7 Healthiest Varieties Of Oily Fish


Posted May 28, 2018 by bellfeednow

There are a variety of fish and seafood species that offer different nutrients. Oily fish contain a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids that help prevent heart disease and provide vitamin D.

 
Fish and seafood must be included in your diet to enjoy a good state of health. Two servings of fish a week provide us with essential nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids which are needed for a healthy cardiovascular system and even in weight loss diets. Generally, fish are also rich in protein and have a low amount of unhealthy saturated fat. Let’s see which are the 7 healthiest varieties of oily fish.


Fish Species And Seafood Which Are Good For Our Health
There are a variety of fish and seafood species that offer different nutrients. Oily fish contain a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids that help prevent heart disease and provide vitamin D.

Also, fatty fish contain bones that can be eaten and are a good source of calcium and phosphorus that keep the humans bones strong.

Generally, fat fish whose bones can eat are preserved, such as sardines, tuna, and even salmon. Salmon, macro, carp, trout, and herring are examples of healthy oily fatty fish. Besides, fish with white meat also presents a low-fat content and represents a good alternative to red meat or processed meat containing more fats, especially unsaturated fats.

Examples of white-meat fish include cod, shawl, camel, eaglefish, red chestnut, dovetail, and tilapia.

Seafood is low in fat and is a good source of zinc, iodine, copper, and selenium. Some types of seafood such as mussels, oysters, squid, and crab are rich in omega-3 fatty acids but do not contain as much as fatty fish.

Other seafood that we should include in our diet, besides those already mentioned is the shrimp.

A healthy diet should include two servings of fish per week, one of which should be fatty fish. However, there are some recommendations on how much fish we can consume, depending on the type of fish and the age groups.

We can consume a serving of fatty fish per week, about 140 grams, to four servings. Fatty fish contain a low amount of pollutants that accumulate in the body, so women who want to become pregnant in the near future, those who are already pregnant, or those who are breastfeeding should not in any way consume more than two servings of fatty fish per week.

The number of pollutants found in fatty fish, albeit lower compared to other fish species, can affect the development of the fetus in the uterus.

Instead, women who are not pregnant or planning pregnancy in the near future, and men, can consume up to four servings of fatty fish per week.

Whitefish can be consumed in unlimited quantities except for a few species of fish that contain high amounts of pollutants, such as corn, seagrass, turbot, halibut, and rock salmon, also known as sea dog.

Although shark and marlins, also known as beak, are part of the white fish category, there are some recommendations for their consumption.

Children, pregnant women or those who want to become pregnant should not consume shark or marlin meat because it contains a significant amount of mercury. Generally, adults should not consume more than one serving of shark or marlin per week.

In terms of seafood consumption, there are no restrictions except for brown meat crab containing a large number of pollutants.

7 Healthiest Varieties Of Oily Fish

Salmon
Some people argue that farmed salmon is better and safer than the wild salmon. It is cheaper, that’s for sure.

However, wild salmon is richer in vitamins, fatty acids, and protein. And the Alaskan Salmon sub-species is the best and among the safest when it comes to mercury content.

Cod
Codfish is a very healthy fish as it contains niacin, B12, about 20 gram of proteins per 3-ounce serving, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, plus a lot of other nutrients, including phosphorus.

In fact, the cod, especially cod liver, is the main ingredient in fish oil supplements.

Herring
Herring is another fatty fish rich in sodium, phosphorus, and healthy fatty acids. It is very similar to the sardines, so you can also find it preserved in cans or smoked.

Mackerel
Mackerel is very rich in omega-family fatty acids, therefore, is beneficial in reducing blood pressure and elimination of the plaques formed on the blood vessels’ walls.

Tuna
It is probably the most common fish after sardines as it is found practically anywhere preserved in cans. However, it is much healthier to get fresh tuna and prepare it yourself as it is an oily fish rich in omega fatty acids, vitamins, and proteins.

Sardines
These fish are, similarly to tuna, most common fish on the market. They are preserved in cans and they come at an affordable price making them the best snack for every person.

However, you can also find smoked sardines and even fresh sardines to prepare them as you wish.

Sardines are contained proteins and fish oil, as well as other nutrients, making it the most cost-effective healthy oily fish.

Tilapia
Tilapia is rich in selenium, B6, B12, niacin, pantothenic acid, potassium, phosphorus, and, of course, omega3 fatty acids.

Besides being one of the 7 healthiest varieties of oily fish, Tilapia is also the best fatty fish in weight loss diets as it is boosting the metabolism rate.

The danger of mercury in fish

Mercury is a natural element found in air, water, and food. Most people are exposed to mercury through food.

The fish is contaminated with mercury in the watercourses and the oceans in which it lives and feeds. This mercury forms the most toxic form, namely methylmercury, and affects the tissue proteins of the human body, such as the muscles.

The rapacious fish have the highest amount of mercury from all fish species.

Low-mercury fish and seafood include anchovies, escalope, hake, crab, crawfish, herring, mackerel, cambula, salamander, salmon, sardines, shrimp, shrimp, calamar, tilapia, lobsters, oysters.

Fish species with moderate mercury content, which should be eaten up to six times a month, include carp, cod, halibut, tuna, perch, and Atlantic cod.

Fish species with a high mercury content, which should be eaten at most three times a month, occasionally or not at all include shark, marlin, bluefin tuna, swordfish.

Techniques for preparing fish do not significantly reduce the amount of mercury. Unborn babies are most prone to the negative effects of mercury because the substance is transmitted to the fetus through the placenta.

In the third and fourth months of pregnancy, the fetus is the most sensitive to mercury but the effects are only evident in the developmental stages including walking and speaking, which can be delayed. Also, the baby’s memory, communication, and attention can be affected.

Indications on fatty fish purchasing and preparation

Methylmercury in fish consumed by women during pregnancy poses a threat to the health of the child only when the fetus is in the uterus. The level of mercury in breast milk is not high enough to affect the child's health.

Mercury found in shark, marlin and swordfish can affect the nervous system of children under the age of 16.

Over time, the body has the ability to remove mercury. Therefore, safe consumption limits are only exceeded if we eat large portions of mercury-rich fish over a long period of time.

People who are allergic to fish may only be allergic to some types of fish or seafood. Most fish reactions occur when a person consumes or touches the fish or breathes the vapors formed during the preparation of the fish.

In essence, fatty fish consumption should be limited specifically due to the potential toxicity of its mercury content. I do not say that any oily fish you buy contains mercury but since you can’t be totally sure about its origin, it would be wise to limit to 2-3 servings per week. However, another trick would be to fry the fish instead of preparing it in an oil bath in the oven.

Also, even among the 7 healthiest varieties of oily fish presented above, mercury can be depicted, depending on where you buy your fish from. Most of the fatty fish on the market comes from fisheries and are, supposedly, safe but you may buy, without knowing it, fish coming directly from rivers and lakes, thus, exposing you to mercury. You always have to be sure about the origin of the fish.
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Issued By BellFeed
Website Omega Burn
Country United States
Categories Health
Tags omega 3
Last Updated May 28, 2018