# Mercury-related health risks of eating tuna

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-related-health-risks-of-eating-tuna/600769>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 25, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-related-health-risks-of-eating-tuna/600769 "2011-10-25T19:30:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-related-health-risks-of-eating-tuna/600769/1 "2011-10-25T19:30:16Z")

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So I eat a lot of tuna; about 3/4 of a pound a day. Specifically, I eat light yellowfin tuna made by Clover Leaf. I’d quite like to keep eating this since it’s tasty, satiating, low calorie, convenient and cheap.  
What are the long term health risks?

Does the level of mercury in someone ever go down?

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**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-related-health-risks-of-eating-tuna/600769/2 "2011-10-25T19:37:35Z")

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[Previous thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=580468&highlight=tuna+mercury)

But here’s the short summary: As a healthy adult, there’s not much to worry about. There are definite neurological health risks from mercury in seafood, but you have to eat large quantities of very highly contaminated fish for many years to see any symptoms. A can a day shouldn’t get you anywhere near that level of exposure.

However, the developing brain is much more susceptible to mercury, so children and pregnant women should be more careful. Levels of exposure that are harmless to adults can definitely harm children.

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-related-health-risks-of-eating-tuna/600769/3 "2011-10-25T19:38:19Z")

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I believe the issue is accumulation of heavy metals, both in the fish and in you. Someone more expert will be by shortly to spell out the risks…

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**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-related-health-risks-of-eating-tuna/600769/4 "2011-10-25T19:42:21Z")

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> [@lazybratsche](#):
>
> But here’s the short summary: As a healthy adult, there’s not much to worry about.

I’d add “male” to that, but otherwise agree. Women who are or may be pregnant or nursing in the future should be a little more careful.

But healthy adult dudes, knock yourself out.

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**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-related-health-risks-of-eating-tuna/600769/5 "2011-10-25T20:28:36Z")

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Tuna has a lot of sodium. You may not be reactive to high sodium levels driving your blood pressure over normal. I need to restrict my sodium input and while I have tried washing the tuna and draining, I just decided to give it up entirely. I read that washing canned tuna can remove 40% of the sodium.