Can you eat sushi every day?

In this article, we will answer the question “Can you eat sushi every day?” and discuss what is its health risk?

Can you eat sushi every day?

Yes, you can eat sushi every day. Sushi is considered a healthy food, as it is a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. 

However, sushi is usually prepared with raw fish, which may be related to sea contaminants and foodborne pathogens. Raw fish should be avoided by pregnant women and vulnerable individuals.

What are the risks of eating sushi every day?

The risks of eating sushi every day are the possibility of ingestion of heavy metals, such as mercury added to the risk caused by the consumption of raw fish, which can carry pathogenic bacteria and parasites.

Although most health hazards related to sushi consumption are due to parasitic infestation, other main concerns connected to sushi consumption include its contamination with heavy metals, mainly mercury, which often contaminates the flesh of predatory fish in the form of methylmercury. 

As a result of their predatory nature, fish like swordfish and tuna may have high concentrations of various heavy metals. The concentration of metals increases with a fish’s position in the food chain.

The hazard of sushi contamination with other heavy metals is usually omitted, despite the fact that nori, a red algae from the Porphyra family, which is one of the most oftenly used ingredients of sushi, is well-known to contain high amounts of heavy metals, mainly cadmium and arsenic. 

The contamination of sushi with pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus is another hazard often associated with sushi consumption, mainly due to the lack of heat treatment of the fish and seafood (1).

Recently, a scientific journal reported a case of Diphyllobothriasis (also known as fish tapeworm infection) infection, which is a genus of Cestoda acquired through the consumption of undercooked fish, with as many as 14 species capable of infecting humans. The symptoms include diarrhea, exhaustion, stomach cramps and weakness as well as an unintentional loss of weight (6).

Biogenic amines, the products of amino acids decarboxylation, are often related to fish poisoning incidents. Histamine, which is the most common cause of biogenic amine-related intoxication, can cause scombroid fish poisoning. 

The poisoning is usually associated with the Scombroidae and Scomberesocidae fish families, including tuna, which is often used in sushi. Moreover, non-scombroid fish species have also been related to histamine poisoning, including sardines, mahi-mahi and occasionally pink salmon (1).

The soy sauce used in sushi, on the other hand, should be avoided because of its high salt content (5). When it comes to sushi, moderation is crucial. Reduce your intake of mercury-filled seafood or avoid it altogether if you must eat it.

What are the benefits of eating sushi every day?

The benefits of eating sushi every day are the nutrients provided by sushi. According to studies, sushi is considered as a healthy meal because it has low calories and it contains low amounts of fat and cholesterol. 

According to the USDA Food data, a 237 grams (6-inch) tuna mayonnaise sandwich has, approximately, 517 calories, 28 grams of fat, and 5 grams of saturated fat (8), whereas a 210-gram portion of sushi has just 225 calories and 3.6 grams of fat, including 0.6 grams of saturated fat (9).

Sushi is rich in high quality protein and it is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids because of the seafood ingredients (2). Some ingredients used in sushi dishes, such as kelp, laver, and wakame are types of seaweed that range in omega-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), content from 0.004 to 0.186 g per 100-g portion, which may help decrease the risk of heart disease (3).

Omega-3 fatty acids, according to studies provided by the National Institute of Health, can help decrease blood pressure, making them an excellent choice for diabetics with Type 2. Aside from the fact that they have antibacterial properties, ginger also aids digestion and has antioxidant and anticancer properties (4).

Sushi is a good source of Omega-3 fish oils, which are beneficial to our health in a variety of ways. They may help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides, as well as assist keep your heart rhythm regular. A reduction in cardiac heart disease risk also was reported with increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids in several studies (3).

Fish consumption helps to prevent heart disease. Fish is also a great post-workout food choice since it is high in protein. Fish is a good source of protein, B vitamins, and minerals, such as potassium, phosphorus, and selenium. It contains iron and zinc, which support the immune system.

Who should not eat sushi every day?

People who are particularly susceptible to foodborne diseases should not eat raw fish. They are not recommended to eat any raw or undercooked fish or meat. These individuals include the very young, the elderly, and the immune compromised, as well as pregnant women, cancer patients, diabetics and patients submitted to dialysis treatments.

Because their immune system is weakened, they have increased susceptibility to foodborne diseases. Vulnerable individuals have a greater than 100-fold increase in susceptibility of having an infection through  ingestion of contaminated food (10).

Further, the exposure to mercury is especially harmful during pregnancy. According to the FDA, mercury exposure may have catastrophic consequences for an unborn kid or infant.

In addition, as mentioned above, soy sauce consumed as part of the sushi dish contains high amounts of sodium. Consuming too much sodium has been proven to cause a notable rise in blood pressure and has been associated with the development of hypertension and its related cardiovascular problems (11).

People suffering from hypertension should not eat sushi daily.

Other FAQs about Sushi that you may be interested in.

Can you eat leftover sushi?

Sushi wraps are made up of what seaweed?

Is sushi safe to eat with coronavirus?

Can you freeze sushi rolls?

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question “Can you eat sushi every day?” and we discussed what is its health risk?

Reference

1. Kulawik, Piotr, et al. Heavy metal contamination, microbiological spoilage and biogenic amine content in sushi available on the Polish market . J Sci Food Agric, 2018, 98, 2809-2815.
2. Đorđević, Đ., and H. Buchtová. Nutritional profile of nigiri sushi meal and the usage of citrate synthase activity as freshness parameter. Iran J Fisher Sci, 2020, 19, 2954-2969.  
3. Gebauer, Sarah K., et al. n− 3 fatty acid dietary recommendations and food sources to achieve essentiality and cardiovascular benefits. Am j clin nutr, 2006, 83, 1526S-1535S.  
4. García‐Casal, Maria Nieves, Juan Pablo Peña‐Rosas, and Heber Gómez Malavé. Sauces, spices, and condiments: definitions, potential benefits, consumption patterns, and global markets. Annals new York Acad Sci, 2016, 1379, 3-16.
5. Shahar, Suzana, et al. Sodium content in sauces—A major contributor of sodium intake in Malaysia: A cross-sectional survey. BMJ open, 2019, 9, e025068.
6. Reilly, David F. The Things They Carry: Diphyllobothriasis at Sea, a Case Report. Military Med, 2020, 185, e510-e512.
7. Clarkson, Thomas William. Human health risks from methylmercury in fish. Environ Toxicol Chem Int J, 1990, 9, 957-961.
8. Food Data Base. Tuna Sandwich. United States Department of Agriculture.
9. Food Data Base. Sushi topped with salmon. United States Department of Agriculture.
10. Lund, Barbara M. Microbiological Food Safety for Vulnerable People. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2015, 12, 10117.
11. Grillo, Andrea, et al. Sodium intake and hypertension. Nutrients, 2019, 11, 1970.