Is Eating Tuna Healthy? Is it Good for Me?

People often ask me about whether I think it is okay to eat fish, specifically tuna fish.

My short answer is “no” to both questions for health, environmental, and ethical reasons.

More specifically, I think it’s not healthy to eat tuna fish because of the following.

1. Toxins - Mercury, PCBs, and Dioxins causing heart, kidney, and brain damage The primary reason to avoid tuna is because of the contaminants of toxins. Tunas are predatory fish. That means they eat lots of smaller fish. The oceans are filled with contaminants and getting worse. That means that the small fish that the tuna eat are filled with contaminants. Just like you, tuna are what they eat.

Mercury, the main contaminant in tuna, is known to be associated with brain impairment, injury to the kidneys and heart damage. It negatively affects the nervous system, digestive system, immune system, kidneys and heart.

According to an article titled “Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Tuna:” "According to a recent study published in the American Heart Association’s journal, men with the highest levels of mercury increased their risk for heart disease by 60 percent and their risk of dying of a heart attack by 70 percent. Do your heart a favor—put down the fish fork and pick up a safer source of omega-3s, such as walnuts and flaxseeds."

Tuna is also known to contain PCBs and dioxins, both of which are known carcinogens.

2. Food Poisoning - Seafood causes 75% of food poisoning

Another reason to say no to tuna is food poisoning. according to the World Health Guide’s article, “Eating fish can be dangerous. According to the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 75% of all cases of food poisoning worldwide are caused by the consumption of seafood.”

3. Sodium - Leads to hypertension and stokes

Tuna also contains high quantities of sodium. In intake of sodium often leads to high blood pressure and strokes.

Environmental issues:

As a result of overfishing, some species of tuna are close to extinction.

Ethical Issues:

Research shows that fish have a high level of intelligence and highly evolved social skills. One study shows that fish may be smarter than dogs while another shows they may have better memories than non-human primates. Would you eat your dog? Would you eat a chimpanzee? If not, then why would you eat a fish?

Plus, fishing of tuna results in millions of other marine animals being caught and killed as “by catch.”

The fish suffer terribly.

I could go into great detail about the environmental and ethical issues of eating tuna fish. However, I want to keep this article focused on the health issues.

I'd love to know...

Do you still eat tuna? If so, are you concerned about the health impacts on your body?

Thanks in advance for your input. I really appreciate your feedback and I’d love to know what health issues you want me to address in future articles. Please leave your suggestions in the comments below or send me a note through Steemit chat.

Be healthy! Be happy!

Gina

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, dietician, or nutritionist. I am just a gal that lost over 55 pounds and found the key to keeping the weight off forever with very little effort. Along the way I discovered the “evidence-based diet” and easy lifestyle changes that have made me essentially “heart attack proof” and have greatly reduced my risk for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimers, high blood pressure, and other chronic, deadly conditions. I’m passionate about sharing what I’ve learned about whole food, plant-based eating with others who are needlessly suffering from preventable deadly, debilitating conditions.

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