Know2eat

Bluefin tuna

Thunnus thynnus

What bluefin tuna has been studied for

3 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Moderate
  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About bluefin tuna

The largest of the tunas, a warm-blooded open-ocean predator that can exceed several hundred kilograms and is prized raw for its fatty belly. The USDA entry here is the fresh raw flesh, a very different product from canned light tuna.

Also known as Maguro, Toro (belly cut), Atlantic bluefin, Northern bluefin

Heart HealthMuscle & Physical PerformanceBrain & Cognitive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Moderate

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

May support lower fasting triglycerides where the fatty belly cuts are eaten, since those are genuinely rich in EPA and DHA. The lean loin contains much less, and the effect belongs to the oily fish literature rather than to any trial of bluefin.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Moderate evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis as a dense complete protein. This rests on the well-characterised protein quality of fish rather than on any study using this species.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Cognitive function

Brain & Cognitive Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for tuna affecting cognition, and the picture is complicated in an unusual way: cohort studies of fish intake and cognitive ageing generally point favourably, while studies of mercury exposure point the other way, and large predatory tuna sits on both sides of that ledger at once.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Bluefin tuna

Ask about Bluefin tuna

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories144 kcal7%
Protein23.3 g47%
Total fat4.9 g6%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water68.1 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.26 g6%
Monounsaturated fat1.6 g—
Polyunsaturated fat1.43 g—
Cholesterol38 mg13%
EPA (omega-3)0.283 g—
DHA (omega-3)0.89 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.125 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.053 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A655 µg73%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D5.7 µg29%
Vitamin E1 mg7%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.241 mg20%
Riboflavin (B2)0.251 mg19%
Niacin (B3)8.65 mg54%
Pantothenic acid (B5)1.05 mg21%
Vitamin B60.455 mg27%
Folate2 µg1%
Vitamin B129.43 µg393%
Choline65 mg12%
Minerals
Calcium8 mg1%
Iron1.02 mg6%
Magnesium50 mg12%
Phosphorus254 mg20%
Potassium252 mg5%
Sodium39 mg2%
Zinc0.6 mg5%
Copper0.086 mg10%
Manganese0.015 mg1%
Selenium36.5 µg66%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.18 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Fish, tuna, fresh, bluefin, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173706).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • rawPreserves long-chain omega-3 fatty acids

    Serving tuna raw avoids the oxidation and drip loss that high-heat cooking causes, but it removes the parasite kill step, so commercial freezing beforehand is what makes raw service defensible.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Methylmercury in large predatory tuna

    The joint FDA and EPA advice places bigeye tuna on the Choices to Avoid list and tells pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children not to eat it. Bluefin is not named on that chart, but surveys repeatedly measure mercury in large bluefin at levels similar to or above bigeye, and it is better grouped with those species than with canned light tuna.

  • Worth knowing

    Scombroid poisoning and raw service

    Tuna is the classic scombroid fish, and histamine formed in poorly chilled flesh cannot be removed by cooking. Raw tuna also carries Anisakis, and commercial freezing to the temperature and holding time specified for parasite destruction is the recognised control before serving it raw.

  • Allergy

    Fish allergy

    A finfish allergen. Tuna is among the species most often involved in accidental exposures because it appears raw, canned and as an unseen ingredient in sauces and dressings.

  • Worth knowing

    Stock status

    Atlantic and Pacific bluefin stocks have been heavily depleted and remain under strict international quota management, and ranched bluefin is fattened from wild-caught juveniles rather than bred. Sourcing is a genuine consideration with this species in a way it is not for herring or pollock.