This week, let’s look at one of the most widely accepted health foods that belongs to the non-vegetarian family — salmon. It is considered to be an oily fish and therefore initially thought to have too much of fat content. But even when fat content was looked upon with contempt, salmon was considered a really healthy fish and those who did not consider it, just did not care. Today, with our knowledge of good and bad fats, salmon has gotten into the list of super foods not just because of its good fat content, but also due to other startling discoveries.
Salmon has a lot of Omega 3 fatty acids and therefore, is very healthy. Along with that, it also has loads of Vitamin D, a vital nutrient for your body. About 150g of salmon can provide almost 100 per cent of the daily requirement of this important vitamin.
Salmon also has a few small proteins that play a role in the functioning of the human body. Called bioactive peptides, these proteins have among other uses a role in insulin, bone cartilages and in preventing inflammation of the digestive tract. Salmon has been found to have calcitoni, a hormone that plays a role in calcium metabolism and maintaining the calcium balance in the body. Initially, the high omega 3 fatty acid levels of salmon masked the other wonderful benefits of this fish, but slowly we learned more about its benefits. Not that everything present in the fish is going to be perfectly absorbed in the humans, but then, it is a wonderful fish.
Just like other fish, where it grows is of prime importance. Contamination of salmon with mercury and other heavy metals is common and while salmon is probably not as badly affected as the others, it pays to notice. Till date, the Alaskan salmon is recognised as the best salmon available.
Cooking salmon also needs special attention. It can be easily overcooked, so follow the recipe. It is not without reason that smoked salmon is the most widely enjoyed form of the fish — it retains all its goodness and tastes great too.
— drwasim@yourwellnessdoc.com