Everyone is constantly looking for better ways of improving their health and eating habits, and adding fish to your diet is one way to do this. Fish is among the healthiest foods, and there are dozens of varieties, which you can cook in various ways to suit your taste buds.
Fish is rich in essential nutrients, including high protein, Vitamins like B2 and D, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorous, calcium, and minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium.
White-fleshed fish are lower in fat than other animal protein and high in good fats, known as omega-3 fatty acids essential in the human body. It doesn’t contain omega-6 fatty acids, which are generally the bad fats found in red meat.
With that in mind, let us look at the many reasons you should add fish to your diet.
- Fish contain essential nutrients.
Fish is rich in essential nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids. These nutrients can provide significant health benefits. For example, vitamin B12 in fish is necessary to grow healthy red blood cells, nerve function, and DNA reproduction.
Consuming enough Vitamin B12 has proven to lower the risk of dementia and heart disease. Conversely, a lack of Vitamin B12 causes anemia and problems like chronic fatigue.
Some great options to add to your diet are the oily fish types like salmon, mackerel, and trout, which are the healthiest and are rich in good fats, also known as omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish is also a good source of protein which is vital in maintaining healthy organs, muscles, and blood vessels. In addition, proteins help support hair growth, cell division, and even hormone signaling. Proteins in the body are used in one way or another.
Fish is also rich in iodine, a crucial mineral needed in the body that the body doesn’t produce. Iodine is also essential for thyroid function, which controls stuff like your appetite and immune system.
Other nutrients you gain by eating fish are Niacin, iron, phosphorous, and Vitamin D.
- Fish is essential for your brain development.
Omega-3 fatty acids in fish are essential nutrients that aid in the growth and development of the brain.
Having low blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids is linked to accelerated brain aging, which causes memory loss and cognitive impairment. People who consume fish have more gray matter in the brain, which controls emotion and memory. For this reason, it is recommended that lactating or pregnant women eat enough fish in their diet or omega-3 fatty acids supplements.
However, some fish, especially from the ocean, may be high in mercury, which can be toxic if taken in large quantities. Fish store mercury found in what they eat in their fat which may build up over time, so it’s advisable to avoid those.
You can find farms that produce fish that contain no mercury. It is safe to consume up to 12 ounces of low mercury per week and up to 6 ounces of unknown fish weekly.
If you are an angler, it also better because you can watch out for salmon, sardines, and trout, which are great, sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Remember to get reliable fishing tools when going out fishing.
- Fish is an excellent dietary source of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is crucial in bone health, and most people are deficient in it. Vitamin D functions like a steroid hormone in the body which helps increase the intestinal absorption of calcium, phosphate, and magnesium.
The primary natural source of vitamin D is sunlight and is dependent on a chemical reaction in your body for it to be absorbed. However, it is advisable to get your Vitamin D from food to limit your exposure to sunlight.
Fish and fish products provide the best dietary source of vitamin D and with the highest levels found in oily fish. For example, a 4 oz serving of salmon would essentially provide 100% or the recommended daily dose of Vitamin D.
Fish oils like cod liver oil also provide high amounts. When you take a tablespoon, it essentially provides like 200% of the daily recommended dose.
- Fish can help alleviate depression.
Good mental health is also a benefit of adding fish into your diet. Depression is a mental condition characterized by moodiness, sadness, loss of interest in daily activities, and a noticeable decrease in energy levels.
Omega-3 fatty acids reduce symptoms of depression. Studies have shown that people who consume fish are less likely to become depressed. And those with depression, omega-3 fatty acids help increase the effectiveness of some antidepressant medications, possibly because the fats help the brain function more effectively.
Fish and omega-3 fatty acids also aid in fighting other mental conditions such as bipolar disorder.
- Fish may help your vision in old age.
As people get older, they have AMD, also known as macular degeneration, which causes blindness and vision impairment. Regular consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent this disease when you grow old.
Studies conducted successfully showed a 42% reduction in the risk of suffering from AMD in women who consumed fish regularly.
- Eating fish will lower the risk of heart disease.
Fish is among the best food in the world to eat to maintain a healthy heart. It plays a significant role in regulating vessel constriction and blood clotting when consumed regularly. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids have also been linked to reducing and preventing coronary heart disease.
The fatty acids also minimize blood pressure, coronary plaque, and lower triglycerides.
Conclusion
Like all animal products, ensure that you cook fish well before you eat. Meat contains parasites or breeds bacteria under the wrong conditions. Ensure that you get your fish fresh or thoroughly frozen.
Sushi, usually eaten raw, requires the fish to have been frozen below 0 degrees Fahrenheit a day before serving. Otherwise, the rest of the fish should be cooked thoroughly at 145 degrees Fahrenheit to guarantee it is safe to eat.
