good source of protein
Many people know that fish is good for the body. Fresh fish dishes are not easy economically and time-wise. For this reason, canned tuna is popular as a simple source of fish intake in single-person households or double-income families who are pressed for time.
Canned tuna is a rich source of protein. Tuna also contains mercury, which is found in many types of fish and seafood. Some people do not eat canned tuna at all, as mercury can affect cognitive health and mental functioning. How does canned tuna affect our health? The American health media ‘It’s not that’ recently looked at the pros and cons of canned tuna.
When you think of protein, eggs, chicken, and beef tend to come to mind, but fish are also good sources of protein. Canned tuna contains about 20g of protein per 100g. Moreover, tuna is classified as a complete protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids. .
Tuna is rich in omega 3. Studies have shown that eating foods rich in omega-3s can help improve symptoms of depression and overall mood. It may help slow age-related cognitive decline. According to recent research reports, omega-3s can help lower cholesterol, reduce blood clots and inflammation, and support cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of omega-3-rich fish per week.
If it’s canned, it’s good to know exactly what omega-3 content is written on the product.
Eating too much canned tuna can actually be detrimental to your health. First of all, canned tuna is high in sodium. The sodium content per 100g of commercially available canned tuna reaches 410mg. This is a significant portion of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily intake of sodium (2,000mg). Eating too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
It should not be overlooked that eating canned tuna in oil can also increase your fat intake. It’s good to take a closer look at the fat content on the outside of the product.
When eating canned tuna, consumers worry about mercury poisoning. Although there is no risk of exposure to mercury, different types of tuna contain different levels of mercury. Pregnant women should be especially aware of heavy metal poisoning.
In 2015, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that pregnant women can eat up to 400 grams of canned tuna per week, which has been controversial. If you eat only regular fish and canned tuna per week during pregnancy, less than 400g is appropriate. Mackerel, pollock, flounder, saury, croaker, hairtail, mackerel, trout, canned tuna, and fish were grouped as general fish.
Canned tuna and tuna for sashimi are all tuna, but the sweetened fish used for canned tuna are usually 2 to 4 years old and are the size of mackerel. This is why the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety included canned tuna in the list of common fish with low mercury content, such as mackerel, saury and pollack.
Looking at the average methylmercury content of fish, canned tuna averaged 0.03 μg/g, the same as common fish such as mackerel and hairtail, which are popular fish. This is much smaller than tuna (average content 0.21μg/g), sharks (0.21μg/g), and marlin (0.28μg/g).
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recommends that if you eat a variety of fish, it is better not to exceed the sum of the methylmercury content for a week.
Tuna is rich in selenium, a trace mineral. Selenium prevents cancer by suppressing the production of carcinogens, suppresses aging with strong antioxidant action, and has the function of detoxifying mercury.
