Is Canned Tuna Healthy?
The short answer is yes! Not only is canned tuna healthier than boiled or raw tuna, it is also low in salt. In addition, the tuna has no fats or carbohydrates that make it perfect for weight-conscious individuals. There are even some low-sodium cans of tuna that are high in protein that is helpful for bodybuilding as well.
How is it that tuna can be healthy when it has such a reputation for being high in fat and cholesterol? First, let's consider what causes high levels of cholesterol in fish. During their development, all fish contain more fat and cholesterol than other types of food. As the fish mature, these amounts decrease. However, some types of tuna have a faster rate of maturation, so they have higher levels of fats and cholesterol and tend to be more unhealthy for consumption.
So why do people believe that tuna is bad? It's mostly because many people base their opinions on information given to them by television commercials about how bad bumblebee tuna is. (I'm not sure if you've ever seen a commercial for bumblebee tuna. I can assure you that they're not factual.) What the commercials don't tell you is that the bumblebee is simply a part of the tuna species. The fish is actually a bony fish known as the White Marlin and is often confused with the bumblebee due to its small size.
Another myth is that canned tuna is high in calories and does not have any nutritional value. This is simply not true. Tuna is high in protein and has some good qualities in terms of serving proteins to our diet. But what the best quality light tuna has in key features is good fat, which provides essential fatty acids, along with many number of other vitamins and minerals.
Perhaps the best feature of tuna in its most natural state is that it is very low in mercury levels and this allows it to be a healthy food for humans, according to the American tuna Association. In fact, canned tuna is probably lower in harmful levels of mercury than is the sun-drying whitefish, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, it is very low in saturated fats and cholesterol and the only major harmful fats are trans fats and phosphates. Other good fats are found in olive oil and flaxseed oil.
Finally, one of the key features of tuna in its natural state is that it contains Omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to human health. The US National Library of Medicine states that the average individual receives only one tablespoon of fish per day, primarily from canned tuna. In the Mediterranean region, fish is a part of everyday life, with many countries banning fish consumption due to the harmful levels of mercury that is present. For this reason, olive oil, rather than butter or canola oil is better for cooking purposes, as olive oil contains significantly less mercury. Moreover, frozen fish is better for your heart than the more readily available canned fish fillets.
Adrian Marius Posadaru
