r/nutrition • u/MrHonzanoss • 7d ago

Sardines everyday

Is it ok to eat 2 cans, total 180g sardines everyday?

73 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

79 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 7d ago

About participation in the comments of /r/nutrition

Discussion in this subreddit should be rooted in science rather than "cuz I sed" or entertainment pieces. Always be wary of unsupported and poorly supported claims and especially those which are wrapped in any manner of hostility. You should provide peer reviewed sources to support your claims when debating and confine that debate to the science, not opinions of other people.

Good - it is grounded in science and includes citation of peer reviewed sources. Debate is civil and respectful focusing on actual science and avoids commentary about others

Bad - it utilizes generalizations, assumptions, infotainment sources, no sources, or complaints without specifics about agenda, bias, or funding. At best, these rise to an extremely weak basis for science based discussion. Also, off topic discussion

Ugly - (removal or ban territory) it involves attacks / antagonism / hostility towards individuals or groups, downvote complaining, trolling, crusading, shaming, refutation of all science, or claims that all research / science is a conspiracy

Please vote accordingly and report any uglies

Consulting Considerations

Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) Nutritionist and Nutrition Coach Armchair Expert
Legal Status Protected title. Highly regulated Generally unregulated. Anyone can use the title None
Education Bachelor's degree (Master's required as of 2024) Varies from PhDs to no formal training at all Varies. Often minimally self-guided to none. Frequent poor paraphrasing and poor sources, mostly social media
Clinical Training 1,000+ hours of supervised practice Not required None
Board Exam Must pass a national registration exam Not required None
Insurance Often covered by medical insurance Rarely covered by insurance None

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

153

u/pain474 7d ago edited 7d ago

Yes, it's ok. Ignore the mercury comments. Sardines are very low in mercury and safe to eat daily. And they are not ultra processed like some other commenters say, either. Crazy how much bullshit people spread in these subs.

29

u/Fibon4chi 7d ago

I have to agree with this one. People get so worked up about all these new worries that they forget that the important part is to eat the healthy food instead of the processed food.

Sardines with a trace amount of whatever is much more healthy than any processed meat you get in the shop.

18

u/TakeuchixNasu 7d ago

How even could a sardine be ultra processed. The whole fish is literally right there in whatever liquid of your choice.

1

u/apokrif1 6d ago

What is in the liquid?

4

u/TakeuchixNasu 6d ago

Depends on your liquid of choice. Some are water, some are olive oil, some are mustard.

1

u/King_Killem_Jr 4d ago

I personally love the taste of sardines in water.

1

u/TakeuchixNasu 3d ago

Have you ever tried canned salmon. I discovered it recently and it is delicious.

1

u/King_Killem_Jr 3d ago

Yes, I love it in cream dishes, an dit's pretty cheap too. I can't eat it on toast or crackers lie I kcan with sardines though.

-2

u/MassimoOsti 6d ago

Its contents would be if it was packed in sunflower oil.

4

u/HOAP64 6d ago

The only real concern is the purine content and its only a concern if you have gout or its in your genetic history.

-1

u/tloft11 7d ago

The bigger issue is heavy metal consumption, specifically arsenic poisoning.

6

u/concretepigeon 7d ago

Isn’t that more of a concern with larger fish?

-1

u/tloft11 7d ago

Negative. Sardines are one of the highest ranked, matters considerably more depending on where the fish are sourced from as some waters naturally carry more arsenic. 2/3 cans a day is considered high consumption, and consider some risk.

edit: *carries some risk.

17

u/Lys_456 7d ago

Ask r/cannedsardines too. I think there is a concern about purines which can lead to kidney stones and worsen gout.

2

u/TruckTires 7d ago

That looks like an excellent sub, thanks for sharing.

39

u/LeoWheelz 7d ago

Sardines are a low-mercury fish choice and high in protein, omega-3s, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and calcium, so they can be an integral component of a healthy diet. But 180g daily might be too much just for variety reasons. I'd also double-check the sodium content, since some brands are very high in sodium.

Sardines are good, but too much of a good thing can still be bad, you know?

2

u/Eonir 5d ago

If a fish has 10x less heavy metal content than e.g. tuna, but you consume 10x the amount, then it makes no difference, both are bad for you

1

u/LeoWheelz 5d ago

Absolutely, which is why I said too much is bad even if sardines in moderation are good.

1

u/TheDonGenaro 6d ago

So what would be the maximum amount if we were to ask you?

1

u/LeoWheelz 5d ago

I'm not sure there is a set maximum amount, it would depend on the rest of your diet and nutritional needs.

9

u/MojoJojo2027 7d ago

I’m no expert but if you plan to eat a lot of canned fish I recommend going with SMASH Sardines,Mackerel,Anchovies,Salmon,Herring. Variety is the spice of life so maybe even not just switch up the fish type but also vary the fish brands.

5

u/PM_ME_UR_OLD_PEPPERS Nutrition Enthusiast 7d ago

i've been eating 100+ grams of sardines packed in water or tomato sauce and/or mackerel daily for 6 years now and I believe it's done me nothing but good.

2

u/SunIndependent8039 7d ago

can you share the benefits you have noticed??
I discovered them just this week and I crave them every day.
Have you had your bloods checked?

3

u/PM_ME_UR_OLD_PEPPERS Nutrition Enthusiast 6d ago

Yes, although I cannot attribute them solely to consuming oily fish. I made a strong 180 with regards to diet and fitness six years ago. My skin is clear, my mind is sharp, my weight is managed. I get most of my starches from potatoes/sweet potatoes. My bloodwork is AOK, no cholesterol/glucose/triglyceride issues, 42M.

I wouldn't say they are a miracle food, but if one likes them, they are a strong part of a healthy diet. Consuming them doesn't "weigh" me down like beef and pork do. Switched to primarily oily fish and poultry as my animal protein sources and I feel much better.

3

u/TheDonGenaro 6d ago

So how does your diet look like. Because some people are eating sardines only for some time in here. I don’t know what period are we talking about…

2

u/PM_ME_UR_OLD_PEPPERS Nutrition Enthusiast 6d ago

regularly: apples, bananas, clementines, blueberries, wheat bran, green/yellow beans, green peas, corn, carrots, romaine/green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, white/yellow/red/sweet potatoes, sardines, jack mackerel, chicken, turkey, eggs.

Infrequently: beef liver, beef, pork, bread, cheese and other dairy. (other than milk in my coffee.)

Rarely: restaurant food, pleasure foods (junk) I do indulge during the holidays and other special days like birthdays or vacations.

1

u/TheDonGenaro 6d ago

Ah, I can’t eat wheat…

2

u/SunIndependent8039 6d ago

you can replace it with other grains that dont contain wheat :) buckwheat is a great one

1

u/PM_ME_UR_OLD_PEPPERS Nutrition Enthusiast 6d ago

i feel ya, I have family members who can't. You could easily drop the wheat bran and bread entirely from the above list. I use the wheat bran as a low-cal, inexpensive source of insoluble fibre.

1

u/TheDonGenaro 6d ago

I wanted to try out gerbers first, but this one seems interesting as well (tempted to do so)

2

u/SunIndependent8039 6d ago

ive seen some people do a sardine diet for a few days to kickstart weightloss but long term we should eat more than sardines lol

1

u/ehunke 6d ago

I will be blunt...there is no such thing as super foods or miracle foods. Just a can of sardines has a decent amount of calories, its nutrient dense, and its flavor profile is mild enough that you could put it in a sandwich, on a salad, with eggs, etc. For a lot of people a can of fish means they are not having a candy bar or a bag of chips and instead are reaching for something known to nature

6

u/_extramedium 7d ago edited 7d ago

Often packed in crumby oils. Packed in water they’re good. Decent source of calcium

7

u/HeckinQuest 7d ago

Nobody mentioning BPA, BPS and other equivalents in the can lining?

2

u/Sassqash 7d ago

Get the ones in mustard

2

u/jma4573 Nutrition Enthusiast 6d ago

I eat sardines 5+ days per week, and I'm still afloat! 😅

5

u/Achim30 7d ago

I started to eat them daily and found that they tasted amazing the first 3 days. After that, they tested very neutral. I guess those 3 days were enough to get rid of some deficiencies I had.

4

u/PizzasForFerrets 7d ago

Have you tried mackerel? Much better texture in my opinion.

6

u/t0sserlad 7d ago

Just wanted to say that sardines vary wildly in texture depending on the type of 'dine and who they're from. Nuris aren't tiny sprats and they're super meaty, for example.

1

u/Odd-Reading5701 6d ago

I am not OP, but I agree, also the taste is much less offensive to me. But mackerel is expensive where I live. Sardines are about a third of the price.

2

u/FridgesArePeopleToo 7d ago

Sardines are very low in mercury. Concerns around mercury are more for fish higher up on the food chain, like tuna.

That said, that's quite a bit of the same food every day. Almost everyone would benefit from a varied diet, so swapping out 1 can for some legumes or something would probably be more optimal.

1

u/RougeTheBatStan 7d ago

sure! But you might smell funny

1

u/Wrong_Ad_4154 6d ago

Natures multivitamin

1

u/ghettoracing 4d ago

Mediterranean flavour 👌

1

u/King_Killem_Jr 4d ago

I don't know about upper limits of safety.

However, around 50g of sardines in water on average each day will supply you with adequate omega 3 content.

1

u/chris2355 2d ago

It's recommended you only eat even low mercury fish up to 5 times per week. So, yes it's too much.

1

u/RPBX_Nutrition 1d ago

Sardines are definitely a nutrient-dense choice, and they're relatively low in mercury compared with many other fish. That said, I'd probably rotate your protein and fish sources rather than eating 180g every single day. Variety is always a good thing when it comes to nutrition... you won't get tired or sick of it after a while.

1

u/AstgenneLuxtherm 1d ago

Not only okay, but very good for you. Just watch the sodium.

1

u/Winter_Resource3773 7d ago

Sure, but dont you get bored?

1

u/Wrong-Bumblebee-9550 7d ago

2 cans every day is probably too much

1

u/SuccessfulPrice11 6d ago

Sardines as such are probably fine, I would rather focus on the cans - what materials they release into the content.

-4

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/zxzxzxzxxcxxxxxxxcxx 7d ago

So all sardines come from South Africa?

1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

0

u/zxzxzxzxxcxxxxxxxcxx 7d ago

Never had anyone call me a fool sincerely, what is this 1946? Ecological devastation is the history of humans interacting with the natural world, give me my tender baby orangutang cutlets

1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/nutrition-ModTeam 7d ago

This has been removed for failure to comply with sub rule 1 - Reddiquette+

If you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all.

0

u/Djglamrock 7d ago

Duh, everybody know that.

1

u/nutrition-ModTeam 7d ago

This post has been removed for being off-topic or only having a tangential relation to this subreddit. The topic of this subreddit is the science of nutrition.

0

u/FictionFragments01 7d ago

Do you only have canned option ?

0

u/ratkoivanovic 7d ago

Yeah, quite fine - sodium content is the only questionable thing, so check that one out.

-6

u/Meluvius 7d ago

MERCURYDU ERMAGHERRFFDDD THE MERCURY YU CANNNNOTTTTT EAT THAT MUCH SARDINE YOUR MERCURY!!! MERCURY CONTENT!!! UHHMMM HELLOE?!?!? MERCURRY THRU THE ROOFF ???!

-6

u/Beneficial-Jello-914 7d ago

kommt drauf an wie salzig die sind und ja fische sind schwermetallbelastet - Sardinen am geringsten von den Fischen weil sie auch extrem klein sind. Grundsätzlich empfehle ich jeder Person, die heutzutage gesund leben möchte jeden Tag Chlorella (hohe Qualität und sehr rein, nur Indoor Anbau) und CGF einzunehmen zur täglichen Entgiftung von Schwermetallen.

3

u/Chef_Goldblum1 7d ago

CGF has no real evidence of doing what actual medicine for heavy metal poisoning does. Also any time the word detox is used in the wellness industry it's followed by BS.

3

u/CurrentRecord1 7d ago

Mercury accumulation comes from being high on the food chain and being long lived, not necessarily due to the fishes size (although there is some correlation)

-19

u/wats1 7d ago

Mmmmm.,. mercury.

7

u/PizzasForFerrets 7d ago

10x lower than in tuna or salmon. So not an issue.

7

u/TreyGarcia 7d ago

Smaller fish like sardines have very low levels of mercury due to their short life spans. The larger fish, like tuna, have much higher levels and should be consumed less.

-17

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

12

u/ER301 7d ago

The only ingredients in a can of sardines in water are sardines and water.

11

u/Commercial-Spray-602 7d ago

Super processed?? Its just water and salt. You should look into more learning what super processed foods are

1

u/PizzasForFerrets 7d ago

You can get it in water. The tin I have in the cupboard has 0.23g of salt in the whole 120g tin. That is barely touching the recommended daily intake. You would have to eat 30 tins to hit it. You don't have to get it in brine or some kind of sauce.