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Tuna Calculator Calculates Mercury

How Much Tuna Is Too Much?

February 15, 2008

With all the mercury scares going around these days, are you curious how much tuna is too much? I am.

The Environmental Working Group has created a tuna calculator that uses the FDA's guidelines for what constitutes a safe dose of mercury. It will calculate the maximum amount of canned tuna that you can safely eat each week and not exceed what the FDA considers a safe exposure level. All you have to do is enter your weight and the calculator does the rest. Pretty cool, especially if you eat a good amount of tuna.

How many cans per week are safe for you?

17 Comments

cravinsugar 5 years 12 weeks

:ROTFL: @ PirateKitty. We so totally sare hypochondriacs! Afraid of everything!!!!! well put. I know peeps were eating tuna for as long as it has been available until now...anybody died from it yet?

cravinsugar 5 years 12 weeks

:ROTFL: @ PirateKitty. We so totally sare hypochondriacs! Afraid of everything!!!!! well put. I know peeps were eating tuna for as long as it has been available until now...anybody died from it yet?

PirateKitty 5 years 13 weeks

I'm hoping this is just another one of those american hypochondriac scare tactics, cause i eat tuna almost everyday... supposed to have 3/4 can in a whole week? soo not happening!

mominator 5 years 13 weeks

I can only have 3.6 oz a week.

tlsgirl 5 years 13 weeks

I've been on such a tuna kick lately. I ate three cans this week of light tuna and now I'm a little scared!

designergirl 5 years 13 weeks

I go weeks where I eat tons of tuna, and then weeks without. I figure it balances out.

cravinsugar 5 years 13 weeks

I just ogt ona huge tuna kick!! this makes me sad...:-(. At work, the cafe makes a tuna sndwhich where they probably put 1 can on one sandwhich lol. it's so good though!!! on toasted rye bread!!! with mayo. tomato and red onion!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMm (but it maes the cube farm stink!!!)

aimeeb 5 years 13 weeks

Em I'm with you. I've had tuna several days in a row before. Uh oh...

Berlin 5 years 13 weeks

actually there's still so much speculation about mercury...how the benefits of fish really outweigh the risk, and apparently the effects of high mercury are only problematic if you are pregnant or are planning to have kids one day, but if you don't want kids, according to researchers and webmd, then your good to go, and enjoy your fish...so now on to my tuna:)

heartbreakerx62x 5 years 13 weeks

So, what does this mean when you are eating sushi, are you eating light tuna or albacore tuna? Is this goodbye to my spicy tuna rolls?!?!?!?!

Berlin 5 years 13 weeks

No way! I can only have 1/2 a can of Albacore a week?? I eat 3 cans a day and have done so for a very, very long time!

Spectra 5 years 13 weeks

I'm only supposed to have 1/2 a can of Albacore per week...I usually eat light tuna when I do eat it, so I'm not too worried. I used to eat like 3 cans a week, but I've cut down quite a bit.

LolaS FL 5 years 13 weeks

Wow..crazy!! I eat Albacore tuna at least 2x a week. It says I should half 1/2 can a week! yikes!!!

wren 5 years 13 weeks

I also eat tuna a lot. I'm only supposed to half a can of Albacore per week. I definitely exceed this. Who knew that light tuna has so much less mercury? I will try to switch to that. Thanks for the info!!!

emalove 5 years 13 weeks

"According to FDA health standards, you can safely eat 3.4 ounces of Albacore tuna per week (assuming that every can of tuna has an average amount of mercury*). That's a half of a can of tuna. Albacore tuna has three times as much mercury as light tuna." Wow...I eat tuna fairly often. Now I'm nervous! I'm not supposed to have more than half a can a week. Eek.