Benefits of Canned Salmon

Stocking up on canned salmon is a convenient way to meet your daily requirements of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Canned salmon offers an abundance of nutrients that protect your bones, prevent cardiovascular disease and help keep you mentally sharp. One cup of canned salmon provides almost 30 percent of the 1,000 mg calcium you need each day, along with low-calorie protein and heart-healthy fats.

Nutritional Content

A 100-g serving of pink canned salmon with bones -- about one cup -- has 136 calories, 23 g of protein, 5 g unsaturated fat and 399 mg sodium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Essential minerals and vitamins include 277 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 365 mg phosphorous, 311 mg potassium, 1 mg zinc and 40 mcg selenium. This serving of salmon offers 466 IU of vitamin D. One cup of salmon provides 5 mcg vitamin B-12 and contributes to your daily requirements for the B-complex vitamins niacin and folate.

Fatty Acids

The American Heart Association recommends that you eat salmon or other types of fish, preferably fatty varieties such as salmon, at least twice a week to reap the cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help regulate your heart's rhythm and may decrease your blood pressure, according to the AHA. These unsaturated fats also lower your level of triglycerides, a form of fat that can lead to hardened arteries when it circulates in your bloodstream at high levels.

Vitamins and Minerals

The softened bones in canned salmon are a rich source of calcium, the major mineral component of bone. Salmon is also one of the few food sources that offer naturally occurring vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium. Together, calcium and vitamin D protect your bones against osteoporosis, a degenerative condition that leaves your bones frail and porous as you age, MayoClinic.com notes. One cup of canned salmon fulfills 78 percent of your recommended dietary allowance of 600 IU of vitamin D. The 5 mcg vitamin B-12 in this serving represents twice the daily requirement of 2.4 mcg for adults. Vitamin B-12 promotes healthy brain and nerve function and plays a vital role in the formation of red blood cells.

Protein

Canned salmon is an affordable, low-calorie source of protein, which provides the basic structural materials for all of your cells, tissues and organs. Like other fish, salmon contains all of the essential amino acids -- the protein components that your body can't produce -- which makes salmon a complete protein. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise eating fish instead of red meat whenever possible to reduce your intake of cholesterol and saturated fat.

Varieties

Varieties of salmon commonly used in canning include pink salmon, also known as humpback salmon; chum, or keta salmon; and red salmon, or sockeye. If you're concerned about mercury levels in the fish you eat, the AHA notes that salmon is among the species that contain the lowest levels of mercury.You can open a can of salmon any time for quick, nutritious sandwiches, salads, salmon cakes or casseroles.