
Why I Love Salmon and its Amazing Health Benefits
I love Salmon, and given how good it is for you, so should you. Not only does it taste great but it can also provide some great health benefits.
So how much do you know about salmon? Most of us know its a fish with a pinky/orange type colour, but what beyond this? Below I have given some of the reasons I love salmon.
My colleagues here at Lushington Chiropractic will tell you it’s not only salmon I love. I love all fish and often enjoy it for breakfast! Luckily here in Eastbourne we have access to fresh fish on our doorstep!
Omega 3s
Salmon is a fantastic source of omegas 3s. If you have visited us here at Lushington Chiropractic in Eastbourne you will know that it is one of our “must have enough of” and if people aren’t getting enough in their diet they could get it with a supplement. The importance of omega 3s is well researched and they are important for pretty much everything!
Firstly they are converted into compounds that have an anti-inflammatory action, and this is important for many health reasons. Omega 3s are linked to cognitive function (your brain function), eye health, cardiovascular health, skin and hair. So pretty important stuff, and salmon is one of the best dietary sources. The health benefits really are amazing!
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also called the “sunshine vitamin” due to the fact that our body makes vitamin D when we are in the sunlight. However, it is also available in some foods. Salmon, together with eggs and fortified milk or cereals, is one of these food sources.
Vitamin D has long been known to play a part in bone health. More recently however, its importance is being found to be further reaching, and the vitamin is being linked to improving various chronic diseases.
Some people who are more at risk for vitamin D deficiency include:
- People who don’t consume good amounts over time, for instance people with a strict vegetarian diet (because most of the natural sources are animal based), or people with poor diets.
- Those who have limited exposure to sunlight, either because they live in northern latitudes, are housebound, cover up for religious reasons or other reasons such as an occupation which means they don’t get much sunlight.
- People with darker pigmented skin, as this reduces the skin’s ability to make vitamin D
- Older people, and people with kidney problems, as the kidneys play an important role in converting vitamin D to its active form.
- People who have trouble absorbing nutrients from food due to digestive problems
- Obese individuals, as vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells changing how it is released into the circulation, i.e they may have lower blood levels.
Recently there has been some concern over the population’s vitamin D levels, and reasons suggeted have been a poor summer leading into the winter, and there has been a recurrence of rickets (bone softening due to vitamin D deficiency) in children.
If you think you may be deficient in vitamin D it is worth talking to your doctor or other suitable healthcare professional.
The Department of Health recommends a supplement for the following people:
- All children aged six months to four years. See this NHS page for more details on babies.
- All pregnant and breastfeeding women
- All people aged 65 and over
- People who are not exposed to much sun, as described above
Great source of protein
I am not going to write much on this, as we all know we need to eat good quality protein. Essentially protein is important for everything! It is one of the major food groups and very important for all body processes, growth, development and repair.
Good source of selenium
Selenium is a less well known mineral, but is important as it works in harmony with vitamins as an antioxidant. It plays a role in thyroid function and the immune system, and is also important in male fertility.
So these are the more “sciencey reasons” for why I love salmon and why it can be great for us, but there is another health secret to salmon!
When we eat salmon it is normally with vegetables and potatoes, cous cous, salad, or a healthy stir-fry. It is not often served up with chips or other unhealthy items, so it helps us there too without us even thinking about it!
It also tastes great, and is easy to cook. Put it in the oven for 20 minutes and bake, it’s so versatile and it can be grilled or poached as well. My latest discovery is the smoked salmon trimmings in the supermarkets, which makes a lovely salad.
So there we have it, many, many good reasons to eat more salmon if you aren’t eating enough already.
This blog from our old colleague Caroline Mulliner shows us her favourite Salmon recipe.
Why do you love salmon?
Has anybody got any good salmon recipes they would like to share with me?
Thanks for reading.
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