Mercury in Tuna and How many calories is safe?

[extracheese]

Dr Steve,

My Internist has placed me on a strict diet of low fat/cholesterol due to recent blood tests and extreme obesity.
So he told me to lose weight by eating lean chicken and fish, vegies, fruits etc..

Heres the question: I rely on Tuna for lunches in order to diet. I cannot afford real fish every day so a can of tuna is perfect. Is the Mercury in the fish a problem? The FDA recommends only 1 can every 9 days...thats crazy.
So is the mercury poisoning a real concern?

Also - people who have had Stomach surgeries are eating very little due to their new tiny stomachs. I figure about 500 calories a day, thats why they look so thin so fast. Im trying to lose weight the old fashioned way but im told i should be eating 1200 - 1500 calories a day.

How few calories do you recommend to lose the most weight without negative effects.

Thanks.

[Dr Steve]

Dr Steve,

My Internist has placed me on a strict diet of low fat/cholesterol due to recent blood tests and extreme obesity.
So he told me to lose weight by eating lean chicken and fish, vegies, fruits etc..

Heres the question: I rely on Tuna for lunches in order to diet. I cannot afford real fish every day so a can of tuna is perfect. Is the Mercury in the fish a problem? The FDA recommends only 1 can every 9 days...thats crazy.
So is the mercury poisoning a real concern?

Also - people who have had Stomach surgeries are eating very little due to their new tiny stomachs. I figure about 500 calories a day, thats why they look so thin so fast. Im trying to lose weight the old fashioned way but im told i should be eating 1200 - 1500 calories a day.

How few calories do you recommend to lose the most weight without negative effects.

Thanks.


First off, all tuna ain't the same. Light tuna is different than "albacore" and consumer reports did some really nice studies on this in 2006 and recommended three chunk-light cans per week, or one can of solid-light or white-tuna.

Low mercury fish include pollock and sardines (yay). Salmon shrimp tilapia and clams have so little they're considered safe for everyone.

Pregnant women shoud follow the FDA recommendation and don't eat tilefish, shark, swordfish, or king mackerel, which are very high in mercury. They further suggest that pregnant women limit their seafood choices to the low-mercury species in general.

Sucks we can't just eat what we want. I remember eating tuna every day for years when I was in college. I also ran through clouds of DDT for fun in my neighborhood, but that's already detailed in another thread.

So yeah, I'd watch out for it and stick to the FDA recommendations: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/mercury/backgrounder.html

Good luck! In this case, there are definitely other "fish in the sea".

(yecch)


regarding the weight loss: taking in too few calories can cause the body to digest itself in a matter of speaking in it's strive to find energy sources to keep the thing going. Muscle and fat are both good sources of energy; what you want is for the body to only catabolize fat cells.

The right number of calories is that which makes you lose 1-2 lb/week. That's 52-104lb/year. At that pace, you will be less likely to gain it all back.

One benefit to the low carb-type diets was to force the body to breakdown only fat cells. There are risks to this kind of diet though, so only talk them over with your health care professional. If you find you can do it with lean meats and grean leafy veggies and avoiding sweets and engaging in vigorous exercise...congratulations! You're doing it right!

your pal,


steve

[PapaBear]

For once, the cheaper option is the safer one!:clap: I was also happy to see catfish on the low mercury list. I LUUUUUVS me some catfish!