Why Eat Fish? 5 Science-Backed Reasons
When it comes to offering the perfect blend of taste and nutritional value, nothing surpasses fish meat. It is a versatile food, packed with a little bit of everything. And, it offers a high caloric intake in addition to countless health benefits. While some people may not be all thrilled with picking out the bones from the flesh (thank God for finger fish), there are some tried and tested health benefits that this wonder-meat can endow us.
Here are five science-backed reasons why fish meat is great for you and why you can never have enough of it (unless you’ve got an upset stomach, in which case, give it a break):
#1: Best Nutritional Blend — No, I’m Not Just Saying It
Let me put it like this: fish is miles better than chicken, turkey, beef, mutton, and pretty much any other sort of meat. While red meats are endowed with wellsprings of iron, and I agree the levels are even higher than that in fish, can they help you keep your fat levels to a healthy minimum?
No! And, this is where fish takes the upper hand.
Not only is fish meat generally a high-protein and low-fat diet, but it possesses a vast variety of minerals and vitamins too (which many other meat sources don't offer in the same proportions). The fat-soluble vitamin D, for instance, which is so instrumental in strengthening our bones, is present in vast abundance in its flesh.
You will also find a host of major and trace minerals within the tissues of fish. These compounds, though needed only in minute concentrations, ensure the general well-being of our bodies. Overall, the caloric intake is also aces, as it offers the perfect balance between all major high-energy compounds.
Since fish meat is low on carbs, you can enjoy it even if you’re watching your weight! All of this energy and an ensemble of vital nutrients make fish one of the most nutritious foods on this planet. It is for a good reason that pregnant women are encouraged to incorporate fish into their regular diets to boost the growth and development of their unborn babies.
#2: Omega — The Key To Your Heart
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids differ from regular animal fats in that they do not clog up our blood vessels. Normal animal fats are saturated, meaning that they contain the maximum proportion of hydrogen atoms and are hence harder to break down. Plant oils, on the contrary, are unsaturated, meaning that they are not as stable and hence can be broken down by your body’s metabolic machinery. These omega fats from fish are the next-step thing, they are ‘poly-unsaturated,’ and they surpass even plant oils in their healthy properties.
They are one of the healthiest compounds that we can ingest. Not only do they strengthen our basal metabolic machinery but they also reduce the risks of diseases like heart failure, strokes, and diabetes. Omega fats also have an immunity-boosting potential, and this is why fish liver oil is often consumed to prevent winter cold and assorted diseases. Moreover, these fats render fish useful as a diet-friendly food to help you lose that unwanted weight by stimulating your body’s metabolic machinery.
The docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a specific omega-3 variant, is essential for our brain and eye development; the effect is even more profound in growing kids. Most nutritive mixes for children contain a synthetic version of this compound, why not give your children the real deal?
#3: Enhanced Brain Health & Psychological Well-being
Fish is proven to significantly mitigate and decelerate brain damage as one’s age progresses. If left unchecked, this slow yet incessant deterioration can lead to horrible disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, but fish meat can help you counter this threat.
Fish meat consumption can also reduce and even prevent depression!
Omega-3 fatty acids are once again to be thanked in this regard, in fact, depression is just the tip of the iceberg, these miracle compounds protect us from a plethora of psychological diseases including even the most serious conditions like bipolar disorder.
#4: Vision & Vitality Guaranteed
Aging is an inevitable consequence of living.
As our bodies start on a long road of slowly progressive degeneration, we lose the vigor of our youthful times. Our eyes, which make the world around us a vivid reality, will too be flooded by this wave of physiological entropy. But thanks to omega-3 fats, so profound in fish meat, we have a fighting chance against this assault on our vision. Researchers have also proven that fish meat does indeed help with preventing vision impairment as our age progresses.
It is indeed a food that preserves the vitality of our youth, even long after it has passed by.
The high nutritive value is also perfect for rejuvenating the body when it has gone through the vicissitudes of life. But this is not even the best part. You see, most people have to quit on their favorite foods as their age progresses due to health conditions like diabetes, but tell you what: fish, most probably, ain’t going to be one of them!
#5: Say No To Sleep Disorders
Sleep issues have stricken modern society like a pestilence. Sinking in the warm embrace of a good night’s slumber is becoming wishful thinking as our routines become ever busy and life becomes more and more complicated. With so much to worry about in such a brief time of existence, no wonder we find it hard to enjoy a sound and quality REM sleep.
Just to clarify, REM or rapid eye movement is the most relaxing and rewarding part of our nocturnal resting phase and it is this stage that brings us our dreams.
You can reclaim your REM sleep!
Because science says so.
Research indicates that not only does fish meat consumption help people sleep but it also improves their sleep quality drastically, especially regarding the REM phase.
Bottom Line: You Can’t Have Enough Fish Meat
Fish is indeed a miracle of nature. It houses a host of nutrients and essential compounds that increase the resilience of our bodies against diseases and degeneration, all the while adding to our vitality and vigor. Truly one wonders, how was it that our forefathers, despite having nary a comfort of the modern times in their lives, lived so healthily. To me, it all comes down to what and how we eat.
As Hippocrates stated so beautifully: “Let your food be your medicine.”
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References
Bellenfondes, C. D. (01 June 2020). Eating Fish During Pregnancy: What Varieties Are Safe? what to expect. Retrieved from: https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/diet/eating-fish-during-pregnancy/
Editor. (15 January 2019). Fish. Diabetes.co.uk. Retrieved from: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/fish.html
Macmillian, A. (27 October 2017). Why Dreaming May Be Important for Your Health. Time. Retrieved from: https://time.com/4970767/rem-sleep-dreams-health/
NHS-UK. (3 August 2020). Vitamin D — Vitamins and minerals. Retrieved from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/
Web MD. (02 April 2019). Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements for Heart Disease. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/omega-3-fish-oil-supplements-for-high-blood-pressure
Wong, C. (03 February 2020). DHA Benefits and Side Effects for Children. very well mind. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/dha-for-children-89181
