Is Tuna Good for Fatty Liver? Canned Tuna, Mercury and Salt

TL;DR

• Tuna is a lean, high-protein fish that fits a fatty liver diet well, especially as a swap for deli meats and fried protein.
• Canned light tuna has the least mercury and is on the FDA and EPA’s “Best Choices” list. Albacore has more omega-3s but nearly three times the mercury, so it’s an occasional pick.
• Watch the extras: regular canned tuna has about 210 mg of sodium per 3 ounces, and two tablespoons of mayonnaise add nearly 190 calories.

Yes, tuna is good for fatty liver for most people. It’s a lean, high-protein fish that fits the Mediterranean-style eating pattern liver guidelines recommend for MASLD (formerly NAFLD), and canned tuna is one of the cheapest, easiest ways to get fish into your week.

How good your tuna is depends on three things: which type you buy (for mercury and omega-3s), how much salt is in the can, and what you mix it with.

Why does tuna fit a fatty liver diet?

Weight loss is the main treatment for fatty liver, and lean protein helps: it keeps you full and helps you hold on to muscle while you eat less. Three ounces of canned light tuna has about 73 calories and 16.5 g of protein, with almost no saturated fat.

Tuna also fits the eating pattern guidelines point to. The 2024 European liver guideline describes the Mediterranean diet as high in “olive oil, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, fish, and seafood,” and low in red and processed meat. A tuna salad in place of a ham sandwich moves your lunch in that direction.

No studies have looked at tuna and fatty liver specifically, and the research on fish overall is mixed. Our guide to fish and fatty liver covers that evidence. Tuna’s value is as a lean, convenient protein, not as a liver treatment.

Canned light, albacore or fresh: how do they compare?

Here’s how common types of tuna compare per 3 ounces (85 g), with salmon for reference:

Per 3 oz	Calories	Protein	Omega-3s (EPA + DHA)	Sodium
Light, canned in water, drained	73	16.5 g	0.19 g	210 mg
Light, canned in oil, drained	168	24.8 g	0.11 g	354 mg
White (albacore), canned in water, drained	109	20.1 g	0.73 g	320 mg
White (albacore), canned in oil, drained	158	22.6 g	0.21 g	337 mg
Yellowfin, fresh, cooked	111	24.8 g	0.10 g	46 mg
Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked	175	18.8 g	1.83 g	52 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy).

A few takeaways:

• All tuna is lean. Every tuna in the table has 1.3 g of saturated fat or less per serving.
• Tuna isn’t an omega-3 powerhouse. Albacore has the most, but even it has less than half of what salmon provides. Light tuna and yellowfin have very little.
• Canned means salt. Regular canned tuna has 210 to 354 mg of sodium per 3 ounces. In USDA data, no-salt-added canned tuna has about 43 mg. If you’re watching sodium, that label is worth seeking out; see is salt bad for fatty liver.
• Water beats oil for calories. Even drained, oil-packed tuna has more than twice the calories of light tuna packed in water.

How much mercury is in tuna?

Mercury is the main reason not to eat unlimited tuna. According to the FDA, tuna species that are bigger or live longer tend to have more of it, and testing shows a wide range:

Tuna type	Average mercury (ppm)	FDA/EPA category
Canned light (includes skipjack)	0.126	Best Choice
Canned albacore (white)	0.350	Good Choice
Fresh or frozen yellowfin	0.354	Good Choice
Fresh or frozen albacore	0.358	Good Choice
Fresh or frozen bigeye	0.689	Choice to Avoid
Salmon, fresh or frozen (for comparison)	0.022	Best Choice

Source: FDA, Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990–2012); FDA/EPA Advice about Eating Fish.

Canned albacore averages nearly three times the mercury of canned light tuna, and bigeye is on the “Choices to Avoid” list with swordfish, shark and king mackerel. Tuna steaks and sushi labeled “ahi” can be either yellowfin or bigeye, so ask which one it is.

What does the FDA say about tuna and pregnancy?

The FDA and EPA’s fish advice is written for people who are or might become pregnant, people who are breastfeeding, and children ages 1 to 11:

• Amount if pregnant or breastfeeding: 8 to 12 ounces a week of a variety of seafood from lower-mercury choices.
• Servings for adults: 2 to 3 servings a week from the “Best Choices” list, which includes canned light tuna, or 1 serving a week from the “Good Choices” list, which includes albacore and yellowfin. The FDA’s Q&A adds that after a serving of albacore or another Good Choice, you should have no other fish that week.
• Serving size: 4 ounces for adults. Children’s servings are smaller, from 1 ounce at ages 1 to 3 up to 4 ounces at age 11, and the advice for children is 2 servings a week from the “Best Choices” list.
• Avoid: bigeye tuna and the other “Choices to Avoid.”

The advice doesn’t set a separate tuna limit for other adults. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 8 ounces of seafood a week on a 2,000-calorie diet, and the FDA’s chart is a handy guide for anyone: make light tuna your usual can, keep albacore and fresh yellowfin for occasional meals, and rotate in low-mercury fish such as salmon, which has a fraction of the mercury and far more omega-3s.

How do you make a liver-friendly tuna salad?

The tuna is lean. The dressing is where the calories and saturated fat come in. Here’s what different binders add to one serving:

Mixed into one serving	Calories	Saturated fat	Sodium
2 tbsp regular mayonnaise	188	3.2 g	175 mg
2 tbsp light mayonnaise	71	1.0 g	248 mg
2 oz (about ¼ cup) plain nonfat Greek yogurt	34	0.1 g	21 mg
2 tsp olive oil	80	1.2 g	0 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy).

Greek yogurt keeps it creamy and adds about 6 g of protein. Olive oil with lemon juice makes a Mediterranean-style dressing with unsaturated fat; our guide to olive oil and fatty liver explains why that’s the fat to favor. Light mayonnaise trims calories but has more sodium.

Ways to build a better tuna salad:

• Start with tuna in water, light or no-salt-added, and drain it well.
• Mix half Greek yogurt and half olive oil, or yogurt with Dijon mustard, for creaminess without much saturated fat.
• Add crunch and volume: celery, red onion, cucumber, chopped pickles or capers (go easy, both are salty), fresh herbs and lemon zest.
• Stretch it with beans. White beans or chickpeas turn tuna into a filling, high-fiber lunch; see are beans good for fatty liver.
• Choose the base wisely. Serve it in lettuce cups, over a big salad or on whole-grain bread rather than a croissant or white sub roll.
• Skip the tuna melt habit. Melted cheese on white bread brings back the saturated fat you saved.

If you log your lunch in an app like Liverly, you can compare a mayo-heavy tuna sandwich with a yogurt-and-olive-oil version and see the difference in calories and saturated fat.

What if you have cirrhosis?

Tuna is a convenient protein, which matters because people with cirrhosis usually need more protein, not less. If you have fluid buildup (ascites), though, your team will likely limit sodium, so no-salt-added tuna is the better pick. Follow your hepatologist’s plan and see our cirrhosis diet guide.

The Bottom Line

Tuna is good for fatty liver in sensible amounts. It’s lean, high in protein, cheap and convenient, and it fits the Mediterranean-style pattern liver guidelines recommend, especially when it replaces deli meats or fried protein.

Make canned light tuna in water your usual pick, keep albacore and fresh yellowfin for occasional meals, and avoid bigeye. Look for no-salt-added cans if you’re watching sodium, and swap most of the mayo for Greek yogurt or olive oil. For more omega-3s, rotate in salmon and other low-mercury oily fish.

Sources

• FDA: Advice about Eating Fish.
• FDA: Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990–2012).
• USDA FoodData Central: Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids (FDC ID 173709).
• EASL–EASD–EASO Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of MASLD. J Hepatol. 2024.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or hepatologist about your specific situation.