Ahi tuna, also known as yellowfin, is a large, fast-swimming fish that forms mixed schools with other fish species. Caught in oceans all over the world, the ahi tuna lives about eight years. It grows as long as nine feet and as large as 880 lbs. The name ahi is often used to describe raw sushi tuna. Fillets that are cooked are normally referred to as yellowfin. Ahi tuna provides several nutritional benefits.
Calories and Protein
A 3-oz. serving of ahi tuna provides 93 calories, or 5 percent of a standard 2,000-calorie diet. It provide and 20.7 g of protein, or 41 percent of the 50 g recommended by the FDA. Ahi provides a low-calorie substitute for meat and poultry. An equivalent-size serving of beef provides 185 calories; chicken provides 142 calories.
Vitamins
The vitamin content in a 3-oz. serving of ahi tuna includes 59 IU of vitamin D, or 15 percent of the 400 IU FDA daily value, and 15.7 mg of niacin, or 79 percent of the 20 mg FDA daily value. Vitamin D is well known for its role promoting bone density with calcium. Niacin, or vitamin B-3, improves circulation and reduces blood cholesterol levels.
Minerals
Ahi is a concentrated source of minerals. A 3-oz. fillet of ahi tuna provides 236 mg of phosphorus, or 24 percent of the 1,000 mg FDA daily value. It provides 375 mg of potassium, or 11 percent of the 3,500 mg FDA daily value, and 77 micrograms of selenium, or 110 percent of the 70 microgram FDA daily value. Phosphorus forms part of the skeletal structure, potassium regulates blood pressure and selenium is an important antioxidant that protects cells, tissues and organs from free radical damage.
Omega-3s, Mercury and Environmental Impact
The omega-3 fatty acid content in a 3-oz. ahi tuna fillet is .23 g. It also contains a high level of mercury, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. The fishing methods used to catch ahi are environmentally safe, particularly U.S. Atlantic ahi, notes the Environmental Defense Fund.
References
- USDA: Nutrient Data Laboratory: Fish, Tuna, Fresh, Yellowfin, Raw
- Environmental Defense Fund: Yellowfin Tuna
- Natural Resources Defense Council: Mercury Contamination in Fish
- Florida Museum of Natural History: Yellowfin Tuna
- USDA: Nutrient Data Laboratory: Chicken, Broilers or Fryers, Breast, Meat Only, Cooked, Roasted
- USDA: Nutrient Data Laboratory: Beef, Round, Bottom Round, Roast, Separable Lean and Fat, Trimmed to 1/8" fat, All Grades, Cooked, Roasted
Member Comments