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Mahimahi vs. Tilapia — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan by Ani Harutyunyan | Last updated on July 24, 2023
Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel Article author photo Igor Bussel
Mahimahi
vs
Tilapia

Summary

Tilapia is higher in protein, fat, vitamin D, phosphorus, and selenium. It is also lower in sodium and cholesterol.

On the other hand, mahi mahi contains more calcium, potassium, vitamin B3, vitamin A, and fewer calories. 

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
    1. Actual differences
      1. Nutrition
        1. Protein
          1. Fat
            1. Calories
              1. Minerals
                1. Vitamins
                2. Health impact
                  1. Cardiovascular health
                  2. Health risks
                    1. References

                      Introduction

                      Tilapia and mahi mahi are two of the most consumed fishes in the world. In this article, we will compare these foods, focusing on their nutritional composition and health impact and showing their actual differences.

                      Actual differences

                      Tilapia (1) is a freshwater fish from the Cichlidae family. This fish is usually widespread in the Nile River and the Middle East. Tilapia has a fishy, mild, and a bit sweet taste. Tilapia has a broader range of cooking methods: it is usually consumed in sealed, poached, steamed, grilled, raw, baked, or smoked forms. You can easily find tilapia in markets, in frozen or fresh form.

                      Mahi mahi (2), the dolphinfish or dorado fish, is a yellow or bright-green predatory fish primarily found in Hawaii. Mahi mahi has a non-fishy flavor compared to tilapia. It is usually fried with herbs, lemon, and spices. The fish lives in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. However, it is sold and found worldwide.

                      Nutrition

                      Here we will discuss the macronutrient, mineral, and vitamin composition of raw tilapia and mahi mahi. Both of them do not provide any quantities of carbs.

                      Macronutrient Comparison

                      Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
                      24% 71% 4%
                      Protein: 23.72 g
                      Fats: 0.9 g
                      Carbs: 0 g
                      Water: 71.22 g
                      Other: 4.16 g
                      26% 3% 72%
                      Protein: 26.15 g
                      Fats: 2.65 g
                      Carbs: 0 g
                      Water: 71.59 g
                      Other: 0 g
                      Contains more OtherOther +-1166.7%
                      Contains more ProteinProtein +10.2%
                      Contains more FatsFats +194.4%
                      ~equal in Carbs ~0g
                      ~equal in Water ~71.59g

                      Protein

                      Tilapia is higher in protein than mahi mahi. Per 100g serving, tilapia provides 26.2g of protein, while mahi mahi contains 23.7g of it.

                      Both contain many essential amino acids, such as lysine, histidine, and phenylalanine.

                      Fat

                      Tilapia is nearly three times higher in fats than mahi mahi. It is richer in both saturated and unsaturated fats. Tilapia is an excellent source of omega-6 fatty acids.

                      Surprisingly, mahi mahi is 37mg higher in cholesterol than tilapia.

                      Fat Type Comparison

                      Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
                      40% 26% 35%
                      Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.241 g
                      Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.155 g
                      Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.211 g
                      38% 38% 24%
                      Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.94 g
                      Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.955 g
                      Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.6 g
                      Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -74.4%
                      Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +516.1%
                      Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +184.4%

                      Calories

                      Tilapia and mahi mahi are classified as low-calorie foods. Due to its higher protein and fat composition, tilapia provides more calories than mahi mahi. It has 19 more calories per 100g serving.

                      Minerals

                      Mahi mahi provides more  zinc and iron than tilapia. Tilapia contains more phosphorus and copper. Tilapia is lower in sodium than mahi mahi. Mahi mahi is rich in mercury, while tilapia provides more selenium (3).

                      Check the mineral comparison chart below for a visual representation of the distribution of minerals.

                      Mineral Comparison

                      Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
                      Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 27% 5.7% 47% 54% 18% 16% 78% 15% 2.5% 255%
                      Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 24% 4.2% 34% 26% 25% 11% 87% 7.3% 4.8% 297%
                      Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +11.8%
                      Contains more CalciumCalcium +35.7%
                      Contains more PotassiumPotassium +40.3%
                      Contains more IronIron +110.1%
                      Contains more ZincZinc +43.9%
                      Contains more CopperCopper +41.5%
                      Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +11.5%
                      Contains less SodiumSodium -50.4%
                      Contains more ManganeseManganese +94.7%
                      Contains more SeleniumSelenium +16.2%

                      Vitamins

                      Tilapia is richer in vitamins B1 and B12. Mahi mahi contains vitamin A which is not present in tilapia. In contrast, mahi mahi lacks vitamin D, which is produced in tilapia.

                      Vitamin Comparison

                      Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
                      Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 12% 0% 0% 5.8% 20% 139% 52% 107% 86% 0% 4.5% 0%
                      Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 16% 111% 23% 17% 89% 40% 28% 233% 2.3% 4.5% 28%
                      Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
                      Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +16.4%
                      Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +56.6%
                      Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +30.3%
                      Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +275.6%
                      Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +304.3%
                      Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +169.6%
                      ~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
                      ~equal in Folate ~6µg

                      Health impact

                      Cardiovascular health

                      Tilapia and mahi mahi consumption is connected to lower cardiovascular disease risk (4). This is due to omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid composition. These two compounds are long-chain essential fatty acids that are not produced in the human organism. Hence we must get them with the food we eat. Research shows that the risk of heart disease increases when there is no balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid concentrations in the blood flow (5). Mahi mahi boosts omega-3 levels in the bloodstream of those with higher omega-6 levels (6).

                      Health risks

                      Mahi mahi is considered a food with moderate quantities of mercury. While this mineral is not harmful to healthy middle-aged persons, it can harm kids, teenagers, and pregnant women. (7). To minimize mercury poisoning, limit your fish intake.

                      While consuming tilapia, you should consider it is often fed with animal feces and farmed with toxic chemicals and banned techniques. It may contain dioxin, a potential carcinogen (8).

                      References

                      1. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175176/nutrients
                      2. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171959/nutrients
                      3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6553691/
                      4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468748/
                      5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34371930/
                      6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23351633/
                      7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2954077/
                      8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14623487/
                      Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan
                      Education: General Medicine at YSMU
                      Last updated: July 24, 2023
                      Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel

                      Infographic

                      Mahimahi vs Tilapia infographic
                      Infographic link

                      Comparison summary table

                      Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
                      Mahimahi Tilapia
                      Lower in Cholesterol ok
                      Lower in Sodium ok
                      Lower in Sugar ok
                      Lower in Saturated Fat ok
                      Lower in Glycemic Index Equal
                      Lower in price Equal
                      Rich in minerals Equal
                      Rich in vitamins Equal

                      All nutrients comparison - raw data values

                      Nutrient Mahimahi Tilapia Opinion
                      Calories 109kcal 128kcal Tilapia
                      Protein 23.72g 26.15g Tilapia
                      Fats 0.9g 2.65g Tilapia
                      Cholesterol 94mg 57mg Tilapia
                      Vitamin D 150IU Tilapia
                      Magnesium 38mg 34mg Mahimahi
                      Calcium 19mg 14mg Mahimahi
                      Potassium 533mg 380mg Mahimahi
                      Iron 1.45mg 0.69mg Mahimahi
                      Copper 0.053mg 0.075mg Tilapia
                      Zinc 0.59mg 0.41mg Mahimahi
                      Phosphorus 183mg 204mg Tilapia
                      Sodium 113mg 56mg Tilapia
                      Vitamin A 208IU 0IU Mahimahi
                      Vitamin A 62µg 0µg Mahimahi
                      Vitamin E 0.79mg Tilapia
                      Vitamin D 3.7µg Tilapia
                      Manganese 0.019mg 0.037mg Tilapia
                      Selenium 46.8µg 54.4µg Tilapia
                      Vitamin B1 0.023mg 0.093mg Tilapia
                      Vitamin B2 0.085mg 0.073mg Mahimahi
                      Vitamin B3 7.429mg 4.745mg Mahimahi
                      Vitamin B5 0.865mg 0.664mg Mahimahi
                      Vitamin B6 0.462mg 0.123mg Mahimahi
                      Vitamin B12 0.69µg 1.86µg Tilapia
                      Vitamin K 0.9µg Tilapia
                      Folate 6µg 6µg
                      Choline 51.3mg Tilapia
                      Saturated Fat 0.241g 0.94g Mahimahi
                      Monounsaturated Fat 0.155g 0.955g Tilapia
                      Polyunsaturated fat 0.211g 0.6g Tilapia
                      Tryptophan 0.266mg 0.265mg Mahimahi
                      Threonine 1.04mg 1.156mg Tilapia
                      Isoleucine 1.093mg 1.22mg Tilapia
                      Leucine 1.928mg 2.04mg Tilapia
                      Lysine 2.178mg 2.315mg Tilapia
                      Methionine 0.702mg 0.766mg Tilapia
                      Phenylalanine 0.926mg 1.05mg Tilapia
                      Valine 1.222mg 1.28mg Tilapia
                      Histidine 0.698mg 0.585mg Mahimahi
                      Omega-3 - EPA 0.026g 0.005g Mahimahi
                      Omega-3 - DHA 0.113g 0.13g Tilapia
                      Omega-3 - ALA 0.045g Tilapia
                      Omega-3 - DPA 0.012g 0.06g Tilapia
                      Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.015g Tilapia

                      Which food is preferable for your diet?

                      ok
                      ok
                      is better in case of low diet
                      Mahimahi Tilapia
                      Low Calories diet ok
                      Low Fats diet ok
                      Low Carbs diet Equal
                      Low Glycemic Index diet Equal

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                      Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

                      The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
                      Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
                      33%
                      Mahimahi
                      45%
                      Tilapia
                      Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
                      52%
                      Mahimahi
                      52%
                      Tilapia

                      Comparison summary

                      Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
                      Tilapia
                      Tilapia is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 37mg)
                      Which food contains less Sodium?
                      Tilapia
                      Tilapia contains less Sodium (difference - 57mg)
                      Which food is lower in Sugar?
                      Mahimahi
                      Mahimahi is lower in Sugar (difference - 0g)
                      Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
                      Mahimahi
                      Mahimahi is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.699g)
                      Which food is lower in glycemic index?
                      ?
                      The foods have equal glycemic indexes (0)
                      Which food is cheaper?
                      ?
                      The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
                      Which food is richer in minerals?
                      ?
                      It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.
                      Which food is richer in vitamins?
                      ?
                      It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

                      References

                      All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

                      1. Mahimahi - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171992/nutrients
                      2. Tilapia - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175177/nutrients

                      All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

                      Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.