The United States is the second largest consumer of seafood, and this is a relief as it's one of the healthiest food options available.
Among the many types of fish one can enjoy, the benefits of salmon are truly a cut above the rest. Yet, chances are, you don't eat enough salmon and are missing out on its health benefits.
This detailed guide will show you why you should have more salmon and why it's one of the healthiest food options you'll ever have.
Here's what you need to know:
You'll Love Salmon With All Your Heart
Salmon is great for improving one's heart health. Apart from containing many vitamins and minerals, it also contains Omega-3 fatty acids. This fatty acid helps reduce inflammation and lowers your blood pressure.
You'll often find that doctors recommend regular consumption of salmon to the elderly, who are the most vulnerable to heart disease.
But regardless of your age and your current health status, you should consider consuming salmon to strengthen your heart health. It's best to prepare now rather than worry later.
By the way, if you want to go fishing and catch the best salmon, you want to take it from the folks at Kenai River Con. You can learn more on their website.
How's Your Brain?
You likely won't get too many people asking you that question, but it's certainly something to think about.
Once again, the Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon are also great for improving one's brain health. It can improve your memory and cognitive function and even put you in a better mood!
Salmon is often one of the first things recommended to patients who are suffering from dementia, Alzheimer's, or depression.
As such, you want to start eating salmon now to avoid such issues in the future. The benefits of salmon to improve your brain's health are too important to forget about.
Don't Just Be Skin and Bone
Another great benefit of eating salmon is that it helps improve your skin health and bone health.
We mentioned earlier that salmon is rich in vitamins and minerals. One of these vitamins is Vitamin D. This is great for improving skin health and bone health. Additionally, salmon contains a rich supply of calcium which is known for keeping bones stronger.
With a regular intake of salmon, you'll be able to combat bone diseases such as osteoporosis. It's also great for preventing and reducing the likelihood of developing skin diseases.
As you age, these will become bigger problems in your life. But it doesn't have to be that way if you just add a bit of salmon to your diet! Make sure you also combine your salmon diet with regular exposure to sun and exercise, of course!
Build Your Immunity
Especially with the pandemic that we've had to deal with since 2020, more and more Americans have been concerned with our immune health.
While there is a range of health products, from pills to liquids to vaccines, all intended to improve our immunity, our diet plays a huge role as well. Salmon is one of the recommended foods when it comes to building one's immunity.
Salmon contains phosphorus, selenium, and Vitamin B12, which are all used to improve immune health. As mentioned before, it also contains Vitamin D, which is also great for boosting immunity.
Make sure you combine your salmon with other foods that are ideal for improving your immunity. These include fruits and vegetables.
While it's common to often have an alcoholic beverage with a dish of salmon, you want to moderate this. Excessive alcohol can negate the positive benefits of salmon.
Weight Loss
Gaining weight can become more common as you age, and it's often much harder to lose weight when you're older.
You want to lose weight as well as maintain a healthy BMI at all times. Salmon is crucial for your diet. It's rich in protein and this causes you to feel full.
Even a small 6oz serving of salmon with a side of vegetables is enough to satisfy your appetite. You won't feel the need to eat more and this alone will help with weight loss.
You need to combine this with exercise for the best results, but salmon is a great way to get started with losing weight.
Flex Those Muscles
That's exactly what you might start doing if you add a bit of salmon to your diet.
Salmon is a great food if you're looking to build muscle. Because it's rich in protein, you can use salmon as part of your diet if you're bulking. The Omega-3 fatty acids are also great for reducing soreness after intense exercise.
You'll find many fitness enthusiasts enjoying a full plate of salmon following a gym session. Consider adding salmon to your diet if you exercise regularly and are hoping to build muscle.
Lots of Potassium
Many of us depend on bananas as one of our best sources of Potassium. But you can now depend on salmon as a better alternative to getting your Potassium intake.
Potassium has many health benefits that you shouldn't ignore. It helps manage your blood pressure and keeps it at a healthy level. It's also suggested that Potassium might help reduce your likelihood of having a stroke.
It also helps reduce water retention in your body. This is one of the things that helps you lose weight and makes you feel lighter overall.
Salmon During Pregnancy
Salmon also has many benefits for pregnant women and can be instrumental in fetal development.
The same Omega-3 fatty acids that we've referenced several times are great for a baby's brain development. It also helps with eye development in babies.
The Vitamin D found in salmon is also great for helping pregnant women deal with the stresses associated with pregnancy. It can prevent some of the challenges and illnesses that come about with pregnancy.
You want to make sure you ask your doctor if it's safe for you to consume salmon while pregnant. In most cases, you'll have no problem!
Salmon and Sleep
Do you ever have challenges falling asleep or staying asleep? Even with this issue, you can often depend on eating salmon to help you.
Salmon contains an amino acid known as tryptophan. Tryptophan isn't naturally produced by the body, so you'll only be able to get it from food sources.
This amino acid creates both melatonin and serotonin. Both of these chemicals are instrumental in helping regulate sleep. It makes it easier for you to fall asleep and remain asleep. It can help you remain calm while you're asleep so that you enjoy a deep sleep regularly.
What Else Is Salmon Good for?
Let's look at just a few more benefits of salmon and some of the properties it contains.
Salmon contains a rich amount of Zinc. In most cases, a doctor will recommend that you consume Zinc each day as this is crucial for helping you maintain your immune system.
Salmon is also sustainable, so it's a great way to eat healthy without having to compromise the environment. Salmon is also lighter on the stomach, so it's a good alternative if you wish to reduce your red meat intake.
Salmon is a great source of iron. One of the major benefits of this is that it helps transfer oxygen from your lungs to other tissues in your body.
Best Practices
Let's end with some best practices to consider when you add salmon to your diet.
Make sure you always cook your salmon in butter, ghee, or olive oil. Don't use unhealthy options such as seed oils.
Try to stick to Alaskan salmon. These are more expensive but are the freshest quality. You can enjoy your salmon with other condiments, such as soy sauce.
While fried salmon is popular, this isn't the healthiest choice, so reduce your intake of it or avoid it altogether. When you season your salmon, be light with the amount of salt and pepper you add.
Make sure you cook your salmon at low heat for at least 20 minutes. This causes it to get cooked without it losing much of its vitamins and minerals. It also avoids it from getting burned easily.
While you don't need to eat salmon daily, you want to have it a few times each week for the best results. You can try different recipes so that you don't get bored with eating salmon. Make sure you make it a regular part of your diet for the best results.
These Are the Benefits of Salmon
Now you know the benefits of salmon and can consider adding it to your diet — you'll be glad you did!
Eating salmon can help with a variety of health needs, such as improving your heart health and your brain health, among other aspects of well-being. Salmon contains many essential vitamins and minerals needed to ensure great health.
Make sure you always speak to your nutritionist about how much salmon is ideal for your health needs. Make sure you always get the best quality salmon at all times.
You can find more great articles about health on our website.
