Swordfish vs Tuna – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing swordfish to tuna, we picked the tuna.

Why?

Today in “that which is more expensive is not necessarily the healthier”…

Considering the macros first, swordfish has more than 8x more total fat, about 9x more saturated fat, and yes, more cholesterol. On the other hand, tuna has more protein. An easy win for tuna.

In terms of vitamins, swordfish has more of vitamins A, B5, D, and E, while tuna has more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12. A marginal win for tuna, unless you want to weight the other vitamins more heavily, in which case, more likely a tie, or maybe even an argument for swordfish if you have a particular vitamin deficiency on that side.

When it comes to minerals, swordfish has more calcium and zinc, while tuna has more iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium. A clear win for tuna.

One other thing: they’re both very rich in mercury, and while tuna is bad for that, swordfish has nearly 3x as much.

In short, both have a good spread of vitamins and minerals, and both are quite tainted with mercury, but in relative terms, there’s a clear winner even before considering the very different macros, and the winner is tuna.

Want to learn more?

You might like to read:

Farmed Fish vs Wild Caught: Important Differences

Take care!