Most health professionals recommend that one should eat fish at least twice a week (not fatty fish though). Their argument is that it lowers health risks. Do they recommend that because it is a replacement for red meat? Or there is more to that.
Most fish, especially herring and salmon are good for the health of your heart. They contain omega-3 fatty acids that only give you more and more reasons to eat fish. Adults are advised to consume at least eight ounces of seafood and fish on a weekly basis. The reason for this is that fish has a variety of helpful nutrients. These include: protein, vitamins A and D as well as B vitamins, and a host of minerals such as iron, iodine, selenium and zinc.
Pregnant women need it
When it comes to pregnant and breast-feeding women, they should consume at least 12 ounces of seafood for the benefit of the infant. However, they have to avoid fish whose methyl mercury content is high.
The best fish variety recommended for this special group is king mackerel, tilefish, shark and swordfish and limiting tuna.
A spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Jennifer McDaniel, says that the saturation of fat and cholesterol in fish is low. The people reliant on the Mediterranean diet were found by research to record a lower risk for obesity. But the problem is that most people do not consider that and focus only on omega-3.
Fish is the best source of protein compared to meat. The reason for this is that it has low calorie content. For example, a cooked four-ounce portion of cod contains 26 grams of protein but only one gram of fat and 120 calories, compared with a grilled four-ounce portion of lean T-bone steak, which has 28 grams of protein, 18 grams of fat and 278 calories.
Nutrient content varies with fish type
The content of nutrient will vary depending on the type of fish. The selenium content in shellfish is particularly higher while iodine is highest in saltwater. The seafood iron is easily absorbed into the body that iron obtained from the plants.