The Health Benefits of Salmon
What if I told you that salmon could save your life? And I don’t mean they could save you from drowning, so please don’t get any crazy ideas. The fish market is booming as more and more studies reveal the health benefits of eating fish. Most eye-catching are the claims that fish reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and mortality [5]. Could it be so? Let’s talk fish …
I want to forewarn you that not every salmon will carry the same benefits. Farmed salmon, and some wild salmon, can contain contaminants that may outweigh the health benefits. Some contaminants include compounds such as chlorinated pesticides. One study found that salmon high in contaminants are correlated with cancer, neurobehavioural reductions in children, and reduced memory function in older adults [4]. On the bright side, the benefits that salmon can provide are “~900 times greater than the cancer-associated risks” [3]. Further, salmon decontamination processes reduce contaminants like chlorinated pesticides. More rules come out yearly to ensure farmed salmon are fed low-contaminant level foods.
Nevertheless, researchers identified specific types of salmon in Canada that carry the most nutritional benefits. One study found that wild Sockeye, wild Chinook, farmed Atlantic, and farmed Atlantic organic have high nutritional benefits. Looking at cost and availability, researchers recommend Atlantic salmon as an affordable and convenient option for those who wish to regularly have salmon in their diet [1].
Some studies show that salmon can offer nutrients depending on the oils that the fish consumes. One study compared salmon who consumed either fish oil or rapeseed oil. The fish-oil-fed salmon decreased heart rate in humans, while rapeseed-oil-fed salmon increased vitamin D levels and decreased fat levels in the blood. Both oils, however, increased omega 3 levels[2]. For the purpose of this post, I’ll assume you have purchased an ideal salmon. This is how salmon can save your life…
Salmon are rich in omega three fatty acids, a healthy type of fat. As a whole, this type of fat can decrease the risk of fatal cardiac arrest [7]. Particularly, it prevents abnormal heartbeats, helps produce prostaglandins (fats that help with injury and illness), and aids with anti-inflammatory and anti-blood-clot actions [7]. Omega three fatty acids may also protect against rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, epileptic seizures, uterine cancer, age-related eye problems, prostate cancer, and premature birth [7].
More specifically, two acids stand out as part of omega three fatty acids — EPA and DHA. EPA plays a role in anti-inflammation, lower mortality, and lower risk of cardiovascular disease (e.g., coronary heart disease). On the other hand, DHA plays a key role in processes such as preventing brain inflammation (related to mood and cognition), and maintaining eye health [1].
A diverse range of vitamins and minerals are present in salmon. This includes cholesterol, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin D.
Salmon have lower amounts of cholesterol compared to other animal-based proteins [1]. Cholesterol helps our bodies make cell membranes (the border of cells, keeping everything inside) and their texture, and is an important step in making hormones and vitamin D. You’re probably wondering: why would I want to consume less cholesterol if it does all these good things? Well, too much cholesterol is actually one of the biggest risk factors for coronary heart disease. As such, salmon offers you an ideal amount of cholesterol to avoid these risks and maximize the benefits.
Next, let’s talk about phosphorus. Phosphorus is a part of many important cells, acids, and proteins in the body. Low levels of phosphorus in the body are associated with muscle, cardiac, respiratory, brain, and metabolic disorders [6]. Luckily, salmon offers you a good and tasty source of phosphorus!
Salmon is also a good source of selenium. Selenium helps our thyroid gland create important hormones. Low levels of selenium in the body are associated with worsened blood flow to the heart, and an increased risk of cancer, renal disease, and death rate from cardiovascular disease [6].
Lastly, salmon is a very important source of vitamin D. You may recognize this vitamin as the one we get from the sun. Vitamin D is involved in many body systems such as the immune system, pancreas, and brain. Unfortunately, low vitamin D levels are increasingly common as more people fear skin cancer. This is concerning as low vitamin D levels are linked to bone breakage, diabetes, and increased cancer aggressiveness, autoimmune diseases, and cardiovascular diseases [6]. So, make sure you have enough vitamin D intake!
Now that you’re aware of all the benefits of eating salmon, let me offer you an idea of how much salmon will maximize your benefits. For adults, with no specific conditions restricting salmon intake, the suggested range is 1-2 servings per week [1]. So, start Google-ing some salmon recipes, meal prep, and get those servings in!
Author: Mauda Karram
References
- Colombo, S.M., Mazal, X. (2020). Investigation of the nutritional composition of different types of salmon available to Canadian consumers. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 2, 100056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2020.100056
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154320300375
2. De Roos, B., Wood, S., Bremner, D., Bashir, S., Betancor, M.B., Fraser, W.D., Duthie, S.J., Horgan, G.W., Sneddon, A.A. (2021). The nutritional and cardiovascular health benefits of rapeseed oil-fed farmed salmon in humans are not decreased compared with those of traditionally farmed salmon: a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Nutr, 60, 2063-2075. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-020-02396-w
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-020-02396-w
3. Foran, J.A., Good, D.H., Carpenter, D.O., Hamilton, M.C., Knuth, B.A., Schwager, S.J. (2005). Quantitative analysis of the benefits and risks of consuming farmed and wild salmon. The Journal of Nutrition, 135(11), 2639-2643. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/135.11.2639
https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/135/11/2639/4669888
4. Hamilton, M.C., Hites, R.A., Schwager, S.J, Foran, J.A., Knuth, B.A., Carpenter, D.O. (2005). Lipid composition and contaminants in farmed and wild salmon. Environ Sci Technol, 39(22), 8622-8629. https://doi.org/10.1021/es050898y
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es050898y
5. Lara., J.J., Economous, M., Wallace, A.M., Rumley, A., Lowe, G., Slater, C., Caslake, M., Sattar, N., Lean, M.E.J. (2007). Benefits of salmon eating on traditional and novel vascular risk factors in young, non-obese healthy subjects. Atherosclerosis, 193(1), 213-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2006.06.018
6. Tilami, S.K., Sampels, S. (2017). Nutritional value of fish: lipids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 26(2), 243-253. 10.1080/23308249.2017.1399104
7. Tucker, K. (2002). Unacknowledged health benefits of genetically modified food: salmon and heart disease deaths. AgBioForum, 5(2), 59-64.
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