Gaining popularity as a highly nutritional food item, salmon is also extremely delicious. The variety of nutrients in salmon assures you numerous health benefits. Along with this, its tender texture and rich buttery taste will have you asking for more!
Now if you’re not already convinced enough to give salmon a try, don’t sweat! Just keep reading because here’s why this amazing fish should be a regular part of your diet!
Nutritional Importance Of Salmon
Salmon is a type of fish that is highly nutritious and offers a wide range of health benefits. It is an excellent source of high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
One of the most notable nutritional benefits of salmon is its high protein content. Protein is an essential macronutrient that is necessary for the proper growth, development, and repair of tissues in the body. It is also important for maintaining muscle mass and supporting a healthy immune system. Salmon is a particularly good source of high-quality protein, as it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.
Salmon is also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a type of polyunsaturated fat that is essential for good health. Omega-3s have been shown to have a number of benefits, including reducing inflammation, improving heart health, and supporting brain function. Salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3s, with a 3-ounce serving providing around 1.9 grams of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), two types of omega-3s that are particularly important for human health.
In addition to protein and omega-3s, salmon is also a good source of a variety of vitamins and minerals. It is high in vitamin B12, which is important for maintaining healthy nerve function and red blood cells, and selenium, which is a trace mineral that plays a role in immune function and thyroid health. Salmon is also a good source of vitamin D, which is important for bone health and immune function, and potassium, which helps to regulate blood pressure.
In conclusion, salmon is a highly nutritious food that is an excellent source of high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Including salmon in your diet can provide a range of health benefits and support overall health and well-being.
Why Should You Eat Salmon?
Generous Source of Healthy Fats
Salmon is a great source of healthy fats for the body. Firstly, they are very low in saturated fats. High amounts of saturated fats may lead to cholesterol building up in the arteries causing complications in your health. Therefore, a low amount of saturated fat indicates that Salmon will not cause cholesterol fluctuations in the body.
Salmon is a great source of 2 or the 3 main Omega-3 fatty acids, namely, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). On average, 100g of Salmon contains between 2.3-2.6g of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids. The variation depends upon whether it is a farm-bred salmon or a wild one. (1)
Unlike other types of fats, Omega-3 fatty acids are Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). These are very beneficial for the healthy functioning of a body.
Packed With Protein
We’ve already mentioned how salmon is an amazing source of EFA’s. What you should also know is that salmon is very rich in high-quality protein. This is why it is very popular amongst individuals with a healthy diet and fitness routine.
Protein, just like Omega-3 fatty acids, is essential when it comes to nutrients your body requires for healthy functioning. A mere 100g of salmon contains a whopping 22-25g of protein. Therefore, because protein is necessary for optimal health, salmon helps maintain a healthy body. (2)
Vitamin & Mineral Content
Whilst being tremendously delicious, salmon is also a great source of multiple B vitamins. These vitamins play a vital role in the smooth functioning of various important body functions, including creating and repairing DNA. The B vitamins present in salmon are:
- Thiamin (B1)
- Riboflavin (B2)
- Niacin (B3)
- Pantothenic Acid (B4)
- Pyridoxine (B6)
- Folic Acid (B7)
- Cobalamin (B12).
Potassium and selenium are minerals that salmon is rich in too. As a matter of fact, salmon is a really good source of potassium. To put things into perspective, Salmon contains more potassium than an equivalent serving of banana.
Selenium is a trace mineral that your body requires very tiny amounts of. Nevertheless, it is an important mineral with numerous health benefits. It is a mineral found in the soil and a limited number of foods. A 100g of Salmon contains an equivalent of 59-67% of your required daily selenium intake.
Contains Antioxidants
The nutritional benefits of consuming salmon aren\’t limited to its EFA and vitamin content. Salmon is also rich in an antioxidant compound called Astaxanthin. This compound has numerous positive effects on your health.
Astaxanthin help reduce the risks of heart disease by reducing bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol in the body. Moreover, it combines with Omega-3 fatty acids to protect the brain and our nervous system. Studies show that astaxanthin helps prevent skin damage too.
How Eating Salmon Benefits Your Health
Reduces The Risk Of Cardiovascular Diseases
Salmon is a great ingredient to add to your diet in order to improve your heart health. The generous content of Omega-3 fatty acids contributes greatly towards this. These facilitate the boost of Omega-3s in the blood. This creates a healthy balance by consequently decreasing Omega-6 fatty acids in the blood and lowering triglycerides. This function of Omega-3 fatty acids helps contribute towards the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Moreover, these Omega-3 acids combined with selenium may help in managing high blood pressure and cholesterol. Along with this, its prominent potassium content also benefits the body. It helps in controlling blood pressure and also reduces the chances of suffering from a stroke.
Helps Maintain A Healthy Brain
Let us all thank the Omega-3 Fatty acids once again! These essential fatty acids play a pivotal role in improving your brain functions. Studies have shown that, if consumed on a regular basis, salmon may help improve your brain health. It helps improve current brain functions like cognitive skills and memory retention. Moreover, it also helps in preventing age-related memory loss and diseases like dementia and Alzheimers.
Helps Lubricate Joints And Is Anti-Inflammatory
Inflammation is the cause of most chronic illnesses in individuals. Salmons\’ anti-inflammatory properties make it a wise choice of food to prevent chronic diseases in the future.
Once again it’s the two Omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that come to the rescue. EPA and DHA assist in decreasing inflammation. Moreover, its low Omega-6 content also owes to its anti-inflammatory properties as Omega-6 acids to have pro-inflammatory properties.
Another benefit of this generous essential fatty acid content is that it helps better lubricate the joints. This helps in facilitating better bone health by improving flexibility. Its high protein content also helps in strengthening the overall physical functioning of the body. This is because protein helps protect bone health and maintain muscle mass.
Assist In Weight Loss
There has been significant growth in the importance of a healthy diet in recent times. It\’s our pleasure to inform you that salmon is a delicious way to help you achieve your weight loss goals.
Its high protein content is largely responsible for regulating the hormones that control your appetite. Along with this, consuming protein-rich foods also increases your metabolic rate. Salmon is also rich in B vitamins. These vitamins too help improve bodily functions like increasing the rate of metabolism. It is these nutrients that make salmon a great food of choice for achieving your weight loss goals.
The bottom Line Is.
By now it must be pretty clear why salmon is a bank of nutrients that contributes massively to your health. That’s not all though, because it is also undeniably delicious. The health benefits of salmon make it pretty clear that salmon has numerous health benefits. Moreover, its amazing flavor makes sure that it doesn’t hurt our taste buds. So go ahead and give salmon a try, we promise you that it won’t bite you back!
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