Is Sea-Food Good For Heart Health?

Seafood is one of the most consumed foods all over the world. Seafood can be obtained from different environments including, rivers, lakes, oceans, lakes, etc. Most of you can consume it as a part of your diet because it is a rich source of many nutrients. Seafood has less cholesterol and saturated fat than fatty meat which contributes to a healthful diet. Having seafood in your diet contributes to many health benefits. Due to the presence of one of the important contents is omega-3 fatty acids, which provide you with the ability to improve your heart health, brain health, etc. Moreover, eating the right choice of seafood is also important as some of the seafood does not provide you with healthy nutrients. Therefore, you need to obtain healthy dietary fish choices and also limit the amount of it according to your age.

Seafood and its types

Seafood is a good source of protein and provides you with vitamins and minerals. Also, it does not contain saturated fats, unlike fatty meat products which are high in saturated fats. Seafood contains unsaturated fats known as omega-3 fatty acids which are good for your heart health and can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. If you eat seafood regularly it may give you many health benefits including, a lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, etc. If you are worried about your health, you need to eat at least two servings of seafood a week.

Types of seafood:

You can include the following types of seafood in your diet which includes;

• Fish; salmon, tuna
• Crustaceans; lobster and shrimp
• Mollusks; clams and oysters
• Echinoderms; sea urchins

Nutritional value;

Nutritional value can change depending upon the type of seafood you eat but if you take 154 grams of salmon, it contains; [1]

• Calories: 280
• Fat: 12.5 grams
• Sodium: 86 mg
• Carbs: 0 gram
• Fiber: 0 gram
• Sugars: 0 gram
• Protein: 39.2 grams

Ideal servings of fish

For adults – you need to eat at least 8 ounces or two servings of omega-3-rich fish per week.

If you are pregnant and breastfeeding – you need to limit the amount of fish you eat, it should be not more than 12 ounces (340 grams) of fish in total per week and if you take the albacore tuna fish the serving should not be more than 4 ounces (113 grams) per week.

For children – if your children are younger than age 2, the size of the serving needs to be 1 ounce per week and it may increase with their age. [2]

Are all fish good for your health?

Not all fish contribute to your good health. Some fish are not healthy due to the contents present in them. Let’s see what are the best and worst fish for your health.

Best ones:

Fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids;

Lean fish;

Shrimp;

Worst ones:

Fish are high in mercury;

King mackerel;

Why are omega-3 fatty acids good for your heart?

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fat that helps in reducing inflammation throughout the body. Because inflammation can damage your blood vessels which cause heart disease and stroke. Moreover, by adding seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids, you can improve your heart health. Therefore, you need to include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet because it;

• Decreases triglycerides (fat found in your blood).
• Slightly lowers your blood pressure.
• Reduces blood clotting.
• Decreases the risk of heart strokes and failures.
• Reduces irregular heartbeats.

Health benefits of eating seafood

Fish is one of the most nutritious seafood and it is loaded with important nutrients such as protein and vitamin D, which gives you many health benefits including;

High in important nutrients –

Lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes –

Improves brain health –

Helps in preventing and treating depression –

Reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases –

Note-

Tips on how to include seafood in your diet

Here are some ways to include more seafood in your diet:

• Try adding it as a salad topping, layering it in a sandwich, or you can also make tacos from it. So that you can add more protein, nutrients, and flavor.
• You can also buy canned or frozen seafood like salmon, tuna, or sardines which helps in preventing food waste and saving money.
• Also, don’t forget to add shellfish like oysters, mussels, and clams, as they are also high in protein and low in calories.
• Another way is to use sheet pan meals, which is an easy way to save time in the preparation of food and you can cook all the food at once. You can add fish with some veggies like asparagus, to get a nutritious meal.

What if you are vegan? Are there any alternatives?

Eating fish gives you many health benefits, especially your heart health. The presence of omega-3 contributes to your healthy heart. That is why it is important to have omega-3 in your diet. If you are vegan or don’t want to eat fish, you may consider these foods which are a good source of omega-3 that includes; flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, walnuts, canola oil, soybeans, chia seeds, green leafy vegetables, cereals, dairy, and other food products. However, adding these to your diet does not seem to give as many health benefits as fish but it may give you some.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, we can say that seafood is one of the most nutritious foods. And contributes to many health benefits including; help in heart-related conditions, like heart strokes and heart attacks. Also, make sure to eat the right choice of seafood as some are not healthy due to the presence of some harmful contents in them. Therefore, you need to eat the right ones to get a healthy diet meal.