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  6. Tilapia vs. Mahimahi

Tilapia vs. Mahimahi — 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

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
                      Tilapia
                      vs
                      Mahimahi

                      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
                                          26% 3% 72%
                                          Protein: 26.15 g
                                          Fats: 2.65 g
                                          Carbs: 0 g
                                          Water: 71.59 g
                                          Other: 0 g
                                          24% 71% 4%
                                          Protein: 23.72 g
                                          Fats: 0.9 g
                                          Carbs: 0 g
                                          Water: 71.22 g
                                          Other: 4.16 g
                                          Contains more FatsFats +194.4%
                                          ~equal in Protein ~23.72g
                                          ~equal in Carbs ~0g
                                          ~equal in Water ~71.22g
                                          ~equal in Other ~4.16g

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

                                          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 24% 4.2% 34% 26% 25% 11% 87% 7.3% 4.8% 297%
                                          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%
                                          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%
                                          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%

                                          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% 0% 16% 56% 23% 17% 89% 40% 28% 233% 2.3% 4.5% 28%
                                          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% 21% 0% 0% 5.8% 20% 139% 52% 107% 86% 0% 4.5% 0%
                                          Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
                                          Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
                                          Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +304.3%
                                          Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +169.6%
                                          Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
                                          Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
                                          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%
                                          ~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

                                          Tilapia vs Mahimahi infographic
                                          Infographic link

                                          All nutrients comparison - raw data values

                                          Nutrient Tilapia Mahimahi DV% diff.
                                          Vitamin B12 1.86µg 0.69µg 49%
                                          Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.462mg 26%
                                          Vitamin D 150IU 19%
                                          Vitamin D 3.7µg 19%
                                          Vitamin B3 4.745mg 7.429mg 17%
                                          Selenium 54.4µg 46.8µg 14%
                                          Cholesterol 57mg 94mg 12%
                                          Iron 0.69mg 1.45mg 10%
                                          Choline 51.3mg 9%
                                          Vitamin A 0µg 62µg 7%
                                          Vitamin B1 0.093mg 0.023mg 6%
                                          Vitamin E 0.79mg 5%
                                          Protein 26.15g 23.72g 5%
                                          Potassium 380mg 533mg 5%
                                          Vitamin B5 0.664mg 0.865mg 4%
                                          Saturated fat 0.94g 0.241g 3%
                                          Polyunsaturated fat 0.6g 0.211g 3%
                                          Fats 2.65g 0.9g 3%
                                          Phosphorus 204mg 183mg 3%
                                          Sodium 56mg 113mg 2%
                                          Zinc 0.41mg 0.59mg 2%
                                          Copper 0.075mg 0.053mg 2%
                                          Monounsaturated fat 0.955g 0.155g 2%
                                          Calories 128kcal 109kcal 1%
                                          Vitamin K 0.9µg 1%
                                          Vitamin B2 0.073mg 0.085mg 1%
                                          Manganese 0.037mg 0.019mg 1%
                                          Calcium 14mg 19mg 1%
                                          Magnesium 34mg 38mg 1%
                                          Folate 6µg 6µg 0%
                                          Tryptophan 0.265mg 0.266mg 0%
                                          Threonine 1.156mg 1.04mg 0%
                                          Isoleucine 1.22mg 1.093mg 0%
                                          Leucine 2.04mg 1.928mg 0%
                                          Lysine 2.315mg 2.178mg 0%
                                          Methionine 0.766mg 0.702mg 0%
                                          Phenylalanine 1.05mg 0.926mg 0%
                                          Valine 1.28mg 1.222mg 0%
                                          Histidine 0.585mg 0.698mg 0%
                                          Omega-3 - EPA 0.005g 0.026g N/A
                                          Omega-3 - DHA 0.13g 0.113g N/A
                                          Omega-3 - ALA 0.045g N/A
                                          Omega-3 - DPA 0.06g 0.012g N/A
                                          Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.015g N/A

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