Fish: benefits and harms, how much fish to eat a day, what fish to choose

nutritionist

Is it possible to do without fish in the diet? What kind of fish is better to eat?

Many people can’t imagine a PP-breakfast without “Instagram” bruschetta with avocado, poached egg and salmon. Lunch – without poke with tuna or salmon, and dinner – without fish steak. Everyone talks about the benefits of omega acids, but there are other substances in fish. So what exactly is useful this product and can you do without it?

Fish is rich in useful polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). They help to reduce triglycerides in the blood and shift the balance of cholesterol in favor of “good” (high-density lipoproteins). Polyunsaturated fatty acids are responsible for the consistency of fish oil, which becomes liquid at room temperature. This property favors quick and easy digestion. But at the same time, due to oxidation of fats, fish products quickly spoil (undressed fish can be stored in the cold for no more than two days, in the cut form – up to five days).

There is a classification of fish by fat content:

less fatty varieties (fat content up to 3%) – pollock, flounder, pikeperch, hake, haddock;
moderately fatty fish (3-8% fat content) – carp, bream, chum, tuna, mackerel;
fatty fish (from 8 to 20%) – salmon, halibut, sardines, herring, etc.

At the same time, the content of chemicals such as dioxin is increasing in so-called “artificial” fish. It can provoke the development of cancer. Surprisingly, artificially grown meat does not accumulate harmful substances in such quantities. In recent years, scientists have recorded increased pollution of natural water bodies, which directly affects the quality of wild fish.

How much fish should I eat per day?

The British Food Standards Agency recommends eating at least 140g of fatty fish per week. This can be fish from the salmon family or alternative canned fish. If you can not “eat” this amount, you can use pharmacy versions of supplements – they are made from cod liver or from fatty fish species. The latter, in addition to omega-3, will also be a source of vitamins A and D.