can you eat tuna while pregnant?- Tuna is a high-nutrient source, with several of them being especially necessary during pregnancy. For example, it’s often lauded for its eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content — two long-chain omega-3 fats that play critical roles in your baby’s brain and nervous system development. Nonetheless, most tuna species have high amounts of mercury, a chemical associated to a variety of health and developmental issues in infants. As a result, pregnant women are frequently advised to minimize their tuna consumption.
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can you eat tuna while pregnant?
Tuna is high in a range of nutrients, many of which are essential during pregnancy. Those with the highest concentrations are:
Protein. This vitamin is essential for all areas of development. Protein deficiency during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, intrauterine development limitations, and low birth weight. However, extra protein may have a similar deleterious impact.
DHA and EPA These long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the development of a baby’s eyes and brain. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may also lower the risk of premature delivery, poor fetal development, maternal depression, and childhood allergies.
D-calcium phosphate Tuna includes trace quantities of vitamin D, which is essential for immune function and bone health. Adequate levels may also reduce the risk of miscarriage and preeclampsia, a pregnancy disorder characterized by high blood pressure.
Iron. This mineral is necessary for your baby’s brain and neurological system to grow properly. Adequate levels during pregnancy may also lower the risk of low birth weight, premature labor, and maternal death.
B12 is a vitamin. This vitamin aids in the optimization of nervous system function as well as the production of protein and oxygen-transporting red blood cells. Low levels during pregnancy may increase the likelihood of miscarriage, premature delivery, birth abnormalities, and other pregnancy problems.
One 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of light canned tuna contains approximately 32% of the RDA for protein, 9% of the RDA for iron, and 107% of the RDA for vitamin B12.
This serving also contains around 25 mg of EPA and 197 mg of DHA, which corresponds to approximately 63–100% of the daily amount that most experts suggest pregnant women take.
Pregnant women who do not consume tuna owing to food allergies, religious or ethical concerns, or other reasons should make sure they obtain enough of these nutrients from alternative sources.
They may also benefit from a daily dose containing at least 200 mg of DHA or 250 mg of EPA + DHA.
Why Tuna May Be Dangerous During Pregnancy?
Most doctors recommend that women who eat tuna regularly continue to do so throughout pregnancy. However, because of the mercury concentration, pregnant women are advised to avoid eating too much of it.
Despite being a natural chemical, the majority of the mercury discovered in fish is the consequence of industrial pollution, and its levels in fish appear to be increasing year after year.
All fish have some mercury, however the more mercury a fish contains, the bigger, older, and higher up the food chain it is. Tuna is a predatory fish that may live to be quite large and ancient. As a result, the majority of types collect considerable quantities of mercury in their tissue.
High mercury intakes during pregnancy can impair your baby’s brain and nervous system development. This can lead to a variety of issues, the most prevalent of which are:
- challenges in learning
- delayed development of motor skills
- Deficits in speech, memory, and attention
- insufficient visual-spatial ability
- intellect quotients that are lower (IQs)
- Adults with excessive blood pressure or cardiac issues
High mercury intakes during pregnancy can cause loss of smell, vision, or hearing in the newborn, as well as birth abnormalities, convulsions, coma, and even infant death in extreme cases.
Surprisingly, some evidence shows that mercury exposure during early pregnancy may have no harmful consequences on a child’s behavior, development, or brain function if the mother ate fish while pregnant.
This shows that specific chemicals found in fish may be able to counteract the detrimental effects of mercury. More study, however, is required before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Furthermore, pregnant women should avoid eating raw tuna to reduce their risk of infection with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can harm an infant’s growth and development.
How Much Tuna Is Considered Safe During Pregnancy?
Mercury exposure is cumulative, and various varieties of fish have varying levels of mercury.
As a result, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises pregnant women to take 8–12 ounces (225–340 grams) of fish and shellfish each week, with no more than one of the following:
12 oz. (340 g) canned light tuna or other low mercury fish, such as anchovies, cod, tilapia, or trout
4 ounces (112 grams) of yellowfin, white, or albacore tuna, or other medium mercury species like bluefish, halibut, mahi-mahi, tilefish, or snapper
Furthermore, pregnant women are advised to avoid eating bigeye tuna and other high-mercury fish including swordfish, shark, marlin, orange roughy, king mackerel, and tilefish.
Many foreign food regulators have also issued warnings about eating tuna while pregnant. Many of them are quite similar to FDA criteria, albeit the type of tuna regarded safe for ingestion differs by country.
Is It Safe For Baby?
Eating tuna may be harmful to your baby if you consume too much or eat particular varieties. In reality, high-mercury tuna, such as big-eye tuna, is unsafe due to heightened mercury levels.
Tuna should also be canned or completely cooked. Raw, smoked, or seared tuna can cause listeriosis, a rare but dangerous condition that can be fatal to an unborn infant. 5 Although listeria is uncommon, if you have it, it can have catastrophic effects for your unborn child.
This illness has the potential to induce a miscarriage, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. Premature labor, low birth weight, major developmental issues, and even newborn mortality can all be caused by Listeria.
Benefits Of Tuna During Pregnancy
Tuna may be beneficial to both you and your developing baby if you include it in your diet. Eating tuna not only delivers omega-3 fatty acids, but it is also high in iron, protein, and vitamins.
Furthermore, ingesting tuna can have a good influence on your baby’s brain development. Here’s a closer look at the advantages of consuming tuna when pregnant.
Iron
One approach to acquire the iron you need during pregnancy is to eat tuna. Iron is a necessary vitamin for both the pregnant woman and her fetus. Meanwhile, low iron levels can produce iron deficiency anemia, which raises the chance of fetal mortality and can cause a variety of complications such as preeclampsia (pregnancy-related high blood pressure), fainting, and trouble breathing.
Fatty Acids Omega-3
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are abundant in tuna (EPA). These omega-3 fatty acids are important building blocks for prenatal brain and retinal development. Furthermore, these essential acids influence the length of gestation and can even help to avoid perinatal depression.
Unfortunately, research shows that pregnant women in the United States typically do not consume enough seafood, such as tuna, because they are concerned about the effects of mercury and other toxins on their growing kid.
Protein
During pregnancy, both your baby’s brain and your own body require a lot of protein. Eating tuna is a wonderful method to increase your protein intake.
Vitamins
Tuna is high in vitamins, which are needed during pregnancy. Fish, in instance, is a good source of both vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
Safety Precautions
Tuna has several essential fetal development advantages, thus eating some tuna while pregnant is definitely a smart idea.
Having said that, there are certain key safety precautions to consider.
Remember that some types or quantities of tuna might be harmful to your infant. So, be aware of the sort of tuna you eat as well as the amount you consume each week. What you should know about eating tuna while pregnant.
Steer Clear of Big-Eye Tuna
When pregnant, you should always be mindful of the sort of tuna you consume. Because of its high mercury concentration, big-eye tuna should not be consumed during pregnancy.
Unfortunately, our waters are poisoned with mercury, a pollutant that is especially hazardous to unborn children. As a result, mercury builds up in the tuna’s body.
Larger fish, fish with longer lifespans, and fish from certain geographical areas likely to acquire more mercury. You should also avoid mackerel, swordfish, and tilefish when pregnant, in addition to big-eye tuna.
Eat a Limited Amount of Mercury-Safe Tuna
Although mercury pollution is a worry for pregnant women, it is not advised to avoid any seafood, including tuna, while pregnant. When you limit your consumption to fish with minimal mercury levels, the advantages outweigh the hazards. When pregnant, canned light tuna (skipjack), albacore, and yellowfin tuna are generally safe to consume. Limit canned light tuna to 12 ounces per week and albacore or yellowfin tuna to 4 ounces per week.
Ensure Tuna Is Fully-Cooked or Canned
To be safe to ingest, tuna must be canned or thoroughly cooked. Consuming raw or undercooked animal products puts you at risk of contracting listeria.
“If you’re not eating canned tuna, you should always prepare it to eliminate germs and parasites that might make you sick,” advises Bruce K. Young, MD, an internationally renowned obstetrics and gynecology pioneer and inventor.
Conclusion
Tuna is an easy way to get a variety of nutrients, many of which are especially vital during pregnancy.
Certain types of tuna, on the other hand, can contain high amounts of mercury, a substance that can impair your baby’s health and cause a variety of developmental issues. Furthermore, eating raw tuna increases the chance of contracting Listeria.
Pregnant women are advised to avoid eating raw tuna in order to reap the most advantages while avoiding hazards. They should also prefer low-mercury tuna and other seafood and avoid those with high levels of mercury.
Women who avoid eating tuna owing to allergies or religious or ethical considerations would certainly benefit from taking a long-chain omega-3 supplement.
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