It is one of the fish most appreciated by consumers, and its consumption is often recommended due to its high content of omega 3 fatty acids. benefits of eating salmon for your health? We are going to review the information available, which has some nuances. We will also see some common doubts regarding the consumption of salmon.
The health benefits of salmon are attributed to its contribution in Omega 3
Before talking about other benefits associated with eating salmon, it is worth mentioning the most famous benefit of that fish. Contains many Omega-3 fatty acids, which, since the 1970s, have been associated with a reduction in cardiovascular diseases. Originally, it came from the observation that populations with a salmon-based diet, such as the Inuit of Greenland or the Japanese inhabitants of Kohama Island, had very few cardiovascular diseases.
So, many studies were done, which seemed to indicate that the consumption of Omega 3 helped reduce the risk of suffering from these diseases, in addition to detecting benefits against depression, arthritis or even Alzheimer’s disease. Other studies, carried out specifically on the consumption of salmon, showed that these fatty acids reduced blood pressure, the level of triglycerides or the formation of blood clots.
But there are also studies that show no effect on the consumption of Omega 3, such as that controversial 2013 British meta study, which partly changed the opinion of many health agencies on the subject.
Do not consume fatty fish in excess
In fact, until recently, the blanket recommendation from food agencies in many states was to eat fish at least twice a week. Now, they still recommend including fish in the diet, but they recommend switch between blue fish (the fattiest, which includes salmon) and the white fish, with less fat.
As always in terms of healthy eating, the key is to vary the sources of supply of nutrients.
Other health benefits of salmon
One of the main advantages of eating salmon is that it provides complete proteins, something essential in a healthy diet. In addition, it is a good source of phosphorus and selenium, two fundamental elements. And we cannot forget the contribution in vitamins, which is quite extensive: B1, B3, B5, B12, and D.
Wild or farmed salmon?
Salmon eats small fish, insects and crustaceans, so, in the wild, it is susceptible to contain some toxic elements, such as mercury, although in less dangerous proportions than large predators such as tuna or swordfish. Farmed salmon, the most common in our markets, are generally considered to contain few toxic products.
Is it good to eat salmon skin?
Studies show that contaminants in fish have a higher concentration in two places: fats and skin. For this reason, it is generally recommended not to eat salmon skin, although an occasional consumption does not, a priori, have a health risk. The toxic elements that may be present are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), some dioxins and some heavy metals, such as mercury.
Is it good for your health to eat smoked salmon?
In general, the industrial smoking processes carried out in the European Union use protocols that minimize the presence of carcinogenic elements. That way, occasionally eat smoked products, among which salmon, does not represent a serious danger to health. However, some traditional smoking processes can make the end product much more toxic. Likewise, frequent consumption of smoked products could also represent a risk.
Conclusion on the health benefits of salmon
It is a very interesting fish to integrate into the diet, for example, once a week. But a healthy diet cannot be based on covering the fish quota only with salmon. It is necessary to vary with other types, particularly white fish.
