At least once, perhaps constrained by a lunch break that was too short, or because at that time there was no great desire to cook, everyone opted for a quick and convenient lunch or dinner, made from canned fish, which being pre-packaged, it is an excellent alternative to fresh fish and is suitable for everyone, from children to athletes, from young mothers to the elderly. The most consumed canned fish is tuna, this particular species has repeatedly been the subject of various debates, among which the possibility of discouraging or even, in rare cases, banning the consumption of tuna for certain categories consumers, such as pregnant women.
All this concern is due to a particular substance contained in tuna, which could create many health problems. Here’s what its about. The offending substance is identified as mercury. An important and recent document, written by a competent company in this sector, indicates that fish in general, but especially large predators such as tuna, swordfish and cod, represent the intermediary, which allows the supply of mercury to our body, precisely through food.
So, because of this, doctors recommend trying to eat fish no more than two or three times a week. Especially if the fish in question are large like those mentioned above. To be as precise as possible, we can say that the tolerable weekly doses are approximately 4 micrograms per kilogram of body weight for mercury and 1.3 micrograms for methylmercury. In some European countries, real guidelines have even been created which aim to order consumers to vary their fish consumption during the week, so that the intake of mercury in the body is limited.
Indeed, many recommendations advise pregnant women, or those who intend to have a baby, to strongly limit the consumption of tuna. In these cases, the doctor advises not to exceed 170 grams per week, the same amount is also suitable for feeding children. Despite all this, we must not forget that tuna is also a fish rich in many nutritional properties, which have beneficial effects on our organism, such as the fact that it is rich in useful proteins and especially in omega 3 fats.