Salmon and other fatty fish provide good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats that promote heart health. Salmon also provides a source of protein with less fat than most meat and poultry. Eating salmon and other fish each week can benefit your health.
Recommended Weekly Intake
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish, especially fatty fish, at least twice per week, in servings of about 3.5 oz. cooked or 3/4 cup flaked. Fatty fish include salmon, lake trout, herring, albacore tuna and sardines.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Salmon and other fatty fish contain high amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, omega-3 fatty acids with several important health benefits. Salmon contains more omega-3 fatty acids than most other seafood, including shrimp, pollock, cod, catfish, clams, flounder, crabs and scallops. A 3 oz. serving of salmon contains 1.1 to 1.9 g of omega-3. High intake of omega-3 fatty acids may decrease the risk of irregular heartbeats, hinder the accumulation of plaque in the arteries and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 fatty acids may also reduce the risk of cancer, arthritis and macular degeneration and help to treat high blood pressure and diabetes, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Protein
Salmon and other fish provide a healthy alternative to protein sources that are high in saturated fat, such as poultry and red meat. A 6 oz. broiled porterhouse steak provides 38 g of protein but also contains 44 g of fat, including 16 g of saturated fat. The same size serving of salmon provides 34 g of protein and contains only 18 g of fat, with only 4 g of saturated fat.
Risks
Salmon and other fish may contain some environmental contaminants, such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Salmon, shrimp, light tuna, pollock and catfish have low mercury content. The benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks of mercury, especially for middle-aged men and post-menopausal women, suggests the American Heart Association, but AHA children and pregnant women avoid fish with high mercury levels, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Because farmed salmon may contain PCBs, avoid making farmed salmon your only source of fish. Eat a variety of wild and farmed fish to limit your exposure to PCBs and other contaminants, recommends the Harvard Medical School Family Health Letter.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Protein
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- American Heart Association: Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- American Heart Association: Frequently Asked Questions About Fish
- American Heart Association: Fish 101
- Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Getting Your Omega-3s vs. Avoiding Those PCBs
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