Mercury and what happens when we have too much?
We always hear that tuna is high in mercury and that too much is harmful for the body, but what does that really mean and how much can we consume? Let's break it down.
An average can of tuna (5oz) contains 18.11 micrograms of mercury, while the same size of tuna steak or sushi tuna can contain up to 92.49 micrograms of mercury. So how much mercury is too much? The Environmental Protection Agency (which is safe for most, including pregnant women) recommends .1 micrograms per kilogram per day. Let's do some math. If a woman weighs 110 lbs. (roughly 50 kilograms), the EPA recommendation would be to consume 5 micrograms of mercury per day. Putting this in our food terms, this means 1 can of tuna every 3 and a half days, and 2 sushi rolls every 18 and a half days.
So why is mercury bad for us? When mercury is in the body, it can interfere with the brain and nervous system, which is especially harmful to small children and those who are pregnant. As the child's brain develops, high doses can lead to cognitive difficulties, cerebral palsy, deafness, and blindness. In adults, it can affect fertility, blood pressure regulation, and cause symptoms such as memory or vision loss, tremors, and numbness of extremities.
Considering American's eat over 1 billion pounds of canned and pouched tuna a year, we are likely over consuming mercury. Luckily there is a simple and easy alternative that gives the same umami flavors of tuna while leaving the mercury aside, our old time friend chickpeas, enjoy this recipe!
Ingredients
Chickpea Tuna:
1 can of chickpeas (rinsed)
1 stick of celery
1/2 cup of red onion
1 1/2 tbsp of capers
2 tbsp of fresh dill
1 dill pickle
2 - 4 tbsp vegenaise (based on preference)
1 -2 tsp of mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (alternative to add slice of cheese to sandwich)
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp pepper (to taste)
Sandwich:
Vegan butter
Lettuce
Tomato
Optional cheese
Preparation
1. Dice onion, pickle, celery, and dill.
2. Mix chickpeas, celery, onion, cappers, dill, pickle, vegenaise, mustard, and seasoning into blender.
3. Pulse until combined.
4. Spread mayonnaise on bread and assemble chickpea tuna onto sandwich. Toast on stove until bread is at desired color (roughly 1-2 minutes).
5. Open sandwich to insert tomatoes and lettuce toppings.