Tuna: Kids should only eat tuna once or twice a month, Mercury Policy Project says

(CNN) -- Parents, take note: A new report from the Mercury Policy Project says kids should only eat light tuna once or twice a month to keep their mercury intake at a safe level.

Report author Dr. Edward Groth analyzed 59 tuna samples from around the country, including a few school districts. He recommends kids who weigh less than 55 pounds eat light tuna only once a month; kids more than 55 pounds can eat tuna twice a month.

Children should avoid eating white albacore tuna all together, the group says, as it was found to have triple the amount of mercury as light tuna. The brand of tuna doesn't seem to matter, as Groth found varying levels of mercury in each can he tested.

Mercury has been linked to cognitive decline in infants. There have been no epidemiological studies on the effects of mercury in children in the United States, according to Groth, but scientists suspect that the chemical harms developing kids the same way it's been shown to harm fetuses.

Although there are still a lot of uncertainties, "We think people need advice now," Groth said.
 
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