Fish Nutritional Facts And More

Fish Nutritional Facts

Most fish are low in fat and cholesterol and a good source of protein, making them a good choice for a healthy diet. Our bodies require a certain amount of protein daily, and the body can not store protein, so we have to rebuild it in our daily diet. All fish are a good source of B vitamins and oil-rich fish are a good source of vitamins A and D. Many fish also provide a good source of calcium.

Oil-rich fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring and sardines are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids which are essential to our diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are not produced in the body, so it is important that we bring them into our diet and eating oil rich fish contains omega-3 fatty acids we need. Some of the benefits of omega-3 oils in fish are shown below.

• Reduces risk of heart attack.

• Make the blood flow more easily through the body, lower blood pressure.

• It is estimated that it helps the heart beat more persistent and reduce the risk of suffering a stroke.

• Some experts believe it may help prevent cancer cells to develop into tumor stage.

• It is also believed to reduce inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

• Omega-3 fatty acids may also contribute to the development of the brain, nerves and vision.

Fish is a good food for a low fat diet. It is low in calories and many types of fish do not contain unsaturated fat. The figure below shows the calories, fat, protein and cholesterol in many kinds of fish. The nutritional value of fish will vary slightly depending on where it is harvested, the cut of fish, and age of fish. The method used for cooking will have an effect on it.

Key points

• Fish can be divided into a number of ways, based on its natural habitat, family, or if your body fat is stored.

• Fish are a good source of protein and iodine.

• oily fish containing n-3 fatty acids (also known as omega-3 fatty acids) and vitamins A and D.

• The government says that people with the aim to eat at least two servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily. Some people may benefit from larger amounts.

For many years, ending British supplies of fish from waters across the North Atlantic and up to the Arctic Circle. Now countries have jurisdiction over their local waters. Applications of new technologies and improvements in modern trawlers have maintained the UK's fish supply. Too many fish are now imported from further a field, including the southern hemisphere. Selected fish are also bred on 'farms', where large quantities are produced to meet market demand, such as trout and salmon.

COMPOSITION

The structure of muscle in fish consists of segments of short fibers, which gives the fish its characteristic flaky texture. These segments are separated by sheets of fine connective tissue. This fabric is very fragile and can easily be converted into gelatin. The combination of short muscle fibers, and gelatin gives fish its tenderness, and is why overcooking will result in the fish falls apart.

Species

Fish can be classified according to their normal habitat or their family members:

Freshwater: eg freshwater salmon, trout, perch and freshwater eel.

Seawater - Pelagic: they swim near the surface of the sea, such as herring, mackerel, sprats and sardines.

Seawater - Demersal: they swim close to the seabed, such as cod, haddock, plaice and sole.

Shellfish: mollusks such as clams, Winkler, squid and clams. Crustaceans such as lobster, scampi, prawns and crabs.

Fish can also be classified as white (or lean) fish or oily fish, depending on how the body stores fat. Whitefish only store their fat reserves in the liver, while oily fish store their fat reserves in the flesh and the liver.

STORAGE

Fresh fish should be cooked, chilled or frozen as soon as possible. Fish and fish products should be stored as directed on package.

FEATURES

Nutrition: Fish are a good source of protein, which typically contains 15-20g protein / 100g fish. Fish contain iodine, and small fish (if eaten whole) and some canned fish provide the calcium. Although many fish live in salt water environment fish do not contain large amounts of sodium and chloride. Fatty fish is a source of vitamin A and vitamin D, while fish liver oils also contain vitamin E.

Fat: oily fish is more than 5% (5g/100g) fat in meat, sardines and salmon. Whitefish had less than 5% fat in meat, such as cod and halibut. Oily fish containing n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids (especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)). Fish liver oil, liver oil also contains n-3 fatty acids.

Soreness: When fish muscle is composed of short segments of fibers, it is not necessary to be tenderized. Segments are easily broken and you have to be taken in the preparation and cooking.

Cooking: Fish can be cooked very easily and quickly. Cooking used to improve color and taste and destroys harmful bacteria. Some fish is eaten raw, like sushi, or immersed in vinegar, which has a similar effect for cooking, as roll-mops.

 

Storage: Fish begins to deteriorate as soon as they are caught. Most fish are placed on ice or frozen to stop this process. This increases their durability.

Salting: this is a traditional method of preserving fish, still commonly used today in some parts of the world as salt cod.

Marinating: Add salt and / or acid (eg lemon juice or vinegar) might improve the taste of fish and increase its durability.

Drying: sun-drying is common in many warm areas of the world.

Smoking: It gives a distinctive flavor to the fish and serve as a kind of preservative, such as smoked mackerel.

Processing: Fish can be reformed into blocks and frozen. These blocks are usually made of fillets. Minced fish comes from trimming the fillets and recovery from the skeleton. Pickering can be formed into blocks or used to fill the fillet blocks.

 Products: A large proportion of the fish bought by consumers have been treated, such as frozen fillets, or manufactured in coated fish products such as fish fingers, where blocks of fish has been cut into shapes and covered with batter or breadcrumbs.

Dietary guidelines

Diet containing fish, especially oily fish, is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. It is thought that n-3 fatty acids found in fish are heart protective.

For some time people have dietary guidelines recommend that fish consumption should be at least two servings of fish per week (~ 140g), one of which should be oily fish. On average, adults eat in the United Kingdom 1 / 3 of a portion of oily fish a week, with 70% of adults eat no oily fish at all. Recently the UK government's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) issued updated advice on the consumption of oily fish, knowing that some groups of people can benefit from additional intake and take into account exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) . Dioxins and PCBs are environmental contaminants that accumulate in the fatty tissue of fish.

Dioxins in fatty fish varies between species, herring contains the largest quantities, trout contains the lowest, with salmon and mackerel, which contain intermediate amounts. Dioxins and PCBs are also present in small amounts in a variety of other foods. SACN confirmed that the existing recommendations and advised that:

• Girls and women of childbearing age, including pregnant and lactating women should aim to eat between 1 and 2 portions of oily fish a week.

• Women past reproductive age, boys and men should aim to eat between 1 and 4 portions of oily fish a week.

• Exceeding the recommended levels of consumption in the short term would not have adverse effects on health.

In addition, the Food Standards Agency advises that women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant and women who are breastfeeding, avoid sharks, marlin and swordfish. This is because of concerns about potential exposure to methylmercury. These women are also advised to limit consumption of tuna to no more than two 140g portions of fresh tuna or four 140g portions of canned tuna. Children under 16 are advised to avoid shark, marlin and swordfish also.