Fish

There were about 25 thousand fish species on our planet, about 19 thousand species exist nowadays.

Any fish, if considered as a food product and a source of energy, contains most of the essential nutrients that are necessary for the human body, including protein and fats. The fish contains about 20% of the protein, which is distinguished by exceptionally high quality. In this protein contains absolutely all essential amino acids. Nutrients and amino acids, which are contained in fish, necessary for the maintenance of human life, must necessarily enter the diet. By the number of fats contained in fish, which varies in very wide limits, fish are sometimes divided into categories. In addition to the amount of fat contained, different types of fish and places of their concentration in her body.

Varieties of fish that are classified as fatty, in rare cases contain more than 20% of fats. And then such a large percentage of fat, these species can contain only at certain times of the year. Such species include, for example, herring and mackerel. Fish oil is considered an extremely valuable food product due to the excellent balance of its composition.

If the fat content is between 0.3 and 3%, the fish is considered to be lean. The stores of fat in fish are concentrated mostly in the liver. Moderate fatty fish is considered, the fat content of which is 3-7%.This amount is mainly found in the liver and muscle tissue. And, finally, oily fish are considered to be varieties containing from 7 to 25% fat, located mainly in the muscles.

Fish oil refers to unsaturated fats. It contains a large number of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, which are the most important and indispensable components of the diet, which are absolutely necessary to maintain human health. The omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D contained in fish are of particular importance for human nutrition, because the number of other natural sources of these nutrients is extremely limited.

In addition to all of the above, fish is a source of a large number of vitamins, in particular, vitamins of the B complex, as well as the most important mineral substances - calcium, phosphorus and iron. In addition, it contains trace elements such as selenium, zinc and iodine.

Fish does not contain only two vital elements, it lacks vitamin C and carbohydrates.

Fish meat is never hard and, in addition, is perfectly digested. This property is due to the almost complete absence of a binding tissue in the flesh of the fish.

In modern science of nutrition is recommended the use of vegetable oils and fat contained in seafood. If there are no individual contraindications, then protein products are useful fish, and seafood such as shrimp, squid and others are a rich source of not only proteins, but also vitamins.

Materials used:
Shilov VN, Mits'yo VP"Healthy food"