Why you should stay away from Tuna

[administrator]

Hey everyone,

Looking through our Nutrition forum, we've noticed that a lot of you are eating canned tuna... not so good... so we've put an article together for you to give you a brief intro into why it's bad for you... check out the article by clicking here. (http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/vbarticles.php?do=article&articleid=37)

Guys @ BWC

[PowerPast40]

I didn't read it yet, but I'm guessing it has a lot to do with the mercury content. Being a bit "older" now, I tend to care a lot more what I put into my body than I did in my 20's (and wish I had then, too), and it's really frustrating to realize how much of our foods are contaminated in some way(s). That is anything from poisonous elements like mercury to excessive pesticides and all kinds of crazy food additives for flavor and preservation to hormones (estrogen) in red meat. It sucks!

[NeilC]

Hey everyone,

Looking through our Nutrition forum, we've noticed that a lot of you are eating canned tuna... not so good... so we've put an article together for you to give you a brief intro into why it's bad for you... check out the article by clicking here. (http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/vbarticles.php?do=article&articleid=37)

Guys @ BWC

I think the article is a bit one-sided. The original article from which the info comes from is from the NRDA who are a left-leaning political activist group with a strong environmental stance. They have a vested interest in ecological matters including the consumption of fish.

Dr Hightower's work has been criticised by scientists for it's methodology and she backtracked on various points because of this.

The FDA say:

"Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower 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. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week."

So eating tuna appears to be quite safe as long as you limit your consumption. Also most foods contain some risk factors. You have to weigh up the risk/rewards.

[Fatman]

If tuna was so bad for you I would've died of mercury poisoning long ago.

Environmentalism is a wonderful thing. Environmentalists are a bunch of annoying pathetic persons with nothing better to do but make up idiotic rhetoric and spread it around. Greenpeace people are the worst - they actually cause damage through their "environmental nazism". Sorry if I offend anyone, but that's about it.

[cheesedog]

The sad thing is that by being that way they hurt their cause more than they help it.

[Fatman]

Yeah.

I love nature and animals and all that stuff, but PETA and Greenpeace make me want to pour crude oil into the ocean just to spite those a-holes (naw, not really. but they are awful).

[cheesedog]

Yeah.

I love nature and animals and all that stuff, but PETA and Greenpeace make me want to pour crude oil into the ocean just to spite those a-holes (naw, not really. but they are awful).

Don't say "oil-covered wildlife", say "chocolate moose!"

[skyfire1]

I eat like 2 cans a day. Am I going to die young?

[NeilC]

It's significantly above the guidelines of governments in the UK and USA. So it seems that you will be building up more mercury than the safe limits. What this will do is uncertain. Maybe nothing. Maybe something nasty.

I'd say that most of the time, but not always, it's sensible to go with the best scientific advice available, and that is not to eat that much.

[administrator]

I eat like 2 cans a day. Am I going to die young?

The best way to answer this question is for you to take a look a this article here...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/02/19/tuna-testing.html

Also "Mercury contamination is bad for people who have elevated levels of mercury in their bodies, and for pregnant or nursing women. Elevated levels of mercury can lead to nervous system problems with brain or nerve damage. Mercury levels can be measured by blood tests, or tests using hair. " taken from this article http://nutrition.about.com/od/healthyfood1/a/goodfishbadfish.htm

And

Why Is Mercury Bad?

Mercury is a persistent, bio-accumulative toxin that has increased at least three fold in the atmosphere and ocean over the past century, posing a risk to human health, wildlife and the ecological balance. The Food and Drug Administration and 41 states warn consumers to limit or not eat certain fish due to mercury levels and ten states advise pregnant women and children to limit consumption of canned tuna, the most consumed fish in the US. A potent neurotoxin, mercury exposures can affect the brain, kidneys and liver, and cause developmental problems. Data from the Centers for Disease Control indicates that 1-in-12 women of childbearing age have unsafe mercury levels, translating into over 300,000 children born each year in the US at risk of exposure to mercury.

And finally http://www.epa.gov/mercury/health.htm

And you might also be interested in this article which describes how to get rid of mercury from your body.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA348544

Hope this helps clear things up a bit for you.

[skyfire1]

It's significantly above the guidelines of governments in the UK and USA. So it seems that you will be building up more mercury than the safe limits. What this will do is uncertain. Maybe nothing. Maybe something nasty.

I'd say that most of the time, but not always, it's sensible to go with the best scientific advice available, and that is not to eat that much.Well what should I be eating instead? Tuna is the easiest way to get a lot of protein.

[administrator]

Well what should I be eating instead? Tuna is the easiest way to get a lot of protein.

Tuna is not the only fish out there, there are plenty of fish that you can eat and not be poisoned by mercury, such as mahi mahi, cod, etc. You should do a search on google and see a variety of fish available. Protein is also found in dairy, meat, eggs, etc. So you're not limited to Tuna only.

Also the reason that eating canned anything is bad for you, is not only because it's full of preservatives, but mainly because most cans are made out of aluminum and aluminum leaks into foods & also does a lot of damage to the body.

A lot of you will argue this point, but if you search for this info online you'll see that quite a few people refer to aluminum being just as bad for you as mercury.

[PowerPast40]

Some good points on both sides here. JMO, but I'd say tuna in very moderate/limited amounts is probably OK, though I"d prefer finding other sources of protein, as noted. As to fish itself--which, without the mercury--would be very good for you--there are other sources that are supposedly less infested. I eat sardines a few times a week. My wife and daughter gag just smelling them, but they're not the ones eating 'em!

For the most part, I hear salmon is low in mercury. Those are two extremely healthy sources of fish that are low on that danger scale.

[NeilC]

Also the reason that eating canned anything is bad for you, is not only because it's full of preservatives, but mainly because most cans are made out of aluminum and aluminum leaks into foods & also does a lot of damage to the body.

A lot of you will argue this point, but if you search for this info online you'll see that quite a few people refer to aluminum being just as bad for you as mercury.

Yes but then there are lots of people referring to all manner of stuff on the internet - faked moonlandings, aliens, various gods etc etc. The health info is amongst the worst of all IMO. I sometimes wonder if more than 1/2 of the health info on the net is wrong. People are very faddy about health. The way to find out is to ask for and examine the evidence. If they don't provide any then it probably isn't true. Where is the scientific evidence about alu in canned fish and it being harmful? Do we know?

I don't know about the US but here in the UK, most cans are not made of aluminium. Most are made of steel - try one with a magnet. Also aluminium oxidises very quickly and forms a stable oxide which does enter most foods in large quantities - particularly fish which isn't exactly very acidic. Many tins are lined with plastic anyway. A lot of cookware is aluminium. Also links between alu and diseases like alzheimers have proven to be non causative as far as I know.

Re: what to eat. Light tuna has less mercury, other fish, chicken, cottage cheese, other meats and of course protein shakes. I don't know of many potential health problems associated with whey protein.

[gizmogirl]

From http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=bestandworst

The green text color didn't come through correctly (all the links turned green) - green were anchovies, Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel, farmed oysters, Alask sablefish, wild Alaskan salmon, canned pink/sockeye salmon, and sardines.


Best & Worst Seafood Choices
Our guide can help you choose fish that are healthy for the oceans and safe to eat. (Learn about seafood and your health (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=shouldiworry) and fish to avoid (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=healthalerts).) Green text indicates fish that are both high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in environmental contaminants.
Red text indicates fish that are high in mercury or PCBs (see individual fish pages for more information).

http://www.oceansalive.org/images/arrow_blue_splash.jpg
Seafood Selector FAQ (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=faqs): Get answers to your common questions. http://www.oceansalive.org/images/arrow_blue_splash.jpg
Pocket Seafood Selector (http://www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/1980_pocket_seafood_selector.pdf): Print a wallet-sized copy of this list.http://www.oceansalive.org/images/icon_adobe.jpg

http://www.oceansalive.org/images/box_best_header.jpg

Abalone (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=Abalone) (U.S. farmed)
Anchovies (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=anchovies)
Arctic char (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=176) (farmed)
Catfish (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=7) (U.S. farmed)
Caviar (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=caviar) (U.S. farmed)
Clams (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=clams) (farmed)
Crab - Dungeness (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=17), snow (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=21) (Canada), stone (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=18)
Crawfish (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=crawfish) (U.S.)
Halibut - Pacific (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=50) (Alaska)
Herring - Atlantic (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=52) (U.S., Canada)
Mackerel - Atlantic (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=58)
Mahimahi (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=mahimahi) (U.S. Atlantic)
Mussels (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=mussels) (farmed)
Oysters (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=oysters) (farmed)
Sablefish/black cod (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=sablefish) (Alaska)
Salmon - wild (Alaska) (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=salmon), canned pink/sockeye (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=salmon)
Sardines (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=Sardines)
Scallops - bay (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=96) (farmed)
Shrimp - northern (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=116) (Canada), Oregon pink, U.S. farmed (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=120) Spot prawns (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=118)
Striped bass (farmed (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=bass))
Sturgeon (U.S. farmed (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=169))
Tilapia (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=tilapia) (U.S.)
http://www.oceansalive.org/images/box_worst_header.jpg
Caviar (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=caviar) (wild)
Chilean seabass/toothfish (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=Toothfish)
Cod - Atlantic (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=13)
Grouper (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=grouper)
Halibut - Atlantic (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=49)
Marlin (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=marlin)
Monkfish/goosefish (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=66)
Orange roughy (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=70)
Rockfish/rock cod (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=rockfish) (Pacific)
Salmon - Atlantic (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=85) (farmed)
Shark (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=shark)
Shrimp/prawns (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=Shrimp/prawns) (imported)
Skate (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=skate)
Snapper (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=snapper)
Sturgeon (wild (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=sturgeon))
Swordfish (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&group=swordfish) (imported)
Tilefish (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=149)
Tuna - bluefin (http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=fishpage&fish=154)

[transitt]

I would take a look at Tongol Tuna, which has been shown to have much lower levels of mercury.

[summercity]

I've been eating 4-5 cans a week for the last 6 weeks or so... the 6 ounce cans...

I'm trying to find an alternative source of lean protein but nothing is as convenient as canned tuna!

[NeilC]

Whey protein is pretty convenient. Doesn't make for much of a tasty meal obviously!

[Dominator350]

Theyre getting better though you gotta admit! Flavour is catching up to protein shakes slowly but surely. i used to take the sugarless and flavourless cause it was PURE. But now i got this stuff thats chocolate mint... smells like the icecream. Good stuff...

[summercity]

I tried whey protein a few years ago... it gave me really bad gas and bloating, so I've stayed away from it ever since.

I used to take egg protein powder, but it's expensive, and doesn't mix well unless you use a blender.

[Dominator350]

I swear ive almost adapted to it all... in the morning during the summer to maintain my weight id drink 3 eggs, eat 2 bowls of raisin bran, 2 scoops of protein powder and 6 cups, of hot, black, coffee that smelled like bronze.
Now youd think id be in the bathroom 15 minutes later but... like i said, i beleive the stomach can adapt to these things.

[Fatman]

6 cups of coffee... for breakfast???

I'd overdose on that. 6 cups over a day is waaaaaaay too much for me.

Anyway, there's no need to eat that much in a single meal. Most of the protein thus consumed would be excreted later in the day (i.e. most of the protein powder contributed to some expensive urine). I don't believe in the "30 grams of protein per meal" rule, but there's a limit on the beating a body can take.

[Dominator350]

nah that breakfast isn't so much about protein. I was burning so many calories that if id stopped eating that much i wouldve dropped below 200 and kept falling. haha... Keep in mind this is not a example meant to me taken into a routine. i agree its terrible! But im serious if i don't get my 3 eggs a day i will just drop weight like mad. Right now im able to maintain weight but not even.

[david75]

Ok, so I like fish and was thinking about using canned tuna for snacks at work. What other fish alternative is there for something quick and easily stored besides sardines?

[terra]

As stated above there are many other fish sources for protein other than tuna. Please stay away from farmed fish as this is highly loaded with antibiotics, not fed organically (so omega 3 is compromised) and f*#ks the natural seafood environment.

Someone stated that they didn't know of any whey protein problems. The bigest problem is that a lot of people can't absorb it so its wasted money. Not only that but it plays havoc with your IC valve allowing backflow into the ileum and leading to overworked liver. This can hamper gaining as your body moves more toward a physiological stress response and away from a growth state. Some get away with whey many don't (bloating/gas is an easy sign but there are others, talk to a naturopath etc). I didn't know whey was causing problems until tested.

Best meat is free range, organically fed wild meat. If you live in Australia go for Kangaroo. It's fantastic stuff (its exported to other countries too).

Eggs are ok (organic, free range). There are egg whites available, if you are worried.

Dairy... Hmmm this is opening a can of worms but hunter gatherers were (are) the heathiest, fittest people on the planet - they don't suckle from another species. I've almost totally eliminated dairy and I feel better for it.
If you must do dairy try to find a non-pasturised, organically farmed, grass fed milk source.

Grain - run away from it. Some wild rice etc OK but any processed grains, run.

Sorry for long post.
Live long, live well.