A good diet may lower your risk for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. You may want to consider including shellfish, such as octopus, as part of your heart-healthy diet because of their essential vitamins and minerals, as well as their omega-3 fats. An overall balanced diet is the best approach to preventing chronic diseases.
Omega-3 Background
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats. They include alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, which is a short-chain omega-three fatty acid, and the long-chain fatty acids called docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. These fats may lower your risk for cardiac death, and the daily value for ALA is 1.6 g per day. Also get an average of 250 mg per day of EPA plus DHA.
Omega-3s in Octopus
Each 100 g serving of cooked octopus provides 152 mg EPA and 162 mg DHA, for a total of 314 mg of DHA plus EPA. This means that you would need to eat about six servings of octopus per week to meet your recommendations to get 1,750 mg per week, as in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Octopus does not provide alpha-linolenic acid, the short-chain omega-three fat.
More Omega-Three Sources
You can get your daily recommendations for alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, from plant-based sources, such as ground flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil and soybean oil. The most concentrated source of ALA is flaxseed oil, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Fatty fish and shellfish are good sources of EPA and DHA. Salmon, sardines, anchovies and herring are also rich in calcium and vitamin D, and shrimp and scallops are low-calorie sources of omega-three fats.
Other Nutrients in Octopus
Each 100 g serving of cooked octopus has 164 calories and 4 g carbohydrates, with no dietary fiber or sugars. Octopus is low in total fat, with only 2 g, and it less than 1 g saturated fat, which raises your cholesterol levels. Each serving has 30 g protein, or 60 percent of the daily value. Octopus is high in iron, vitamin B-12, vitamin B-6, niacin, vitamin C and calcium, but it is also high in cholesterol, with 96 mg, or nearly 1/3 of the maximum amount healthy adults should have in one day.
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