- Make It Yourself Lavender Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs!
- 20 Things You Never Knew About “Down There”
- 12 Best Foods For Those Suffering From Arthritis Pain
- 12 Personal Hygiene Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes (Mom Never Told You About #4!)
- 15 Medicinal Plants And Herbs From The Cherokee People
- 12 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
- 12 Outstanding Winter Foods That Won’t Fatten You Up Like A Christmas Turkey
12 Reasons to Hit Up the Sushi Bar Yet Again This Week
Photo credit: bigstock.com
We aren’t just talking about sushi, but fish in general. Although the last few years have not been good ones as far as fish are concerned, between the disaster at Fukushima and mercury contamination rates rising, but the truth is the benefits from eating fish far outweigh the risks of possible contamination.
The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stated in their January issue of 2014 that fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel) are the healthiest sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The two major sources of omega-3 long chain fatty acids found in fish are EPA and DHA. These are essential fatty acids as our bodies do not make them, which means we need to consume them. Most people get their omega-3s from plant based sources such as walnuts or flax seeds. Although these are good sources, fish is a far better source. Our body only partially converts the ALA fatty acids in plants into EPA and DHA. Fish is the real deal. They are loaded with those omega-3s and our bodies can make full use of them.
What exactly can those omega-3s do for us? You won’t believe it! Keep reading and find out everything that little can of tuna can do for your health!
1. Protect Your Eyesight
As we age, a disease called macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment, can destroy our eyesight literally in the blink of an eye. There have been studies showing that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish can offer us protection from this terrible disease. One study showed that subjects who consumed fish had a 42 percent lower risk of developing macular degeneration in a study done with women. A second study found that eating fatty fish just once a week was connected to a 53 percent lower risk of developing macular degeneration. So eat some fish and protect your valuable eyesight!
2. Protect Your Heart
The two most common causes of death in the world are heart attacks and strokes. Eating fish can be one of the best things you can do to protect yourself from these two killers. Numerous large observational studies have shown that people who eat fish on a regular basis have much lower rates of strokes, heart attacks, and death from heart disease. One study involved more than 40,000 males in America who regularly consumed 1 or more servings of fish each week. This study found that these men had a 15 percent lower risk of developing heart disease. Studies also show that eating fatty fish is even more beneficial to the heart because of those omega-3s we talked about earlier.
3. Improve Your Sleep
Sleep disorders have become incredibly commonplace, not only in the US, but around the world. There are a variety of reasons for this, such as exposure to the blue light from cell phones and computers, a lack of vitamin D, and anxiety issues. Believe it or not, eating fish seems to help with sleep problems. One study involved 95 middle aged men. Over the 6 month study period, these men were instructed to eat salmon 3 times each week. All the subjects had improvements in their sleep quality as well as their daily functions. Although researchers believe this might be due to the vitamin D in salmon, they say it might also be from the omega-3s. Whichever is the culprit, eating fish a few times per week might lead you to sleep better at night. What do you have to lose besides some sleepless nights? Read more about the food that will help you sleep better.
Continue to Page 2
Photo credit: bigstock.com
4. Up Your Brain Power
If you have a big test or an important meeting coming up soon, you might want to hit up that sushi bar before your big day. Studies show that when a group of men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 were given fish oil supplements and then asked to conduct memory tests, the group that received the fish oil did far better on these tests than those who received placebos. Researchers working with rats found that the lack of omega-3 in the body can deplete the stores of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, which is linked to working memory and brain function.
5. Fights Depression
Clinical depression is not just having the blues; depression is considered to be a serious common mental disorder. Depression is characterized by feelings of sadness, lethargy, a loss of interest in life or pleasurable activities, and sometimes even suicidal thoughts. Although depression isn’t discussed nearly as much as obesity or heart disease, it is a huge problem around the globe. The good news is that studies show that those who eat fish on a regular basis are less likely to become depressed. Numerous controlled studies have found that the omega-3s in fish are helpful in the fight against depression. They can also boost the effectiveness of anti-depressant medications. This means that fish can make you happier and feel good about life!
6. Great Source of Vitamin D
Next to the sun, fish is one of the best sources of vitamin D by far. This vital vitamin works like a steroid hormone inside the body and most Americans have serious deficiencies. Just one 4 ounce serving of cooked salmon has 100 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin D. Cod liver oil and some other types of fish oil are also rich in vitamin D with some of them providing you with more than 200 percent of your recommended intake. If you don’t get much natural sunlight and you are not a fan of fish, you might need to take a fish oil supplement.
Continue to Page 3
Photo credit: bigstock.com
7. Lower Your Risk of Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune disease is when your body’s immune system goes haywire and attacks and destroys its own healthy body tissues or systems. A good example of an autoimmune disease is type 1 diabetes, which is the immune system attacking the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Numerous studies have shown that the omega-3s in fish can lead to a reduced risk of developing type 1 diabetes in both children and adults. Omega-3s have also been shown to reduce the risk of other autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
8. Helps Prevent Asthma
One of the most common childhood diseases in asthma, which is a chronic inflammation of the airways. Asthma rates have increased drastically over the last few years. Studies have shown that eating fish regularly has been linked to a 24 percent lower risk in the development of asthma in children. Many people shy away from giving their children fish for fear of a seafood allergy but the benefit of eating fish is clear for children. Start your children eating fish when they are very young to help encourage this healthy habit and possibly stave off childhood asthma. Read more about natural remedies for asthma.
9. Live Longer!
A new review of long term studies found that subjects who had high blood levels of omega-3s in fish oil were 27 percent less likely to die during the 16 year study periods and in fact, they lived, on average, two years longer than those who had low levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
Continue to Page 4
Photo credit: bigstock.com
10. Offers Protection for Your Grey Matter
Perhaps one of the most dire consequences of aging is that our brain function can deteriorate or even undergo neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Interestingly enough, studies have shown that people who eat fish regularly have lower and slower rates of cognitive decline. Believe it or not, we jokingly call our brains grey matter, but grey matter is a major functional tissue within the brain. This grey matter is what stores memories, it contains neurons that process information and what makes you human. Studies show that those who eat fish actually have more grey matter in the center of their brains that regulate both memory and emotions.
11. Crucial for Your Baby’s Development
The omega-3s in fish are absolutely essential for the growth and development of your baby. Omega-3 fatty acids accumulate in the eyes and brain, which is why pregnant women and nursing mothers are encouraged to eat plenty of fish. Unfortunately, because fish are contaminated with mercury, pregnant women should only consume fish that are low on the food chain such as trout, salmon, and sardines. Low on the food chain means smaller fish as larger fish, such as tuna, grow to be quite old and consume other fish, meaning they have many years to accumulate toxins and mercury in their flesh. Pregnant women should also avoid sushi, as it can have worms and microorganisms that can harm the developing baby.
SEE ALSO: My Sushi Might Contain What?!
12. Tastes Great and is Easy to Make
OK, so this isn’t technically a health benefit, but what good is a food if it’s expensive, hard to find, hard to cook, and tastes like pond scum? Even those who don’t really like fish can usually find some type of fish that appeals to them such as tuna, halibut, or salmon. Fish is sold in cans so you can add it to just about any salad or pasta meal quickly and easily. Always choose wild caught fish over farmed fish. Wild fish have considerably more omega-3s and are less likely to be polluted with antibiotics, fed GMO diets, and be more disease free than factory farmed fish. Wild fish might be a bit more expensive, but it is definitely worth the cost.
References:
