All seafood is nutritious, rich in important vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, B and D vitamins, as well as an excellent source of high quality protein. That alone should be sufficient to get us eating fish at least once a week, but hold on, there's more.
It's well-known that fish and shellfish contain omega-3 fatty acids, whose biochemical properties seem to work wonders throughout the body. However, when fish is substituted for meat in a diet, unhealthy saturated fats are replaced with unsaturated fats. That's key.
It's possible to lower total fat and saturated fat intake considerably, even when eating high-fat fish, such as Alaska salmon, sablefish (black cod) and herring. Even the most porcine fish contains less than 15% fat.
Preliminary studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce risk of many ailments from heart disease to breast cancer. Omega3s are building blocks of powerful hormonelike substances called eicosanoids, that help regulate inflammation, blood clotting, and constriction of blood vessels.
Top Ten Reasons To Eat More Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids may decrease:
(10) blood pressure in mildly hypertensive people.
(9) arthritis pain.
(8) risk of preeclampsia during pregnancy.
(7) incidence of childhood asthma.
(6) painful menstrual cramps.
(5) death rate from heart arrhythmia.
Omega-3 fatty acids may increase:
(4) levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
(3) swimming ability.
(2) ability to tan.
(1)our sense of well-being, by fighting hostility and depression.
Source: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
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