For the treatment and prevention of various diseases, doctors recommend that patients enter into the diet of fatty marine fish. It is this product that becomes for man the main source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherol, retinol, ergocalciferol. Deficiency of such bioactive compounds in the human body is the cause of a decrease in immunity and formation of cholesterol plaques in blood vessels. When choosing seafood, you should consider which fish are most Omega-3 fatty acids. Important in the replacement of reserves of useful substances, I have ways of preparing it.
The main sources of Omega-3
The highest concentration of Omega-3 is found in fish of various species inhabiting the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. To eliminate the deficit of polyunsaturated fatty acids, nutritionists recommend eating 2-3 times a week cod, tuna, mackerel. Equally useful are marine and river breeds, but they only accumulate a lot of valuable fats during growth. The quantitative content of omega-3 in fish is presented in the table:
Tip: Children often refuse even expensive salmon species due to pronounced taste and sometimes smell. Saturate the body of the child with useful biologically active substances will help the introduction of their diet of squid, shrimp, sea kale.
Hamsa, or anchovies
This small fish lives in the cold seas of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as in the Black and Azov Seas. Hamsa is a valuable object of fishing because of the abundance of Omega-3 in the liver and muscle tissues. In some species of anchovies, the volume of fat is more than 35% of the total body weight. In the cooking hamsa is used for pickling, smoking, cooking spicy sauces. But as a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids you need to eat only boiled or baked fish.Herring
This popular type of fish in our country refers to the most affordable and affordable sources of Omega-3.In herring, there are many fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and useful for the thyroid gland of iodine. On the shelves of shops there is smoked, salted, fresh and fresh-frozen fish. The most useful is only the last type of herring, which is used for baking with vegetables. Salty and smoked fish contain too much salt, which can provoke a rise in blood pressure.
Sardines
Sardine, Baltic herring and sardinella are sown mainly in the Far East. The stores offer a wide range of canned fish from these varieties in oil or tomato sauce. To eliminate the deficiency of Omega-3, you should buy sardines with a small content of salt and preservatives. Salak is also sold in freshly frozen form. Such fish in baked form saturates the human body not only with polyunsaturated fatty acids, but also the most important vitamins of group B.
It is interesting: Sardines contain coenzyme Q10, which has antioxidant effect. This organic compound takes a direct part in increasing the functional activity of the immune system of adults and children.
Salmon, or Atlantic salmon
Salmon refers to diadromous fish that are born in fresh water, and then in the course of their life they migrate to saline water bodies. Salmonids also include chinook salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, chum salmon and pink salmon. These fish are of a lower price category than the salmon, but contain no less useful Omega-3.Atlantic salmon is used for baking, boiling, pickling and marinating. It is extremely tasty and contains a lot of water and fat-soluble vitamins. Inclusion of salmonids in the diet will make it possible to replenish the reserves of zinc, iodine, potassium, molybdenum, phosphorus, calcium in the body.
Smelt
Cold sea waters inhabit these predatory small fishes. They are the closest relatives of oily capelin and distant salmon. A distinctive feature of fresh smelt is a strong cucumber smell. The fish does not contain many bones, it is quickly prepared and it turns out delicious without any seasonings. In smelt many are not only Omega-3 and fat-soluble vitamins, but also valuable easily digestible protein. The most useful are baked or fried in small quantities of water fish.
Features of the selection and preparation of
Omega-3, or polyunsaturated fatty acids, refer to bioactive compounds that are easily destroyed by heat treatment. Therefore, to improve health and prevent respiratory diseases, it is better to include low salted fish in the daily menu. A significant part of Omega-3 is preserved when baked or steamed.
Warning: Fatty river fish should be subjected to full heat treatment, as it is often infected with helminths that can parasitize the human body.
Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids should be of high quality. What to look for during the selection:
- no stains and unpleasant odor;
- pink or red gills;
- retracted abdomen;
- bulging eyes.
Herring, salmon, sardines, cod are accumulated in the liver and muscles of Omega-3 after eating red and brown seaweed( fucus, laminaria).In fish grown in special nurseries, the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids is insignificant. This is due to the use of artificial feed. When choosing seafood, you can focus on the factory, where they were packaged. If the production is located on the sea or ocean shore, the probability that the fish lived in a natural environment is high.