Can I Eat Canned Tuna While Pregnant? Do you sometimes have to wonder if certain things can or should be eaten while pregnant? You’re not alone. Everyone has their own special diet that helps them keep up a healthy weight, stay within their nutritional requirements and feel good about what they eat.
Canned tuna is a versatile food that can be eaten as an appetizer, as part of a salad, or even mixed into pasta for a quick and easy meal. It’s also one of the most affordable sources of protein when you’re pregnant. However, some pregnant women are concerned about eating canned tuna while expecting because they believe it contains mercury and other toxins that are unsafe for a developing baby. Though it’s best to avoid eating tuna more than once per week while pregnant (as with any type of fish), there’s no need to restrict your intake entirely. Here is everything you need to know about eating canned tuna while expecting before adding it back into your diet again.
What’s the problem with canned tuna?
Tuna is one of the largest fish species in the world and a good source of high-quality protein. However, it’s also one of the seafoods highest in mercury. Mercury is a toxin that is released into the environment through industrial pollution. When it settles into water and soil, it’s absorbed by marine plants and animals, including fish. Though mercury is found in all types of fish, it is more concentrated in larger fish species, such as tuna, where it accumulates as the fish grows. While small amounts of mercury are found in many foods, it’s a bigger concern when eating seafood because mercury levels can build up in the body over time. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that pregnant women completely avoid eating fish with high mercury levels.
How much mercury is in canned tuna?
Not all tuna is created equal. The most common type of canned tuna is albacore, and this type contains the most mercury per serving. Albacore tuna averages about 0.1 ppm of mercury, which is higher than the 0.09 ppm found in light tuna. Light tuna is the second most common type of canned tuna, and it boasts one of the lowest mercury contents at 0.04 ppm. Bigeye, another type of canned tuna, has a slightly higher mercury content of 0.18 ppm. These numbers can be slightly misleading because they’re given as parts per million (ppm), which is a measurement of weight. So, these numbers don’t take into account the size of the fish. This means that the larger species of fish like tuna and salmon may contain the same amount of mercury, but the smaller mercury amounts are distributed among a larger amount of fish.
Canned Tuna Nutrition Facts
Canned tuna is a low-fat, high-protein food that’s also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. A typical 5-ounce (140 g) serving of canned tuna provides 110 calories, less than 1 g of fat, 25 g of protein, and 0 g of carbohydrates. The same amount of canned light tuna has 97 calories, 1 g of fat, and 25 g of protein. Canned tuna is also rich in the B vitamins needed for energy and healthy brain function. It provides small amounts of niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and folate. These vitamins are also necessary for helping a fetus develop. Canned tuna also contains smaller amounts of minerals like iron, magnesium, and zinc, which are necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Minerals like iron and zinc are especially important for pregnant women since they’ll need more of these nutrients to support their pregnancy.
Are there any benefits of eating canned tuna while pregnant?
Low-fat and low-calorie, canned tuna provides the essential nutrients, proteins and vitamins that are key to healthy pregnancy. Eating it once or twice a week can help you get enough protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc. Canned tuna is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are linked to a lower risk of preterm birth. Eating canned tuna while pregnant can also help you maintain a healthy weight. Pregnant women who are overweight are more likely to deliver their baby too early, which could increase the risk of health problems for both the mother and baby.
Can pregnant women eat Albacore Tuna?
It’s probably not a good idea to eat albacore tuna while pregnant. Albacore tuna contains the most mercury of all the types of canned tuna, and pregnant women are advised to stay away from this fish. In fact, the FDA recommends that all women who could become pregnant and children under the age of 6 completely avoid eating albacore tuna. The good news is that light tuna and bigeye tuna contain very low amounts of mercury, making them safe for pregnant women to eat. In fact, light tuna may be the best choice since it has the same amount of protein and fewer calories.
Is Light Tuna Safer During Pregnancy?
Light tuna contains the lowest amount of mercury, which makes it an excellent choice for pregnant women. However, you should note that the difference in mercury content between light and albacore tuna is only around 0.04 ppm. This may not be enough to make a significant difference for some women. That said, eating light tuna instead of albacore could reduce your mercury exposure by around one-third. This could be enough to tip the scales in favor of light tuna if you’re eating tuna once or twice per week. Of course, eating a low-mercury fish is only one part of the equation. You also need to limit the amount you eat and avoid cracked or broken cans containing harmful bacteria.
Final Words: The Bottom Line
If you’re craving a quick and easy meal, you may be tempted to open a can of tuna. While canned tuna is inexpensive, nutritious, and convenient, it’s also one of the fish products with the highest mercury content. Concerned that canned tuna contains too much mercury? Don’t worry. As long as you buy light tuna, you can eat it a few times per week without raising your mercury exposure. Remember that canned tuna can be eaten in many different ways, so you can mix it into pasta, make it into an appetizer, or even add it to your salad to get a quick and easy meal.