Salmon is one of the healthiest types of fish you can choose. It contains an abundance of nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon also contains lower levels of mercury than many other types of fish. Some cooking methods are healthier than others, so choose broiling or baking methods over frying to obtain the most health benefits.
Calories and Fat
A 4 oz. serving of wild pacific salmon contains 140 calories. It has 4.5 g of fat, 1 g of which is saturated. While salmon is considered a fatty fish, the total amount of fat in a serving only makes up 7 percent of your daily value. However, salmon has a high level of cholesterol, with 28 percent daily value per serving.
Nutrients
Wild Pacific salmon contains an abundance of nutrients. In a 100 g serving, Alaskan salmon has 123 percent daily value of vitamin B-12, a necessary vitamin that certain populations, such as vegans, lack in their diets. This serving size of salmon provides 42.1 percent daily value of niacin, 13.6 percent DV vitamin B-6 and 10.7 percent DV of thiamine. In the case of minerals, you'll receive 44.3 percent of selenium, 20.8 percent phosphorus and 10.6 percent potassium. A 4 oz. serving of salmon also provides 46 percent of your daily protein needs.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Since salmon is fatty, it has more omega-3 fatty acids than leaner types of fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats associated with many health benefits. One such benefit is improving the condition of your heart by lowering cholesterol and triglycerides. Freshwater fish often contain less omega-3 fatty acids than fish found in salt water. Salmon often migrate back and forth from fresh to salt water, although it depends on the type. Therefore, the amount of omega-3 fats can vary from type to type.
Considerations
Fishing for and eating wild Pacific salmon can have an affect on the environment and the natural ecosystem in which they can be found. The Environmental Protection Agency explains that many types of wild Pacific salmon have gone extinct and that more types are expected to go too, partially from the high quantities of salmon used for food. However, farm-raised may pose health problems because of antibiotics and chemicals that might be contained in the fish.
References
- Better Health Channel: Mercury in Fish
- LIVESTRONG.COM: My Plate -- Aqua Star Wild Pacific Salmon
- CalorieLab: Fish, Salmon, King (Chinook), Raw (Alaska Native) Nutrition Facts
- Mayoclinic.com: Omega-3 in Fish -- How Eating Fish Helps your Heart
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Restoring Wild Salmon to the Pacific Northwest -- Chasing an Illusion?; Robert T. Lackey; 2000
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