A newly released study suggested that high levels of zinc in canned tuna could “wreak havoc” on the human gastrointestinal tract. News outlets including the Daily [del]Fail[/del] Mailwent wild with the story.
Turns out the basic “facts” of the matter were dead wrong, and the published paper is being retracted.
*"The researchers measured the level of zinc in samples of canned tuna, asparagus, chicken and sweetcorn, and calculated there would be 996mg of zinc in a meal containing typical portions of tuna and of asparagus. They then exposed cells from the human small intestine to this level of zinc.
However, we calculated this meal should have contained 2.1mg of zinc, not 996mg. The recommended daily allowance is about 9.5mg a day for men and 7mg for women, so this would be within the limit."*
So will this embarrassing episode shame elements of the news media into fact-checking their breathless releases a bit more carefully now? Chances of that are about as good as the Daily [del]Fail[/del] Mail featuring the retraction as prominently as it did the original story.*
*The current iteration of the story includes an inconspicuous last line mentioning the study authors’ concern over the “accuracy” of the data, but makes no mention of the gross error discovered, or the impending retraction.
If this story were remotely true, given the insane amount of tuna I’ve eaten in my lifetime, I would have long since been transformed into Zinc Man, fighting crime (or possibly committing crimes) with my special zinc-based powers. I’m not entirely sure what zinc-based powers might entail. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking that I might be able to fend off colds and avoid sunburns and … uh, throw zinc at people?
I am not a cat. I am also not rich. So canned tuna it is, at least I get some fish in my diet.
My son prefers Salmon strait from the can. The only one in the house that won’t eat tuna salad or tuna casserole is my tuna hating wife. She would probably agree with you.
Who did the original calculation? 996mg is nearly a gram, the weight of a paperclip. They are probably right in that someone consuming a gram of zinc all at once is likely in fora gastric misadventure.
"Here’s an update on last week’s nursing home expose ‘Geezers in Freezers’. It turns out the rest home was adequately heated; the footage you saw was of a fur storage facility. We’ve also been told to apologize for using the term ‘geezers’. "
I myself am also partial to tuna, because it’s pretty nutritious for the calories consumed. But zinc aside, the serious issues with tuna involve mercury, especially white (albacore) tuna. Something to keep an eye on.
