How Much Tuna Can You Eat Safely?

Most people are aware that there are low levels of toxins, like mercury, in Tuna that can be hazardous to human health if consumed in too high of quantities. What most people don’t know is how much is too much.

Thanks to the scientists at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) you are about to find out what constitutes too much tuna. EWG researchers were able to use established guidelines from the FDA on how much mercury is found in the different types of tuna fish, how much fish people should eat in a week and how much mercury a human can have on a daily basis based on their weight.

With that research already done for them by the FDA the EWG discovered that the safe levels of mercury and recommended amounts of tuna do not match up. There is an equation used to know how much mercury a person can ingest before their health suffers. the FDA’s safe mercury dose is measured in grams of mercury per kilogram of person per day.

All that is needed is your weight and it is a simple math equation to figure out how much tuna a person can safely eat. The EWG recommends, based on the equation, that a 100lb person have no more than 3.1 oz of albacor tuna or 9.1oz of light tuna. The FDA recommends 6oz of albocor tuna fish per week. For a person weighing 175lbs: 5.5oz (one can) for albacor tuna. 16oz (nearly 3 cans) for light tuna. The FDA recommendations are nearly double these figures. Three ounces of tuna is about half a can, while Nine ounces is one and a half cans.