Tuna info and tips Leave a comment

TUNA – inexpensive and convenient, tuna ranks as country’s favourite fish; we buy more than 800 million pounds a year, mostly in cans. While it’s healthy promoting food, tuna does contain relatively high levels of mercury. The amount of omega 3-fats in tuna varies greatly, from 0.3g in 3 ounces of fresh yellowfin to 0.8g in canned albacore (white) to 1.4g in fresh bluefin.

Your best choice here is canned tuna. While the process of canning causes the fish to lose some of its heart-healthy fat, canned tuna comes form smaller, younger fish and therefore has less mercury than fresh tuna. White tuna has more omega-3 fats than light tuna, but also slightly higher mercury levels. Buy canned tuna packed in water rather than oil because it retains more or its omega-3 fats after draining.

Fresh tuna steaks aren’t a great choice. They come from larger, older fish, which harbour the highest mercury levels. And the tuna steaks sold in this country are usually yellowfin, a species with low levels of omega-3 fat. If you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, you should limit your consumption of canned tuna to one serving a month and avoid fresh tuna. Doing so will limit your exposure to mercury, which can damage developing brains.