can you get mercury poisining from eating too much tuna?

Answer 1

Some people are allegedly allergic to seafood because of a build-up of mercury and other poisons related to water pollution. But let's assume that the levels are almost undetectable, and that the FDA and CDC are up on this.

Answer 2

It is true that there are trace of mercury in tuna, but for most people the level is tolerable. You need to pay more attention if you are pregnant, child or elderly.

There is a really good article in the Time magazine from a couple of weeks ago regarding this particular topic. The name of the article is Mercury Rising, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1531326,00.html

The basic rule is that if the size of the fish is bigger the chance of it having more mercury contamination is higher.

Farm raised fishes might be a little bit better since their diet are mostly controlled, but there is no absolute safe guard against mercury contamination. The mercury is in the environment, air, rain, water sources etc.

Answer 3

You'd have to eat A HECK OF A LOT of tuna to get mercury poisoning. Tuna are not high-mercury-content fish because they live in deeper and colder waters, farther away from coastal areas where mercury levels are a problem. If you like salmon, watch your intake of that (no more than one serving a week) because salmon does have a higher mercury content.

Answer 4

People whom are 'allergic' to seafood, are allergic to seafood, not the mercury content. Yes, in answer to your question, it IS possible to become quite ill, and have positive reation to mercury poisoning from eating canned of 'fresh' tuna, if the tuna has been exposed to toxic levels of mercury. (*which, unfortunately, is quite, common) Try looking for varieties of different fish (as, someone else has mentioned) and look for tuna, that is marketed as mercury free.

Answer 5

Yes, eat salmon instead. Has lowest mercury consitration of all fish.

Answer 6

If the tuna is contaminated, yes.