Do you know about the amazing medicinal values of fish
All over the world, dieticians recommend fish over red meat. Fish contains vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acid, calcium, good protein and other nutrients. The cholesterol content is much less compared to that of red meat. This article discusses the amazing medicinal properties of fish.
Dieticians consider fish as one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Fish is loaded with important nutrients, minerals and vitamin D. Moreover, it is the best source of omega-3 fatty acid, which is very important for human body and brain. Generally speaking, all types of fish (sea fish, river fish, pond fish and dry fish) are beneficial for human beings. In this article, we will discuss the amazing medicinal values of fish.Multiple benefits of eating fish Fish contains nutrients which are crucial for development of body and mind. Omega-3 fatty acid is extremely important; it helps in development of brain and eyes. For this reason, it is often recommended that expecting mothers take adequate amount of fish containing omega-3 fatty acid. Traditionally, Bengalis propagate eating of fish instead of red meat because of various reasons. It has been found without any doubt that the brain function improves if people regularly take a fish. Not only that, fish-eating people suffer less from age-related health deterioration.
Improves heart health
Fish is considered to be the best food for a healthy heart. It has been found by many studies that people who take fish regularly have a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and death from heart disease. The extremely beneficial omega-3 fatty acid is responsible for this.Improves mental health
People, who take fish regularly, generally suffer less from various mental problems, protecting from dementia, depression and loss of interest. They remain active and interested in their surroundings even at a very mature age.Provides vitamin D
Vitamin D is a very important vitamin. However, it is not generally found in most of the food items. Fish is one such food item which is a good source of vitamin D. Vitamin D actually functions like a steroid hormone in the body. Vitamin D intake is important for the regulation of calcium and phosphorus absorption, maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, and gives protection against multiple diseases and conditions such as cancer, type-1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.Reduces risk of diabetes
Fish contains very low fat and high protein and vitamin D. So, it helps the body to control the digestive system and sugar content. It reduces risk of many diseases including type-I diabetes.Beneficial for children
Asthma is a common disease which is caused by chronic inflammation in the wind pipe. All over the world, the number of asthma patients is increasing because of the changed life-style and increasing pollution. It has been found that regular consumption of fish lowers risk of asthma in children by 24 per cent.
Beneficial for vision
Again omega-3 fatty acid is responsible for not only better vision, but also prevention of macular degeneration in elderly people. People who eat more fish have a much lower risk of developing macular degeneration, which causes vision impairment and blindness in elderly people.Improves sleep quality
With the increasing stress and change of life style and daily routine, sleep disorder has been increasing by leaps and bounds. Fish is an important source of vitamin D which is responsible for proper sleep. Studies found that fish eating people have less sleep disorder.Aids in controlling arthritis
Again studies have found that various nutrients present in fish lessen the chance of arthritis in elderly people. Concluding comments
Because of the aforementioned reasons, dieticians all over the world prefer fish over red meat. All non-vegetarians must include fish in their daily diet.
Fish is undoubtedly healthier than most other meats as it is a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids. Fish is also a rich source of iron and vitamin A and a few B vitamins. However, fatty fish are known to be a better source of omega 3.
Though fish is touted as a healthy meat there are many health hazards associated with some fish. There is the fear of mercury poisoning and PCB contamination. There is enough research to show that these fears aren't unfounded.
The advice that all ‘non-vegetarians must include fish in their daily diet' is misdirected. There are some people who are allergic to fish, all kinds of fish. I had eaten fish all my life, but suddenly became severely allergic to it and have gone into anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening condition, after eating not just seafood, but also freshwater fish. Individuals prone to allergies and susceptible to asthmatic attacks must be careful eating fish.
I found the bit about fish lowering the risk of asthma in children quite interesting. It is a common practice to give cod liver oil and shark liver oil capsules to children to help fight symptoms of common cold and cough. There are also some companies that tout that omega 3 supplements in capsule form can lower cholesterol and improve heart health.