Fish and Your Health

 

Whether you already enjoy eating fish often or are thinking of increasing the amount of seafood in your diet, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that fish provides a number of health benefits. Just a few benefits include cholesterol-lowering properties, blood pressure regulation, ability to reduce inflammation for arthritis, promotes better brain function, and much more!

Fish should be incorporated into your weekly menu to achieve a balanced diet because it is the only natural source of certain essential fatty acids that our bodies need (besides just a handful of plant sources). It is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids. The three main ones are EPA, DHA and ALA. EPA and DHA offer the greatest benefits to humans, and "oily" fish contains plenty of both. These not only make fish a great "brain food" but also promote good health for the prostate, heart, and more.

 

What are Oily Fish?

Oily fish are classified as such when there's oil in the tissue and belly cavity. A fillet from one of these fish will contain up to 30 percent oil. Some oily fish you might recognize include salmon, sardine, trout, canned light tuna, mackerel, sea bass, oyster, shrimp, perch, crab, cod and anchovy.

 

Health for Heart and Brain

Oily fish provide several benefits for the heart and brain. The healthy fatty acids promote heart health by lowering cholesterol levels as well as regulating blood pressure (two main culprits for heart attack and stroke). Omega-3 fatty acids reduce triglyceride levels and stabilize blood clotting. All these benefit the heart by preventing blockages and inflammation of the arteries and veins that transport blood to and from the heart.

For the brain, fish oil can aid in improving short-term memory and has been shown in a number of studies to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

 

Fish and Prostate Health

Some studies show that men who consume more oily fish are at less risk of developing advanced prostate cancer. Here are some findings from one study that was conducted by John S. Witte, PhD* and some of his colleagues at the University of California (San Francisco):

The "Cox-2" gene regulates inflammation, but a variant of the gene can increase risk of developing cancer of the prostate. The study found that men who rarely consume oily fish and have this particular Cox-2 variant were five times more likely to develop prostate cancer of the advanced type. Those who consumed higher amounts of oily fish had less risk of developing advanced prostate cancer. This means those who do develop prostate cancer may be more likely to recover, with a much lower risk of death from the disease if they consume healthy portions of oily fish on a regular basis.

 

What about Saturated Fat and Calories?

While fish is an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids, many types of fish are very low in saturated fat and calories when compared to the same portions of other meats. Even squid, prawns and fish roe (with higher cholesterol amounts) contain enough Omega-3 oils to offset the "bad fats."

 

Fish and Protein

Fish is also an excellent source of high quality protein, with just 150 grams of seafood providing 50 to 60 percent of the recommended daily value of protein for an adult! It also includes all the essential amino acids needed for growth and lean muscle tissue. High quality protein from fish can help regulate weight due to its benefits to the metabolism. To get an idea of how much protein is in fish, consider these numbers:

-      3 oz. salmon (canned pink) contains 16.81g protein

-      3 oz. salmon (sockeye) contains 23.21g protein

-      3 oz. halibut contains 22.69g protein

-      3 oz. cod contains 19.51g protein

-      3 oz. canned light tuna contains 21.68g protein

-      3 oz. rainbow trout contains 20.63g protein

 

Other Fish Benefits

Fish is a great source of vitamin B12 (for healthier metabolism), carbohydrates, vitamin D (for calcium absorption), calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, iodine, potassium and magnesium. Those with diabetes can increase fish intake to help regulate blood sugar levels in the body without increasing calorie intake.

 

Warnings about Fish and Mercury

While fish can provide many health benefits, the amount of mercury contained in fish shouldn't be ignored. The EPA, FDA and USDA all have written advisories about mercury and the types of fish that contain high amounts of it. Pregnant women (or those nursing), women who may become pregnant and young children are advised to avoid seafood that is high in mercury, such as shark, king mackerel, swordfish and tilefish. They can, however, enjoy the benefits of fish by consuming limited amounts of those fish that are low in mercury, such as canned light tuna, salmon, catfish, shrimp and pollock.

Limitations and guidelines of how much of these fish to consume are included on many state and federal websites that offer advisories about food. With just a simple online search, you can find out exactly which types of fish to eat and how much.

Fish benefits can be enjoyed whether you poach, bake, grill, steam or broil it! Frying fish, however, can limit the health benefits as is so with any type of meat. Look online for healthy recipes, sauces and seasonings to create amazing seafood meals for your family. Or buy high quality, pre-cooked seafood from a gourmet food store on the Web. It's now easier than ever to incorporate fish into your diet on a regular basis!

 

 

 

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