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| Advantages of Eating Fish for Human Health |
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Fish is good for your body
Introduction
In general one can say, “You are what you
eat”. What you eat is both important for your
physical and mental health. Therefore it is
important to have the best nutrition. Fish is one
of the main sources of protein and fat, but it also
has other qualities that makes it very valuable as
a nutrient.
Man has always eaten fish. In the western
economy, meat has become more used as food for the
last 50 years. But for the last couple of decades,
people have become more aware of fish as a
healthier alternative to meat. This is especially
due to the problems with overweight and
cardiovascular diseases that have become some of
the biggest problems in human healthcare developed
countries.
The fat in fish contains a larger portion of
Omega 3 and other unsaturated fatty acids that are
healthier than the saturated fat of read meat. A
large intake of the saturated fat in red meat are
one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases,
while the unsaturated fat of fish and vegetables
does not have this effect. In fact, it may have a
curative effect.
In this section we will focus on fish as a
nutrient.
Nutrition and nutrients
The six basic nutrient groups and their function
are:
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Nutrient
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Function in body
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Water
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regulate body temperature, carry
nutrients throughout the body, moisten and
purify the skin, improve the digestive
process, eliminate waste, lubricate and
cushion joints
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Protein
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Proteins are building blocks for bones,
brain tissue, skin, nails, hair, muscles,
organs, hormones, antibodies, enzymes,
chemical messengers, blood cells, nerves,
and the DNA and RNA used to form the
genetic code of life. Proteins can also be
used for energy.
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Fats
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Building block in skin, body oils and
hormones. It insulates and pads internal
organs, carries fat-soluble vitamins
throughout the body, helps repair damaged
tissue and fight infections.
Fats provide a source of energy and
are the way your body stores up
energy.
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Carbohydrates
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Energy source and metabolic primer for
the burning of fat3.
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Vitamins
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Tools in processes that regulate
chemical activities in the organism and
that use basic food
elements--carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins--to form tissues and to produce
energy
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Minerals
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Formation of bones and teeth; essential
constituents of body fluids and tissues;
components of enzyme systems; nerve
function.
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Proteins from fish have high nutritional
value
Fish, meat and diary products are the main
sources of proteins in the human diet. Fish is
mainly eaten for it’s protein contents.
Your
body utilizes proteins from fish better than
proteins from beef, pork, chicken and milk. All the
proteins from fish are adequate, important and
digestible.
Fats from fish are more
healthy
In
addition, the types and proportions
of
dietary fats are generally more "heart healthy"
than the fats found in other protein foods. This is
due to its relatively high share of unsaturated
fat. (Saturated fat is more thick/viscous than
unsaturated fat. This is probably why fish, which
is cold blooded, has higher contents of unsaturated
fat. Fish that live in cold areas have the highest
content of polyunsaturated fatty acids) Excessive
dietary intake of saturated fats can significantly
raise the blood cholesterol level in humans. This
increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in lean fish
(e.g., walleye and yellow perch) and 25% in fattier
fish (e.g., channel catfish, herring, salmon and
rainbow trout) are polyunsaturated fatty acids. In
contrast, the polyunsaturated and saturated fatty
acids in beef are 4-10% and 40-45%, respectively,
of the total fatty acids
present4.
Fish contains many of the
essential fatty acids that your body
needs
Fish is also valued as a source of omega-3 (n-3)
fatty acids, a very long chain polyunsaturated
fatty acids which is critical for the development
of the brain and retina, and which may be
protective of some chronic diseases.
Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid
(DHA) which account for approximately 90% of the
polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish species from
the North Atlantic and North Pacific are absent or
present in much lower amounts in other foods. The
omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids which
means that the body can not build them from other
building materials.
Fish also contains
important vitamins and minerals
Fish is an excellent source of the B vitamin
niacin (Niacin assists in the functioning of the
digestive system, skin, and nerves. It is also
important for the conversion of food to energy) and
B12 (Vitamin B12 is critical to building DNA and
RNA, the maintenance of the nervous system, fatty
acid synthesis, homocysteine metabolism and energy
production), and in general is a better source of
Vitamins D and A than beef, pork or chicken. The
Vitamin D is vital for the formation of bones. Fish
can also contribute appreciable amounts of dietary
calcium, heme iron and zinc, nutrients that tend to
be low in people's diets. Fish is among the best
sources of dietary selenium.
Nutritional experts recommend people to eat
fish, especially fatty fish, such as tuna and
salmon, at least two to three times a week.
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