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    Ingredient guide · Ingredient reference

    Seafood nutrients: salmon, tuna and shrimp have different strengths

    Seafood can supply protein, minerals and marine omega-3s. A lean shellfish and a fatty fish should not be assigned one generic nutrient profile.

    Read the evidence ↓

    Supplement Science Insights Editorial Team

    Published September 23, 2026

    Compare named foods

    Per 100 g, USDA SR Legacy lists cooked farmed Atlantic salmon at 22.1 g protein and 30 mg magnesium; drained light tuna canned in water at 19.44 g protein and 23 mg magnesium; and cooked shrimp at 23.98 g protein and 39 mg magnesium. Preparation and drained weight are part of each description. [1]

    Vitamin D and omega-3s are not uniform

    The salmon entry contains 526 IU vitamin D per 100 g and the light-tuna entry 47 IU. ODS explains that fatty fish generally supply more EPA and DHA than lean fish, with feed and species affecting composition. A blank nutrient field in a shrimp record must not be relabeled as zero. This selected comparison is not a ranking of all seafood. [1][2]

    A hypothetical plate comparison

    At 85 g, the reference protein estimates are 18.785 g for salmon, 16.524 g for tuna and 20.383 g for shrimp. A larger tuna portion could change a per-plate comparison, even though the per-100-g ranking is unchanged. Nutrient content alone does not establish that one seafood is suitable for every person. [1]

    Hypothetical example — compare specified portions using historical reference data
    Specified seafood, 85 gProtein estimateMagnesium estimate
    Cooked farmed Atlantic salmon18.785 g25.5 mg
    Light tuna, water-packed, drained16.524 g19.55 mg
    Cooked shrimp20.383 g33.15 mg
    Seafood nutrients: salmon, tuna and shrimp have different strengths — original article outline diagram
    Original editorial diagram of this article’s sections; no product photograph or clinical finding is depicted.

    Sources for this article

    1. USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy April 2018 composition and portion tables
      Source consulted: 2026-09-20. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Health Professional Fact Sheet
      Source consulted: 2026-09-20. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.