCarp (Jul 19, 2008)

syadasti said:


> LaXCarp has no idea what he's talking about. Those foods won't adequately remove heavy metal, especially in the volume consumed in the diet. A can of tuna has MUCH more mercury in it than the older/multidose flu vaccination formulations.


I actually do know what I am talking about, and so could you with some simple research outside of your narrated youtube videos.

From the FDA website: (http://www.fda.gov/downloads/biologicsbloodvaccines/vaccines/approvedproducts/ucm305089.pdf). The multi-dose flu vaccine contains 12.5ug/0.25ml of Thimersol. This is equivalent to 50ppm mercury content.

From consumer reports website: (Mercury in tuna: Consumer Reports). Mercury content in a can of tuna can range from 0.018 to 0.774 parts per million.

Additionally, the FDA has authority to remove any product containing greater than 1ppm of mercury from the market.

Just to be clear, this data shows that the mercury content in a dose of the flu vaccine is more than 50 times greater than a can of tuna. Additionally, if the flu vaccine were a food, due to its mercury content, it would be removed from the market by the FDA or be made to have a mercury content at least 50 times lower than it is. But its cool to inject it....

Please know, I am not anti-vaccine at all. Most are extremely beneficial to the immunity and health of our population. No other vaccines contain thimersol. I just have issues with the flu vaccine based on its effectiveness and contents.


----------



## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

LaXCarp said:


> I actually do know what I am talking about, and so could you with some simple research outside of your narrated youtube videos.


Lets start with the basics, *ppm is µg/g*. A single serving of tuna is 2.5 oz (71g) and most cans are 5 oz (142g).

Exactly, you still don't get it, it's not the same mercury and there's still more mercury in a can of white tuna - you're not an expert since you keep missing these key differences.

There's a mean of 57 µg of methylmercury per 5 oz can (28 µg per serving) of white and 8.3 µg of methylmercury per can (4.15 µg per serving) of light (according to this long term peer reviewed study). A single dose .50 ml from a multidose formulation has 24.5 µg ethylmercury. A regular sized can and single serving of white tuna exceed the vaccine and is the far worse type of mercury that the EPA warning concern, not ethylmercury in vaccines.

The mercury in fish(methylmercury) isn't the same as the mercury in vaccines (ethylmercury). The toxicity of the mercury in tuna is much greater than vaccines. The average person doesn't get this as you clearly demonstrated.

Comparison of Blood and Brain Mercury Levels in Infant Monkeys Exposed to Methylmercury or Vaccines Containing Thimerosal



> Thimerosal is a preservative that has been used in manufacturing vaccines since the 1930s. Reports have indicated that infants can receive ethylmercury (in the form of thimerosal) at or above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for methylmercury exposure, depending on the exact vaccinations, schedule, and size of the infant.
> ...
> The results indicate that MeHg is not a suitable reference for risk assessment from exposure to thimerosal-derived Hg. *Knowledge of the toxicokinetics and developmental toxicity of thimerosal is needed to afford a meaningful assessment of the developmental effects of thimerosal-containing vaccines.*


And most formulations available other than the multidose have no Thimersol (and thus mercury) at all. Fluzone is the most popular in the US and only the multidose formulation these days has it.


----------



## LaXCarp (Jul 19, 2008)

Alright, im sorry to any readers of this thread for getting sucked into this . You are right, I am not an expert. I am just an average person. You are an expert though and not an average person clearly.

So you must know that ppm is derived from the density of water where 1kg/L = 1,000,000 mg/L, and 1mg/L is 1mg/1,000,000mg or one part in one million. So therefore ppm = ug/g =ug/ml = ng/mg = pg/ug = 10 -6. I deal with water chemistry for a waste water treatment plant so I am well versed in these basics of unit measurement.

To take it a step further to show you how I arrive at 50ppm. 12.5ug/0.25ml=25ug/0.5ml=50ug/1ml= 50ppm. They are all the same thing, a concentration.

"The results indicate that MeHg is not a suitable reference for risk assessment from exposure to thimerosal-derived Hg. Knowledge of the toxicokinetics and developmental toxicity of thimerosal is needed to afford a meaningful assessment of the developmental effects of thimerosal-containing vaccines."

I don't know why you highlighted this statement in your defense as all it does is indicate it cant come to a conclusion based on the knowledge at hand. Or i'll take out the fluff to show you what it says: "More knowledge of thimersol is needed to provide a meaningful assessment of its health affects"

You mentioned Fluzone, you are right only the multi-dose contains thimersol. Most vaccines through hospitals are administered in this fashion due cost savings. At least according to my RN of a wife. They did a good job of covering their ass in there as far as clinical studies go as indicated in their warning label (http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM356094.pdf).

All quoted clinical studies are its effectiveness in comparison to other flu vaccines (TIV), not against a baseline. And then they throw this in there "Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse event rates observed in the clinical trial(s) of a vaccine cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trial(s) of another vaccine and may not reflect the rates observed in practice" That was smart on their part because last years vaccine, Flulaval made this statement :"There have been no controlled trials adequately demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with Flulaval." on their warning label.


----------



## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

Most people get their vaccinations at their personal doctor or the pharmacy, not the hospital. They receive the single dose vaccines which have no mercury at all.


----------



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Concentration is only relevant in this case inasmuch as it translates into a measured exposure.

Someone getting the flu shot is exposed to a single dose that year.

Someone eating 1 can of tuna per week for a year gives you 52 TIMES the exposure.

Compounding the problem is the fact that methylmercury bioaccumulates. Ethylmercury does not. Ethylmercury leaves the body in a matter of days, while methylmercury persists for many years, so each additional can of tuna just increases the concentration of methylmercury in your body. Getting another flu shot next year won't add more ethylmercury above your exposure for last year's vaccine, because the ethylmercury from last year's flu vaccine has been absent from your body for several months. Methylmercury bioaccumulates because it reacts with cellular components. This is part of why it's more dangerous. Ethylmercury passes throughout the body easily, but does not tend to react to cellular components, allowing it to be flushed out much more quickly.

http://www.epa.gov/teach/chem_summ/mercury_org_summary.pdf
http://www.esf.edu/efb/mitchell/Class Readings\AnnRevEcoSys29.543.566.pdf


----------



## tw0leftskis (Aug 10, 2011)

I like tuna sandwiches. Maybe I'll just stick to PB&J


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I skip the bread and just enjoy spoonful of almond butter, honey and goji berries. All said though, I really enjoy tuna.


----------



## Barman1 (Jan 8, 2014)

Meh, I'm not going to stop eating it.


----------



## Zomby Woof (MCM700) (May 23, 2004)

Cleared2land said:


> There are liars, Damn Liars and Statisticians.


They say statistics don't lie, statisticians do.


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

I eat about a can of tuna every day! :0( I am doomed.

Or should I eat healthily, keep fit and die anyway?


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Resistance is futile.


----------



## bigflamingtaco (Oct 26, 2013)

Seems there's something fishy afoot and the mercury's a-rising.


----------



## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

I would like to give a shout out to Sy. I enjoyed the PubMed article. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.


----------



## OutLore (Aug 9, 2013)

So I should stop injecting tuna sammies?


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^ NOPE....just put lettuce on 'em, so you can feel good about getting some rabbit food in on the same deal.


----------



## twbranch (May 22, 2015)

Hogwash. Your body disposes of mercury fast. Besides I remember playing with mercury on a table in science class. I am not dead 35 years later. I eat tuna regularly and eggs too. Remember when eggs were bad for you? Guess what eggs are health proteins and the correct cholesteral. Don't believe everything you hear. More likely than not, it's a lie.


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

twbranch said:


> Don't believe everything you hear. More likely than not, it's a lie.


More likely than not? Really??

This is news to me. You are the first person I've ever heard say that the body can effectively dispose of mercury. I broke a thermometer at school and the lab tech was super careful when cleaning it up. Can you point me to the facts on how the body removes mercury?


----------



## cmg (Mar 13, 2012)

Tuna sucks, dolphins & whales are where its at


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Hmmm....let's just troll through here and see what we find.


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Wear a condom and you'll be all right.


----------



## party_wagon (Oct 10, 2008)

Eat fish at the bottom of the food chain like sardines. Fish can't get rid of mercury and alpha fish hold the mercury from all other fish they eat. Sardines are a nutrient rich beta fish.


----------



## Guest (Jun 8, 2015)

Mr Pig said:


> I eat about a can of tuna every day! :0( I am doomed.
> 
> Or should I eat healthily, keep fit and die anyway?


 I think you'd be better off taking the tuna out of the can, but that's just me.


----------



## aussiebullet (Nov 24, 2006)

party_wagon said:


> Eat fish at the bottom of the food chain like sardines.


I prefer to eat fish from the top of the water chain, mmm fresh trout strait out of the spring fed mountain streams and into a hot pan on the open fire.


----------



## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> Wear a condom and you'll be all right.


I'd suggest 2 if you're smellin' fish. :cornut:


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

noapathy said:


> I'd suggest 2 if you're smellin' fish. :cornut:


You banging fish again?


----------



## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> You banging fish again?


Sorry, totally meant to clean the tank before you got back. :blush:


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

noapathy said:


> Sorry, totally meant to clean the tank before you got back. :blush:


I don't share my tuna.


----------



## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

aussiebullet said:


> I prefer to eat fish from the top of the water chain, mmm fresh trout strait out of the spring fed mountain streams and into a hot pan on the open fire.


X2

Especially at our annual peta parties. Some friends and I backpack every year into some high mountain lakes with fishing poles and whiskey. While the trout are cooking we toast PETA.


----------



## root (Jan 24, 2006)

People Eating Tasty Animals!
On a serious note, if you're really concerned with this, doctor can test for this in your blood. Friend was told he had high mercury levels and to lay off the fish for a while. Bummer because he loves fish and we get lots of good fresh tuna here.


dave54 said:


> X2
> 
> Especially at our annual peta parties. Some friends and I backpack every year into some high mountain lakes with fishing poles and whiskey. While the trout are cooking we toast PETA.


----------



## Zomby Woof (MCM700) (May 23, 2004)

I like tuna. I've been eating it ever since I was a kid.


----------



## wagonguy1989 (Jun 19, 2015)

Zomby Woof (MCM700) said:


> I like tuna. I've been eating it ever since I was a kid.


THATS what im worried about, so have i.... im sure the occasional 2 sammys a week, or twice a week closer to payday lol wont hurt... i dont know ANYTHING scientifically about tuna, i just know to buy it and eat it... should i be worried?


----------



## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

You have a much greater chance of catching an STD from land tuna as opposed to being harmed from sea tuna. I say eat away and don't worry about it. Sea tuna, that is. Land tuna, be careful.


----------



## wagonguy1989 (Jun 19, 2015)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> . Land tuna, be careful.


LOL, if it smells like tuna....... RUN!

ima leave it at that...


----------



## Biohazard74 (Jul 16, 2009)

Man this Tuna sandwich is good !!! :thumbsup:


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^ I'll take mine with a little extra relish please!


----------



## Biohazard74 (Jul 16, 2009)

I've been eating Tuna weekly since I was a kid. I am 41 years old. Clean bill of health every year. My job requests me to get complete check up yearly. Complete blood work and everything. Not only that but I eat all kinds seafood more than your average person. If anyone would die from it should be me. No mercury here.

Clearedtoland I just have real mayo, onion and a pinch if salt. Good stuff !


----------



## biscut (Sep 11, 2015)

I just drank a Lagunitas Somethin Somethin  I'll stick to my tuna in small doses.


----------



## milliesand (Jun 29, 2015)

just made some tuna with Jalapenos, Salsa and BBQ sauce.


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

milliesand said:


> just made some tuna with Jalapenos, Salsa and BBQ sauce.


Jalapenos sounds ok. Bbq? Not.


----------



## Bizman (Oct 11, 2010)

I have been staying away from Tuna and now eat sardines in water. I always liked them as a kid and really enjoy them in place of tuna. The word is they are less likely to have mercury in them. Herring is supposed to not have mercury either but I haven't tried it to see how I like it. I did talk to a guy at a bike event that was eating smoked herring he got from Trader Joes but they were in oil and I am not a fan of fish in oil.


----------



## Vespasianus (Apr 9, 2008)

I recommend a side of tuna, some grilled swordfish, a glass of scotch and cigarettes.


----------



## d33pt (May 28, 2009)

Why don't you switch to canned wild Alaskan salmon? Mercury is much lower in that. The only way to know is to get your blood tested for heavy metals. Next physical you have, get your doc to add that test to your lab.


----------



## NesquikNinja (May 7, 2013)

Find what you love, and let it kill you

I love tuna and I love motorcycles

Let's see what gets me killed first


----------



## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

I love my family (wife & kids)...

o_0

-----------------------------------------------------------
-=snifff!!=- What's that you say?


----------



## Ridnparadise (Dec 14, 2007)

OMG: Science proves that 100% of people who eat tuna will die!!!! 

Who's going to join me running and screaming?


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I just requested a funeral policy. I'm almost ready for more tuna.


----------

