Salmon: nutritional value - is salmon healthy?

Salmon is a fish known and liked by consumers. The Polish market includes: Baltic salmon, Pacific salmon and Norwegian salmon originating from the farm. Check what health values salmon stands out with and which of the available products is the healthiest. Also, learn how to prepare a salmon and get to know the recipe we have prepared!

Salmon from natural catches contains more nutrients than farmed salmon.

Salmon is one of the most popular fish purchased by Poles. On the market we have a full selection of salmon in various forms: fillets, bells, carcasses and steaks. Salmon can be found in frozen, smoked, canned or as a component of ready meals. Are there any nutritional values ​​for the popularity of salmon - is it a fish worth eating?

Salmon source of protein

Salmon is a very good source of wholesome protein - in 100 grams of fish we find about 20 grams of protein, regardless of the type of culture. The fish also contains exogenous amino acids that are not produced in the body, such as leucine, isoleucine, valine and lysine.

Salmon and fatty acids

Salmon belongs to fatty fish; therefore, it is a very calorific fish. The energy value of salmon varies depending on the method of breeding - caloric salmon is more calorific than that obtained from natural catches. Salmon in any form is a wealth of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 , extremely valuable for the body. These acids have a beneficial effect on the body by:

ü  reducing the concentration of triacylglycerols in blood plasma;

ü  normalizing blood pressure;

ü  anticoagulant activity;

ü  reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood, which affects the action of atherosclerosis;

ü  inhibition of coronary heart disease and ischemic heart disease;

ü  anti-inflammatory and antiallergic activity by inhibiting an excessive immune response;

ü  reducing the rate of development of type 2 diabetes;

ü  anticancer activity;

ü  enhancing the immune system;

ü  prevention of depression;

ü  reducing the risk of obesity by inhibiting lipogenesis;

ü positive effect on the skin and supporting the treatment of skin diseases.

Salmon and vitamins and minerals

In salmon you will find a significant amount of vitamin D - eating 100 g of fresh fish will cover the daily requirement for this ingredient in 73 to 87%, depending on the origin of the fish. Vitamin D, in addition to participation in bone metabolic processes, also takes part in immunological, anti-carcinogenic and cardioprotective processes. In addition, vitamin D is used in the treatment of skin diseases, cardiovascular diseases and in the prevention and treatment of depression. Salmon is also a good source of B vitamins: vitamin B6 , essential in the synthesis of hormones and enzymes, and vitamin B12 , involved in the production of red blood cells.

Salmon contains a significant amount of selenium - in 100 g of fresh fish there are 24 to 36 μg of element, which covers 44 to 66% of the daily requirement for this ingredient for an adult. Selenium affects the body's resistance and protects the red blood cells from free radicals. In addition, salmon is a source of phosphorus and magnesium.

Nutritional value in 100 g of the product

	Fresh salmon	Smoked salmon
Energy value (kcal)	142.0	117.0
Protein (g)	19.8	18.3
Fats (g)	6.3	4.3
Saturated fats (g)	0.98	0.93
Monounsaturated fats (g)	2.1	2.0
Polyunsaturated fats (g)	2.54	0,995
Including omega-3 (g)	1.72 (DHA 1.12 g)	0.52 (DHA 0.27 g)
Cholesterol (mg)	55.0	23.0
% of the daily requirement for an adult
Potassium (mg)	490.0 (10%)	175.0 (4%)
Sodium (mg)	44.0 (3%)	672.0 (45%)
Phosphorus (mg)	200.0 (29%)	164.0 (23%)
Selenium (mg)	36.5 (66%)	32.4 (59%)
Magnesium (mg)	29.0 (7%)	18.0 (5%)
Niacin (mg)	7.9 (4%)	4.7 (29%)
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.8 (62%)	0.28 (22%)
Vitamin B12 (μg)	3.2 (133%)	2.0 (83%)
Vitamin D3 (μg)	13.0 (87%)	17.1 (114%)
Vitamin A (μg)	12.0 (1%)	26.0 (3%)

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Nutrition Standards, IZJZ Amendment, 2012

Fresh or smoked salmon

Salmon on the market is also available in smoked form. However, this method of treatment does not remain indifferent to health. During the smoking process, compounds dangerous to the organism are produced: carcinogenic PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), methyl alcohol, acetone, formic acid and dioxins. Fish subjected to the smoking process also contain significant amounts of sodium.

It is also worth knowing that during smoking salmon loses the B vitamins, which reduces its nutritional value. In addition, there are losses of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 fatty acids. However, there is a slight increase in the content of vitamin D and vitamin A in smoked salmon compared to fresh salmon, which has little effect on improving the nutritional value of salmon. The loss of B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, a significant increase in the sodium content and the mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds that arise during the smoking process, suggest that fresh salmon should be chosen instead of smoked.

Salmon lives in the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic and some rivers of Europe and North America. Flocks of Baltic salmon are threatened with extinction, while Pacific salmon stocks fished off the coast of Alaska remain stable and have an MSC certificate. So choose a Pacific Salmon, whose population is not threatened with extinction.

Salmon from natural catches or farmed?

Over 80% of farmed salmon available on the market is Norwegian salmon. Salmon farming takes place in marine aquaculture, in pools located in the marine environment and separated from it. As it turns out, salmon farms have an impact on wild salmon and are a threat to it. There was a decrease in the number of wild salmon living near aquaculture, which is the result of the invasion of lice coming from breeding, getting into the environment chemicals (antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral and antifungal) used in farms, increasing the incidence of diseases in the wild salmon population, genetic changes and increased competition in the natural environment with farmed salmon that entered the natural environment. The farmed fish are fed with granules from fishmeal and fish oils, which also contains flours, cereals, broad beans, soy, vitamins, mineral salts and canthaxanthin, giving the meat of farmed salmon a characteristic, more attractive orange or pink color, different from the color of salmon originating from from natural fishing, which is gray.

Green salmon is increasingly available on the market. The conditions in such farms are strictly regulated by EU law. Organic aquaculture must meet species needs and production systems meet fish welfare requirements. The farms should be located in unpolluted places and cannot have a negative impact on the natural environment. Salmon from organic breeding are fed with feed, which is available for salmon in the natural environment and organic fodder. It is allowed to use fish meal and fish oil, but they must be prepared from fish trimmings that come from sustainable fisheries and are intended for human consumption. Furthermore, fishmeal and fish oil may account for no more than 30% of the daily food intake of salmon.

Organic farming of salmon has activities that prevent disease. If treatment is necessary, veterinary treatment using plant or animal substances in homeopathic solutions, plants and their extracts is used, and in the last place natural immunostimulants or probiotics. In addition, before introducing the fish treated to the market, the breeder must report this fact to the certifying body.

Farmed salmon contains more total fats and omega-3 fatty acids compared to wild salmon, which is the result of the feed enriched with these fats. However, in farmed salmon, there are fewer vitamins and minerals than in salmon living in a natural environment, with the exception of vitamin A, niacin , phosphorus and sodium. Due to the higher health values ​​and the lack of the addition of chemicals, it is better to choose salmon from natural catches fished off the coast of Alaska, whose herds are not threatened with extinction or salmon from certified organic breeding.

Can a pregnant woman eat salmon?

Both fresh salmon - wild and farmed salmon - and smoked salmon are fish unpolluted by mercury compounds. Therefore, they are safe for pregnant and lactating women, however the EPA EPA and the Food and Drug Administration recommend limiting the consumption of all fish, including salmon up to 340 g per week, and eliminating predatory fish from the diet, among others mackerel or swordfish.

Salmon is an extremely valuable fish for pregnant women due to the low content of mercury compounds and a high content of omega-3 acids, which positively affect the development of the fetal nervous system.

Canthaxanthin and astaxanthin: pigments used to color the salmon

The canthaxanthin used to color the salmon from artificial cultures is a compound formed as a result of chemical synthesis. The European Food Safety Authority in 2013 admitted canthaxanthin as a safe addition to animal feed without adversely affecting human health. However, too high doses of canthaxanthin can be dangerous, among others cause skin changes and eye problems.

Astaxanthin for coloring salmon meat in organic farms is obtained from natural sources, from shells of crustaceans, which feed on algae that produce this pigment naturally. Astaxanthin with a natural origin has a positive effect on health: it has antioxidant properties, protects cells, tissues and organs from damage by free radicals. What's more, astaxanthin has an anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory effect, inhibits the growth of tumors. Recent studies also report on the effect of astaxanthin on the prevention and inhibition of the development of cardiovascular disease, which results from its antioxidant properties. The amount of astaxanthin that can be added to fish feed is determined by European Union law and is no more than 100 mg per kilogram of feed. Therefore, it is better to choose salmon from ecological breeding, the addition of astaxanthin as a dye not only has no adverse effects, but even has a beneficial effect on health.

Nutritional value in 100 g of the product

	Natural catches	breeding
Energy value (kcal)	142.0	208.0
Protein (g)	19.8	20.4
Fats (g)	6.3	13.4
Saturated fats (g)	0.98	3.1
Monounsaturated fats (g)	2.1	3.8
Polyunsaturated fats (g)	2.54	3.9
Including omega-3 (g)	1.72 (DHA 1.12 g)	2.4 (DHA 1.1 g)
Cholesterol (mg)	55.0	55.0
% of the daily requirement for an adult
Potassium (mg)	490.0 (10%)	363.0 (8%)
Sodium (mg)	44.0 (3%)	59.0 (4%)
Phosphorus (mg)	200.0 (29%)	240.0 (34%)
Selenium (mg)	36.5 (66%)	24.0 (44%)
Magnesium (mg)	29.0 (7%)	27.0 (5%)
Niacin (mg)	7.9 (4%)	8.7 (54%)
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.8 (62%)	0.6 (46%)
Vitamin B12 (μg)	3.2 (133%)	3.2 (133%)
Vitamin D3 (μg)	13.0 (87%)	11.0 (73%)
Vitamin A (μg)	12.0 (1%)	58.0 (6%)

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Nutrition Standards, IZJZ Amendment, 2012

How to make salmon?

Salmon can be prepared in many different ways. Fresh fish is suitable for baking (also in aluminum foil), grilling, stewing, steaming and frying. Salmon can be served in various sauces - from vegetable, tomato, dill, herbal, mushroom to fruit-based sauces, eg mango, raspberry, cranberry, lemon. Salmon will also be a great risotto and kaszotta with vegetables and soups. Salmon can also be used for preparing skewers, casseroles, curries and pasta dishes. Both smoked and fresh salmon are great as an addition to tortillas, salads and a paste ingredient.

The combination of salmon with products rich in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, peppers, broccoli or Brussels sprouts will increase the bioavailability of vitamin B12 from this fish. And the addition of calcium-rich products, of which a good source is: spinach, broccoli or almonds, creating a successful taste composition with salmon, will increase the absorption of vitamin D.

It will be useful to you

Recipe for grilled salmon with black rice and broccoli

Components:

• 100 g filet of salmon
• 150 g broccoli
• 10 g olive oil
• Herbes de Provence
• dill
• salt
• pepper

A method of preparing:

Wash the salmon, dry it, rub it with salt, pepper and herbs. Preheat grill pan, grill for about 10 minutes. Cook broccoli. Serve with black rice and broccoli in water.