Top 5 Most Nutritious Seafood and Health Benefits

What do you think of when you hear “you must eat healthy”!?! Do you see yourself surrounded by vegetables and fruits!?! If so, you should know that having a healthy life in terms of eating habits does not involve a focus only on vegetables and fruits. There are a lot of other interesting food categories and mixes that have a positive impact on your health and, therefore, should definitely be tried on a regular basis.

One of these categories is SEAFOOD. Although some of you might consider this as only an “exotic” food, proper only for special occasions, you should know that seafood could be a very good ingredient if introduced in your daily diet.

Seafood, besides the fact that is delicious, is a very good source of minerals, vitamins and proteins. Many seafood categories are low in cholesterol and sodium, low in fat (most of this fat is unsaturated – like omega -3 fatty acids – which is a good type of fat), rich in vitamins like A, B6 and B12 and minerals like phosphorus, iron, zinc and potassium.

Just to get you attention, I will next point out the 10 MAIN EXTRAORDINARY BENEFITS that seafood can have on our health:

1. Lower Blood Pressure
2. Reduce the Risk of Heart Diseases and Improve Heart Functions
3. Support Optimal Brain, Eyes and Nerves Development for Children
4. Provide Protection Against Bronchitis
5. Provide Protection Against Emphysema (associated with smoking)
6. Help People in Depression
7. Boost Immune System
8. Prevent Cancer
9. Prevent Osteoporosis and Arthritis
10. Lose Weight

As we can see, the influence seafood can have on our health is extraordinary. However, as for vegetables and fruits, some categories of seafood are better than others. This is why I made a selection of 5 of the most nutritious seafood out there:

1. Salmon

Salmon is a great source of the popular omega-3 fatty acids. This helps reduce risk of heart disease and prevents cancer. These types of acids also have anti-inflammatory functions, help the immune system and the brain. Half a fillet of cooked salmon (175 grams) has about 350 calories and 10 grams of fat. Other cold-water fish like mackerel and tuna are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.

However, when buying your salmon, keep in mind to choose the eco-friendly and sustainable option. Avoid the Atlantic farmed one and go for the wild-caught Alaskan salmon.

2. Shellfish (mussels and oysters)

Shellfish are rich in Vitamin B12 which helps the nervous system. They also provide the body with iron and important minerals like potassium and magnesium. Three ounces (about 90 grams) of mussels give you 700 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. The same amount of oysters gives you 44% of the daily recommended value of iron. Three ounces of shellfish also contain about 130 calories and 3 grams of fat.

3. Pink Shrimps

Shrimp are rich in tryptophan and selenium. They are also a great source of protein, having a much better ratio of proteins gained with fats and calories than most foods. Four ounces of shrimp have 23 grams of protein, 112 calories and less than a gram of fat. Shrimps also provide the body with vitamins D and B12. All of these benefit the cardiovascular system and, believe or not, help reduce anxiety and depression.

4. Crabs

Besides the omega-3 fatty acids, protein, selenium and natural sodium, crabs are a great source of vitamin B12 and Zinc, which helps the immune system. Crabs are also low in calories and fat.

5. Sardines

The plain sardines just had to be in our top 5 list. They are the perfect example that your food doesn’t have to be expensive in order to be nutritious.

Sardines have more omega-3 acids per serving than any other food! 3 ounces (approximately 90 grams) of sardines are packed with almost 2 grams of these miracle-acids. These make them great for brain memory and performance. Also, sardines have a high level of vitamin D, which is essential in making your bones stronger.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Brief Information on Diets

A diet is defined as the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what food to eat.
Many individuals choose the type of food by certain criteria, like:

1. Desired state of health;
2. Morality;
3. Religion;
4. Effectiveness.

It seems that in the last few years more and more people are concerned with their health, when speaking of diets.

The imbalance of consumed products results in either starvation or excessive reserves of adipose tissue (body fat) .

Vitamins and minerals are very important (poor intake can cause dramatic effects on someone’s health):

• More than 3 million children are blind because of poor intake of vitamin A;
• Lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy;
• Lack of dietary proteins can cause childhood disorders like Kwashiorkor and Marasmus;
• The intake of vitamin D can affect the absorption of other substances like calcium and phosphorus (other two very important elements);
• It is believed that more than 30% of world’s population either has or is at risk of developing iodine deficiency;
• Heart diseases and diabet are often caused by obesity.

Popularity: 8% [?]

9 Most Important Nutrients in Milk

Although cow’s milk is really best for baby cows, it’s a nutritional element that must be included in all diets.

Raw milk contains all the nutrients that have to be included in a balanced diet, like:

1. Fats
2. Carbohydrates
3. Proteins
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals (except iron)

There are more healthy elements in a 230g glass of milk than you can imagine:

1. Proteins – 8 grams
2. Carbohydrates (lactose) – 11 grams
3. Fats (depending on the type of milk: nonfat or whole milk – from less than 1 gram to 8 grams)
4. Calcium - 0.3 grams (about 35% of the daily doze needed for children). Calcium is absorbed much better from milk than from other products because it contains also vitamin D (which boosts calcium absorption)
5. Vitamin B2 – a glass of milk contains 25% of the recommended daily doze for adults
6. Vitamin B12 – 30% of the recommended doze for children
7. Vitamin D – 25% of the recommended doze for adults
8. Vitamin A – 10% of the recommended doze for adults
9. Zinc – 10% of the recommended doze for children

Proteins are some of the most important elements in raw milk. Several types of proteins can be found only in milk, like caseins (80% of milk proteins). Caseins have an appropriate amino acid composition for growth and development of the young. Other proteins in milk include enzymes, proteins involved in transportation of nutrients, proteins involved in diseases resistance (antibodies) and other growth factors.

Popularity: 5% [?]