Is Tuna a Heart Healthy Food?
Tuna is a fatty fish providing high quality protein, B-vitamins, and selenium. The nutrients help the body produce red blood cells, reduce heart disease risk and macular degeneration, and promote brain growth. The protein provides essential amino acids used for body growth and maintenance, while the fat provides a rich source of heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
Many organizations, such as the USDA, American Heart Association, and American Dietetic Association have been encouraging people to eat more fish. This includes eating more tuna. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce heart disease risk, blood clots, and stroke, relieve depression, and help fight certain cancers.
How Much Tuna
It’s recommended by the American Heart Association that anyone over the age of 2 years-old consume at least 2 servings of fish weekly. A serving of tuna equals 3 ounces for adults.
Warnings
While I mentioned the risk of high mercury levels about I want to re-emphasize this risk. Eating a diet high in mercury can cause mercury to accumulate in the blood stream. The mercury is removed by the body naturally, but it can be a slow process. High mercury levels can harm unborn babies and compromise the development of young children. This is why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends pregnancy women, nursing women, women planning to become pregnant, and young children limit the amount of fish they eat, even fish varieties that contain low levels of mercury.
The Environmental Protection Agency provides specific guidelines:
If you weigh less than 110 pounds limit light tuna to one 6 ounce can per week. If you weigh more than 110 pounds you may safely consume 2-6 ounce cans per week.
The Take Away
Tuna is a great addition to a heart healthy diet, providing high levels of heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids. However, how you prepare the tuna will impact the nutritional quality. If you mix the tuna with high fat mayo to prepare tuna salad, you are “canceling out” some of the benefits.
Be sure to sign up for the free e-course How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps provided at http://lowercholesterolwithlisa.com.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
https://lisanelsonrd.com
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Image created by m_bartosch.
