Which fish is healthier for humans? Fried fish - the benefits and harms. Benefits of fish and fish products
For those who honor fasting, it is very important to saturate the body with protein. What, if not a fish, will help to do this? But before using this food product, let's think about the maximum benefit of it for the body. After all, fish are different. What type of it to prefer - sea or river?
Fish are divided not only by habitat, but also by the fat content of their meat. It is also important to know where this creature was caught. After all, fish absorb into their flesh all the negative substances from an environmentally unfavorable environment. And carp, perch and crucian carp grown in artificial reservoirs are often fed with food waste, which makes their meat taste like pork. In this article we will consider the question of which fish is the most useful for humans.
Food value
The Russians have recently underestimated the inhabitants of the seas and rivers. There is more and more meat on the tables. Is it any wonder that cancer, myocardial infarction and stroke have come out on top as causes of death? Let's take a closer look at the usefulness of fish as a food product.
Its most important quality is the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are also called Omega-3s. You will not find such compounds either in animal meat, or in vegetables, or in fruits. Some varieties of fish contain more omega-3s than others. Below we will talk about the beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on the body.
Phosphorus is another essential nutrient found in all types of fish. When there is a lack of this mineral in the body, problems with teeth, bones, and memory begin. rich in iodine. This mineral has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the brain. But the most important thing that fish is useful for is protein digestibility. Despite the fact that the meat of some varieties of the inhabitants of the seas is superior in calories to beef, these fats are quickly broken down by the body. That is why fish, as nutritionists advise, should be on the table at least three times a week.
Panacea for health?
There is no "universal pill" that cures all diseases. Therefore, there is no such product, eating which one could live a long and happy life. Fish are quite low in iron, so you should get this mineral from other sources. But the chemical composition of the inhabitants of the waters is quite rich. When looking for an answer to the question of which fish is healthier, we should focus on the problem that worries us.
Are you heartbroken? Lean on varieties of fish rich in Omega-3 (salmon, sardine, mackerel, ocean herring). This acid helps to establish a heart rhythm, reduces blood clotting, cleanses blood vessels and normalizes blood pressure.
Do you want to lose weight? Then low-fat varieties of fish (pollock, hake, navaja) will suit you. These types are high in protein.
Cod with sea bass (sea bass) will also help build muscle mass. To improve the liver, lean on halibut. To saturate the body with iodine, eat sea fish. River inhabitants (perch, crucian carp, carp, carp) will be useful for people with problems of the gastrointestinal tract. Pike meat is an antiseptic that helps fight infection. The benefits of catfish fish have long been proven. Its sweetish meat of medium fat content is good for the skin and nervous system.
Which fish is healthier - wild-caught or captive-bred?
This question is not as simple as it seems at first. On the one hand, fish in their natural habitat feed on a variety of foods. She moves in search of food over long distances, which does not allow her to accumulate unnecessary fats. Such individuals are not stressed by living in small water bodies. All this affects the taste of meat. But on the other hand, unfavorable ecology directly affects the benefits of fish for the human body.
Individuals that live in polluted lakes and rivers can do more harm than good. No less dangerous to health and some marine life. To the question "Which fish is healthier?" Asked a hundred or two hundred years ago, the answer would be: Atlantic tuna. But now its population has been catastrophically reduced. And the meat of individuals that can be caught contains dangerous mercury.
Fish living in their natural habitat are more likely to be infected with helminths than those raised in captivity. But often the inhabitants of the ponds are fed with ordinary food waste, which negatively affects the taste characteristics of their meat and reduces their beneficial properties.
by fat content
All inhabitants of salt and fresh water bodies are divided into three large groups. The main criterion for classification is the saturation of their meat with Omega-3 acids. We mentioned the benefits of this acid above. It lowers the level of triglycerides in the blood, and therefore has a beneficial effect on those who are at risk of strokes. Fish oil also strengthens nails, teeth, makes skin and hair healthy, helps fight depression and other nervous diseases.
In this light, the answer to the question of which fish is the most useful for humans is obvious. First of all, these are all types of salmon (salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon) and sturgeon (sterlet, stellate sturgeon). The fat content in them is not less than 8%. This group also includes some types of herring, eel, halibut, mackerel.
And, finally, in hake, pollock, cod, navaga, river perch, grenadier, flounder, pike, bream, blue whiting, fat is less than 4%. But in these types of fish there are a lot of proteins. The calorie content of representatives of this category is only 80-100 calories per 100 gr. product. Therefore, such fish is good for those who want to lose weight.
We disassemble the bones: what do cores and hypertensive patients need
To solve health problems, it is important to eliminate cholesterol plaques that can block blood vessels. And Omega-3 polyunsaturated acids do the best job with this.
Which category is fatty? This is mackerel. It contains many considered acids. But saturated fats, which can harm people with reduced stomach secretion, are quite few. Again, you need to consider in what form to use mackerel. It is often sold smoked. It is important to understand that such processing of meat, especially with hot smoke, reduces the use of baked or cold smoked mackerel.
A treasure trove of beauty and youth
Which fish is good for healthy hair, skin, nails and teeth? The one in which there are a lot of vitamins E and the B line. And in this regard, how not to recall the so-called red fish species. These are chum salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon, salmon, salmon. Their meat is very fatty, not inferior in calories to pork. But don't worry. This fat is well absorbed by the body and does not contain harmful cholesterol. On the contrary, it carries dissolved vitamins A, E and D. But most of all vitamin B, which is responsible for healthy shine of hair, ideal skin condition and strength of nails, is in salmon. There is so much of it that 100 grams of fish is enough to replenish the daily intake of this vitamin.
Are you afraid that, along with the density of your hair, extra pounds will stick to you due to the frequent use of fatty salmon? Then switch to freshwater fish species. Dietary, but no less beneficial for the health of the skin and hair, are perch, pike perch, carp, carp, crucian carp.
For expectant mothers
Trout is a healthy fish for pregnant women. It is less fat than salmon, but it contains no less Omega-3s. If a woman who is expecting a child eats a fish dish at least once a week, then she will more easily endure all the hardships associated with pregnancy (toxicosis, hair loss, etc.). Docosahexaenoic acid, which belongs to the Omega-3 type, lowers the level of prostaglandins, which affect the activity of the uterus and thus reduce the risk of miscarriage.
Any fish included in the diet of pregnant women contributes to the normal development of the fetus. Unsaturated acids have a positive effect on brain activity, protect a pregnant woman from nervous breakdowns. Sea fish for expectant mothers should be alternated with freshwater.
For obese people
What can you advise losing weight, what kind of fish is healthy? For health, pollock and hake fillets can be recommended. It is also worth including dietary meat of saffron cod, cod and other types of lean fish in the diet. Especially tasty is such a popular product of Mediterranean cuisine as a sea wolf (another name for sea bass). 100 grams of this fish contains only 112 calories. Obese people often suffer from liver disease. In this case, they should eat halibut more often. The meat of this fish contains selenium - a substance that synthesizes antioxidants and protects the liver from free radicals. Tuna perfectly normalizes metabolism and thus also contributes to weight loss.
Fried fish: benefits and harms
This all-around healthy food can be a threat when it:
- stale,
- grown in an ecologically unfavorable reservoir,
- infected with helminths.
It is equally important to know how to cook fish. After all, then you should take into account related products. Boiled fish is especially good for health. The benefits of a fried product are much less. After all, vegetable oil, when heated, begins to release carcinogens. But, on the other hand, fried fish has such an appetizing crispy crust ... No other type of product processing will do this. There is only one conclusion: you need to fry the fish in a non-stick pan without oil.
Fish is the favorite food of millions of people around the world. The number of fish species and recipes for their preparation is striking in its diversity. At the same time, the disputes of experts about the benefits and harms of fish have flared up more and more over the past few years. In this article, we will try to understand what are the beneficial properties of fish and how it can harm our health, as well as how to minimize possible harm to the body. But to decide whether or not to use this delicious product, each person will have to decide on their own.
The benefits of fish:
First of all, fish is a source of easily digestible high-quality protein, rich in essential amino acids. In addition, fish, especially sea fish, contains many (, D,) and minerals (, phosphorus, and others), as well as unsaturated fatty acids. It is the rich composition that makes fish very healthy. Regular consumption of fish favorably affects the condition of almost all organs and systems of the human body.
You can read about the beneficial properties of specific types of fish in the relevant articles:
Harm to fish:
There are a number of reasons that can make even a very healthy fish extremely dangerous to human health.
Take care of yourself and be healthy!
Fish is one of the most beloved foods of people all over the planet. We love different fish: river, sea and ocean, white and red, oily and not oily. We eat it in any form and it pleases us with its unique tastes in the form of boiled, stewed, fried, baked, salted, pickled, smoked and even raw. There are many more supporters of eating fish than meat, because even some vegetarians eat fish, knowing what is in the contents of its meat.
It contains vitamins A, D, E, calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc.
Like chicken meat, fish contains very high quality protein, which is well absorbed by the human body. It, in turn, contains almost all the essential amino acids needed by the body.
The benefits of fish are as follows:
- saturation of the body with high-quality protein;
- normalization of blood coagulation function;
- lowering cholesterol in the blood;
- normalization of thyroid function and prevention of its diseases;
- improvement of vision;
- normalization of the nervous system, improvement of memory, sleep, reduction of irritability;
- increase in life expectancy;
– improvement of the condition of the skin, hair, nails, bones and teeth;
- normalization of metabolism;
- contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and strengthening of the cardiovascular system
- fish does not lead to weight gain, even oily fish, due to its unsaturated fatty acids, does not contribute to weight gain and when consumed, you can lose weight, so nutritionists often advise eating boiled or baked fish for weight loss.
Now it is worth talking about the dangers of fish. Harm to fish can be observed due to the action of several aspects:
- if the fish itself is harmful, contains harmful and toxic substances in its composition. It can be oily fish (contains fatty acids indigestible by the human body, therefore it causes severe intestinal upset and diarrhea), Brown Puffer or Fugu (contains toxic substances in meat), Dogfish, Hedgehog Fish, Triggerfish, Moon-fish , Crimean barbel or madder, barracuda or sea pike - all these fish are toxic and can cause paralysis or even death;
- if the fish was stored incorrectly. Fish is a perishable product and requires special storage conditions.
- It is believed that smoked fish is harmful due to the excess of carcinogens in it that cause cancer. Cold-smoked fish is not very harmful, but hot-smoked fish contains a lot of carcinogens.
How to eat fish?
How to choose a fish?
Fresh fish should have a pleasant specific fishy smell, it should not be unpleasant and sharp. The flesh of the fish should not be loose, it should be elastic and, when pressed with a finger, quickly restore its shape. The color of fish meat may vary depending on the type of fish (it can be white, translucent, red-orange, pinkish red), but should not be green or yellow.
How to store fish?
Fresh fish can be stored in the refrigerator or by freezing. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to several days, and in the freezer it can be stored for up to several months.
Says a lot about the benefits of fish, but in order to get it exactly, you need to follow the rules for its selection, storage and preparation.
What kind of fish do you like and what do you think about it? Share your opinion in the comments below.
Fish has been one of the most important foods in the human diet since the dawn of the human race. Many types of river and sea fish today overflow the windows of our stores. It is sold fresh and frozen, salted, smoked, dried, various canned food and even sausage are made from it. What are the health benefits of eating fish?
The benefits of sea and river fish
One of the best sources of animal protein in the human body is fish. Eating fish is much more preferable for us than meat.
Its protein contains all the amino acids we need, and, unlike meat, fish contains a large amount of such an important amino acid as methionine.
There is little connective tissue and fat in fish protein (only about 30% in the fattest species), so it is faster and easier to digest. Fish is digested in the stomach in 1.5–2 hours, and, for example, beef in 5 hours. The percentage of digestibility of fish by our body is 94–98%, while meat is digested only by 85–89%.
The calorie content of fish is also less than that of meat. In 100 g of beef, you can find more than 160 kcal, and in river fish there are no more than 90.
In addition, fish is a very valuable food product also because it contains a fairly large amount of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and beta-carotene. These substances are involved in intercellular processes and are simply irreplaceable for the body.
Scientists have long noticed that in those countries where fish is the main and daily product on the dinner table, people are much less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, they have almost no cardiac arrhythmia, shortness of breath, they are more active and less tired than "meat-eaters" .
It has been proven that if you eat sea fish at least once every 7 days, the risk of a heart attack is reduced by more than 2 times, and a stroke by 22%! Daily consumption of marine fish in food further reduces the likelihood of these diseases!
In addition, regular consumption of fish prevents the occurrence of cancer.
However, this effect is inherent only in oily sea fish: mackerel, tuna, herring, salmon, sardines and even sprat, and river fish almost do not have it.
Any fish contains many trace elements - magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium, and especially phosphorus. Sea fish contains a lot of bromine, fluorine and iodine. Also in the fish there is iron, copper, manganese, sulfur, sodium, selenium and even gold. All types of fish are rich in vitamins B, D, E, and fish liver contains a high content of vitamin A.
In folk medicine, fish has long been used as a remedy. Fish glue helped with hemorrhages, fish oil healed wounds, the liver of oily fish relieved eyesores, and tench meat treated gout and fever.
Nowadays, such drugs as compolon, pancreatin, insulin and many, many others are produced from fish.
Sea fish is useful:
To reduce excess weight (there are quite few calories in it);
With various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (easily digested by the stomach);
In diseases of the thyroid gland (contains a lot of iodine);
It has an antitumor effect (due to the high content of vitamins B and E, unsaturated acids in it);
It has an anti-inflammatory effect (again, iodine!);
Favorably affects the cardiovascular system, thereby reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks (potassium, vitamins B, B1, D, unsaturated acids);
Improves eyesight (there are a lot of vitamins A and B2 in fish);
Reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood (due to the high content in it of unsaturated acids omega-6, omega-9, vitamins B3 and B12);
Contributes to the normalization of higher nervous activity (contains iodine, calcium, iron, magnesium, B vitamins, omega-3);
Increases lifespan.
River fish is less healthy than sea fish, but still preferable to any meat. Among river fish, zander, pike, bream and burbot are considered the most delicious and healthy.
The amount of protein and fat in different types of river fish is different. Perch, pike perch and pike have only 1% fat, and in bream, carp and catfish its content is 2.5%.
An interesting fact - in terms of the amount of protein contained, pike perch is ahead of chicken, and carp is superior to beef!
The healthiest fish is fresh fish, so try to eat it whenever possible. Frozen fish is no longer so useful, and smoked fish can be harmful in general.
During the spawning period, the fish is most useful and nutritious, and during the spawning period, it is the most depleted.
The daily intake of fish is 150–200 g for an adult.
Harm to fish
Like any other food product, fish can, along with the benefits, cause significant harm to our health.
Some 70-100 years ago, the situation with the ecology on our planet was completely different. And over the past decades, people have managed to spoil the air, water, and land so much that, unfortunately, many foodstuffs have moved from the category of useful to the category of unhealthy. Alas, this circumstance can be fully attributed to fish. Therefore, when eating a particular type of fish, it is first of all desirable to know where it was caught. Fish from ecologically polluted regions is also contaminated with various kinds of toxins and slags, which easily enter the body of a person who feeds on such fish. It would never occur to us to drink water from such a dirty reservoir, but we often do not think about the harm that fish caught in it can do to our body!
According to statistics from the US Department of Health, marine fish and seafood are the most common cause of all food poisoning and take first place in this sad list every year!
Such poisoning, in addition to feeling unwell, diarrhea, vomiting and headache, can lead to impaired functioning of the kidneys, the human nervous system, and in severe cases, death.
We all know what a terrible impression our rivers and lakes sometimes make on us. The oceans and seas, unfortunately, are no exception to this rule. Sea fish in the course of its life, like a sponge, accumulates salts of heavy metals, and lead, and mercury, and arsenic, and radioactive cesium, and other chemical elements that are very harmful to health.
Fish grown in special artificial reservoirs, despite the fact that they live in clean water, can also pose a threat to our health. This is due to the fact that such fish, as a rule, are treated with food made from the waste of the same fish production, in which there are plenty of harmful substances.
The larger and older the fish, the more harmful substances it contains, so small fish are more preferable for our food than large fish species. Shark meat, swordfish, king mackerel, giant mackerel, lofolatilus and some types of tuna are considered to be the most harmful.
Least of all mercury and its compounds are found in salmon, pollock, whitefish, catfish, light tuna (this species is used in the preparation of canned fish) and shrimp.
Mercury and its compounds are the strongest poison for the human body, and in addition, they have the ability to accumulate in it and cause incurable diseases, including cancer.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning can include depression, fatigue, inability to concentrate, headaches, and hair loss.
Few people know that fish is the only source of mercury in our body and there is no mercury in other foods!
Tuna may contain a special potent fish poison called ciguatera, which causes severe poisoning.
In many European countries, tuna and canned food from it are prohibited for consumption during pregnancy at the official state level!
During this period, pink salmon, nelma, beluga, chinook, saffron cod, saithe and hake, which is so common in our country, are also considered dangerous for the health of the expectant mother.
Smoked fish also does a lot of harm to our body. Carcinogens, which are formed in it during smoking, provoke the development of various kinds of cancer. The greatest danger in this regard is fish cooked by hot smoking, especially made not in industrial conditions, but in a handicraft way at the stake.
Cold-smoked fish is less dangerous, although it is not recommended to eat it more than once every 10 days, but there is no need to talk about its at least some benefit at all.
Today, very often unscrupulous manufacturers generally replace the process of smoking fish by soaking it in the so-called liquid smoke, which, in essence, is nothing more than tar. And although such a fish in its appearance and taste practically does not differ much from smoked fish, the harm from eating it increases tenfold!
Possible harm from fish
In healthy women, an excessive passion for fish and seafood can lead to infertility and problems with conception.
Toxins that may be contained in fish can be especially harmful to pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children. A large amount of marine fish eaten by this category of people can lead to breast cancer, fetal malformations and, as a result, to underdevelopment and dementia of the child. Therefore, the recommended dose of marine fish for such people should not exceed 350 g per week.
Fish can cause severe allergies, so people prone to this disease should be very careful about eating it.
Fatty fish should be avoided if you have problems with overweight, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, obesity and diabetes.
With gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers and other diseases associated with increased acidity of gastric juice, you should generally stop eating fried fish. If you suffer from these diseases, give preference to steamed dishes or eat boiled fish.
Everyone knows that fish is the most valuable and nutritious product that should be present in our diet at least a couple of times a week.
Historically, freshwater fish has been especially popular in our country. In some regions, this situation still persists. Still, if there is some kind of river nearby, or maybe a lake or a pond, then fishing for many residents becomes not only a favorite pastime, but sometimes even the livelihood of their own family.
As for sea fish, there is now a huge assortment on sale. Exotic species of fish and non-fish seafood are widely represented in retail chains. If earlier it was possible to taste sea clams or oysters only in some expensive restaurants, now things are better ... And this is quite justified, because sea fish has countless advantages.
Firstly, the main plus that distinguishes the inhabitants of the seas from their river relatives is the high content of complete protein. Fish protein, like meat, contains all the essential amino acids, and it is absorbed much faster and easier. Depending on the breed of marine fish, the percentage of protein ranges from 20 to 26 percent. For comparison, in the river it rarely reaches 20 percent.
There is not so much fat in fish, and therefore the calorie content of fish is much lower than that of meat. But fish oil is a unique source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic and archidonic acids, which are part of brain cells and cell membranes. Cod liver oil, tuna, conger eel is very rich in vitamins A and D (0.5-0.9 mg/%).
Also, sea fish contains a whole complex of vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 and PP. It also contains vitamin C, but in smaller amounts.
Sea fish pampers our body with iodine, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and sulfur. Among other trace elements that help maintain good health, bromine, fluorine, copper, iron, zinc, manganese, etc. are distinguished. By the way, it has been proven that freshwater fish, unlike marine fish, do not contain iodine and bromine.
And finally, I note that the methods of cooking sea fish differ from river fish. If you want to feed your family or guests with a truly tasty and healthy sea fish dish, then it does not hurt to remember some rules:
1) With prolonged cooking or stewing, sea fish completely loses its structure, turns into a tasteless porridge. In addition, long cooking contributes to the loss of vitamins. Control the time so as not to spoil the fish!
2) Marine fish has a specific smell. Baking fish in dough and batter helps to correct this shortcoming. This will help preserve the natural properties of the fish and eliminate the sharp iodine odor. It is also recommended to pre-soak the fish in milk or water acidified with lemon juice.
3) In sea fish, the head, in which harmful substances are deposited, is never eaten.
4) Before cooking, sea fish should be thawed in cold water. Do not do this with warm or hot water. So the fish will become tasteless and lose its appearance.
Appetizing seafood dishes! Health and wellness!
