Get ready for more debate about who should eat tuna—and how much. The arguments arise from concerns about the levels of mercury in fish, and the outcome could be far-reaching, affecting everything from school lunches to food aid programs. For more than a decade, federal agencies have said that women of childbearing age and young children should limit their weekly consumption of albacore (white) tuna. That’s because it contains three times more mercury, on average, than canned light tuna; even just a few sandwiches can expose some people to too much. Now a federal committee is suggesting that the warning be eliminated, a move that Consumer Reports’ experts strongly oppose. Mercury can damage the brain and nervous system, especially when exposure occurs in the womb. That’s why we recommend that pregnant women not eat tuna and any other high-mercury fish, such as shark and swordfish. High-mercury seafood can pose health risks to other vulnerable groups as well. So we also recommend that young children, women of childbearing age, and anyone who eats 24 ounces or more per week of any fish limit their tuna consumption, especially those kinds that are high in mercury, such as yellow­fin and other species used in sushi.

The importance of that advice was underscored earlier this year by a study that found that mercury levels in yellowfin tuna had increased at an annual rate of almost 4 percent from 1998 through 2008. Rising mercury levels in oceans because of pollution from coal-fired power plants and other industrial sources are to blame, the study suggested. Canned tuna is the second most popular seafood in the U.S. (shrimp is first) and is responsible for about 37 percent of the dietary mercury exposure. Canned albacore accounts for almost 20 percent of that. Read "How Safe is Your Shrimp?" and find out about the rising levels of mercury in tuna. Why the proposed change? The federal committee’s report is part of the government’s development of its 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which affect recommendations for many federal food programs. Its suggestion is based on a 2011 report that concluded that the benefits of eating albacore tuna outweighed the risks, even for pregnant women.

But Philippe Grandjean, M.D., Ph.D., a leading Harvard researcher on mercury in fish, says, “The committee’s advice about tuna is based on a flawed benefit/risk calculation that overlooks a substantial body of evidence about the dangers of prenatal mercury exposure.” The safe limit for exposure to methylmercury (the form that accumulates in fish and shellfish) was set in 2001 by the Environmental Protection Agency. Since then, many studies have found adverse effects from exposure to mercury at or even below that level. Deborah Rice, Ph.D., a former EPA senior risk assessor who co-authored the report establishing the 2001 limit, now says that the acceptable level should be lowered. Even using the current EPA limit, our experts’ analysis of Food and Drug Administration data indicates that a 48-pound child would go over that limit by eating more than 1.4 ounces of albacore per week, which is about one-third of a can. A woman weighing about 140 pounds would exceed it by eating more than 4.5 ounces of albacore weekly.

“We believe the FDA should advise stricter limits on tuna consumption and educate people about other fish that have health benefits without the risks,” says Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives for Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports. “It isn’t simple, but that’s no excuse for the FDA to throw up its hands and give no help to pregnant women who may have a toddler to feed and a family to cook for.” What should be doneplaces to buy sushi ingredients Our experts have urged the FDA and the EPA to take these steps to minimize Americans’ mercury exposure:• Advise consumers about which types of seafood are lower in mercury when urging them to eat more fish. how to buy fish to make sushi• Advise pregnant women to avoid eating any tuna, including canned light tuna.• Advise women of childbearing age to eat no more than 4.5 ounces of albacore per week.• Include anyone who eats more than 24 ounces of fish per week among groups considered vulnerable to mercury overexposure.• Add orange roughy and marlin to the list of fish that vulnerable groups should avoidbuy fresh salmon for sushi

, and consider adding bluefin and bigeye tuna to the list. What to watch for Tuna lovers should consider how much tuna they eat. Pregnant women should avoid it entirely. Three other vulnerable groups must also be careful: women of childbearing age, young children, and people who eat 24 ounces or more of any fish per week. (To determine safe levels of canned-tuna consumption based on your body weight, select “Safer Seafood Choices" in our special report, "Choose the Right Fish to Lower Mercury Risk Exposure.")sushi online shop jakarta Canned albacore (white) tunahow to make sushi rice perfect Eat no more than 4.5 ounces per week if you’re a woman of childbearing age. sushi spicy mayo gluten free

All others should limit their intake based on body weight. Mercury levels are lower than in canned albacore, but limits based on body weight still apply. For a 140-pound woman, that’s no more than 13.5 ounces per week. Ahi tuna (yellowfin and bigeye) is high in mercury. People in vulnerable groups should avoid it. Others can eat it sparingly. Fresh or frozen tuna Limit intake based on the type of fish. For albacore, follow advice in first column; sushi delivery london sefor skipjack, see light-tuna advice; and for other types, follow advice for tuna sushi.Tired of eating like an expectant hawk? Then you’ll be happy to hear that your breastfeeding diet is in many ways similar to your pregnancy diet—with much more relaxed rules. That’s because although you are what you eat, your breast milk isn’t, so much. The basic fat-protein-carb combo of human milk isn’t directly dependent on what you eat.

Even women who aren’t well fed can feed their babies well, since if a mom doesn’t consume enough nutrients to produce milk, her body will tap into its own stores to fuel milk production. That said, you'll still be aiming for plenty of nutrient-dense foods and steering clear of less healthy ones. And lots of your favorite foods are back on the menu.Just because you can make milk on a less-than-adequate diet doesn’t mean you should. The goal when you’re nursing should never be to deplete your body’s store of nutrients. That’s too risky for your short- and long-term health, and it will shortchange you on much-needed energy as well as potentially sabotage your milk supply.While calories definitely count, however, you won't need to count them (unless, of course, your practitioner has recommended you do so). Milk production burns 500 calories a day — the equivalent of what you’d torch on a five-mile run, all without leaving your lounge chair. As long as you stayed within your doctor’s recommended weight gain during pregnancy and don’t have considerable fat reserves you’d like to burn, you may even need to up your intake by up to 500 more daily calories than you ate pre-pregnancy (just one of the many benefits of breastfeeding!).

Eating well when you’re nursing means getting a variety of nutritious food. And since a varied diet changes the taste and smell of your milk, it will expose your baby to many different flavors (so the carrots, Thai or salsa you’re eating today may have your baby reaching for those foods in the future). In fact, expanding your little one’s culinary horizons well before she starts solids might even minimize the potential for pickiness.Here’s what to aim to consume each day to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need and offering your baby a taste for the healthy stuff early on:Aim for 8 cups every day — especially in the weeks after birth, since it will help your body to recover. To ensure you’re getting enough, a good rule of thumb is to drink a cup of water at every nursing session.Keep in mind your milk supply won’t be affected unless you’re seriously dehydrated, but your urine will become darker and scanter. Not drinking enough can set you up for health issues including urinary tract infections (UTIs), constipation and fatigue.

When you're breastfeeding, there's a lot more that’s on the menu than off — with a few caveats:What is back on the menu? Raw fish (including sushi and oysters); cold cuts that are actually cold; and pink (or even red) meat.Looking forward to pouring a glass of wine at the end of a long day? While some alcohol does find its way into your breastmilk, it’s considerably less than what you drink. Wine, beer and hard liquor are all safe to drink while you’re nursing (in moderation, of course). A few tips:RELATED: Medications While Breastfeeding: What’s Safe and What’s NotThere are a few additional foods you should consume with care when you’re nursing:While most babies slurp up breast milk no matter the flavor, a few have picky palates right from the start — detecting and rejecting even the smallest hint of garlic or strong spices. You’ll quickly tell which category fits your baby and be able to modify your diet accordingly.Another thing to watch for: It’s not common (and hasn’t been backed up yet by science), but some moms say that certain foods they eat (especially gas-producing ones like cabbage, broccoli, onions, cauliflower, beans or Brussels sprouts) unsettle their little ones’ tummies and temperaments (even causing colic).

And a maternal diet heavy in melons, peaches and other fruits may cause diarrhea in some sensitive babies, while red pepper can cause a rash in others. Don’t assume, though, that your baby will have a reaction to what you eat. Keep in mind that what seems like a reaction (fussiness, gassiness) is much more likely newborn baby business as usual.It takes between two and six hours from the time you eat a certain food until it affects the taste and aroma of your breast milk. So if your baby is gassy, spits up more, rejects the breast or is fussy a few hours after you eat a certain food, try eliminating the food for a few days to gauge the response.A very few babies (two to three in 100) are actually allergic to foods in their moms’ diets. The most common offender is cow's milk; others are soy, nuts, wheat and peanuts. In addition to extreme fussiness and crying, babies who have a real food allergy will display other symptoms, including:If think your child might have a food allergy, and especially if you have a family history of allergies, talk to your doctor.