Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in

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Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team.

Health benefits of sea food

     Sea foods are widely consumed all over the world by a larger part of the population. Sea food includes edible aquatic animals, excluding mammals, but including both freshwater and ocean creatures.  Sea foods were not given due importance by the nutritional science in the early days, but now it is part of many healthy diets such as flexitarian diet.

        Seafood comprises all bony fishes and the more primitive sharks, skates, rays, sawfish, sturgeons, and lampreys; crustaceans such as lobsters, crabs, shrimps, prawns, and crayfish; mollusks etc. The most commercially important ocean fish are species of salmon, herring, codfish, flatfish (flounder, sole, halibut, turbot), redfish (ocean perch), jack mackerel, tuna, mackerel, and sardine. Major species of freshwater fish are carp, eel, trout, whitefish, pike, pike perch, catfish etc.

     Sea foods are recommended foods for almost all age groups above 2years as they are low in solid fats, calories and rich in good quality proteins. Lean fish muscle provides 18–25 percent protein by weight, the equivalent of beef or poultry, but is much lower in calories.

      Sea foods are low in solid fat [saturated fat,trans fat,cholesterol], and the fat in sea food is in oil form. Oil in sea foods help reduce rheumatoid arthritis,asthma and macular degeneration of eyes.

Although sea food contains more cholesterol than fish and meat, the fat in sea food is chiefly poly unsaturated,They are excellent source of long chain omega 3 fatty acids particularly EPA [eicosapentanoic acid], and DHA [docosahexanoic acid].Omega 3 fatty acids help to improve cardiovascular health.

[ Read more omega fatty acids ]

DHA also helps in brain and vision development of foetus and therefore  it is recommended for consumption for pregnant ladies.

     Sea foods are the good source of high quality lean proteins,low in saturated fat and low in calories and help in the building of muscles and bones; proteins also function as  component of enzymes and various hormones of our body.

Sea foods are rich sources of  many essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A,D, B6,B12 ,niacin, ,thiamin,riboflavin and vitamin E.

 [ Read more vitamins ]

 All these vitamins are essential for  the health of your skin, nervous system ,heart and bones. They also help as cofactors for hormonal and enzymatic reaction of body metabolism. These vitamins are very much important for the health of your neurons and brain health. They also function as antioxidants for skin and body in generals preventing free radical damage. They also help in boosting immunity .

 Sea food contains following minerals ,which are very vital for the  formation and functions of bones,muscles ,circulatory function,immune function  and healthy functioning of heart  and brain.

Calcium,Phosphorus,zinc,magnesium,iron,copper,selenium.

[Read more  minerals ]

       You can include fish and other sea food in your diet in multiple ways. Fish may be poached, sautéed, broiled, baked, deep-fried, steamed, or eaten raw.

Fish and other seafood are the most important food, consumed by people across the globe, after cereals, forming about 15 percent of the world population’s protein intake. Lean fish muscle provides 18–25 percent protein by weight, the equivalent of beef or poultry, but is much lower in calories.

Types of Seafood 

•    Saltwater Fish.

•    Freshwater Fish.

•    Shellfish.

•    Mollusks.

•    Crustaceans.

•    Cephalopods.

•    Roe.

•    Echinoderms

     Seafood includes all bony fishes and the more primitive sharks, skates, rays, sawfish, sturgeons, and lampreys; crustaceans such as lobsters, crabs, shrimps, prawns, and crayfish; mollusks -with clams, oysters, cockles, mussels, periwinkles, whelks, snails, abalones, scallops, and limpets; the cephalopod mollusks—squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish; edible jellyfish; sea turtles; frogs; and two echinoderms—sea urchins and sea cucumbers.

    The most commercially important ocean fish are species of salmon, herring, codfish, flatfish (flounder, sole, halibut, turbot), redfish (ocean perch), jack mackerel, tuna, mackerel, and sardine.

    Major species of freshwater fish includes carp, eel, trout, whitefish, pike, pike perch, and catfish.

Always avoid overcooking of sea food for better nutritional benefits. The rule of thumb is that fish should be cooked 10 minutes per inch, measured through the thickest part of the fish, and with an additional 5 minutes required if the fish is cooked in a sauce. The time should be doubled for frozen fish.

        There are different methods of cooking for seafood.Fish may be poached, sautéed, broiled, baked, deep-fried, steamed, or eaten raw.Seafood, along with vegetables and other ingredients form the basis of many savoury stews, soups, chowders, gumbos, and bisques and they are very healthy and is considered as a part of flexitarian diet in this combinations.

[Read more flexitarian diet]

 In general, the more delicate and lean seafoods are prepared with milder seasonings and sauces, while those that are more intense in flavour, with fattier flesh, have a different type of seasoning.

A few sea food dishes

·        Oysters Rockefeller

·        Clam Chowder

·        Paella

·        Fish Tacos

·        Fish fry

·        Tuna Tartare

·        Shrimp Scampi

·        Prawn Sesame Toast

·        Calamari Fritters

·        Goan Crab Curry

·        Mussels with Lemongrass

·        Lobster Malay Curry

·        Curried Scallops

·        Lobster Roll

·        Grilled Salmon

·        Clam bakes

Safe amount to take:

Consume sea food in moderation along with vegetables and grains.Excessive consumption may have adverse effects on health, although sea food have innumerable health benefits if consumed in moderate amounts.

Other health risks:

•                   Due to high levels of oceanic pollution, seafood is often contaminated. It may cause mild to severe poisoning like mercury poisoning. Although researches state that the DHA omega 3 fatty acids in sea food help fetal brain development, the chances of mercury contamination of sea food and associated health risks to pregnant women cannot be eliminated always.

•                   Seafood could cause extreme allergic reactions. If you are allergic to seafood please stay away from it . In allergic persons it can produce mild to severe form of allergy. Do allergy testing if you have even mild symptoms of allergy to sea food.

•                   All the seafood available in the market  may not be of fresh water or . Most of the seafood consumed by people in the restaurant comes from farms. Seafood from farms is highly contaminated and is dangerous for people’s health.

References

1.    https://aquaculture.ca.uky.edu/sites/aquaculture.ca.uky.edu/files/srac_7300_nutritional_benefits_of_seafood.pdf        

2.     https://www.britannica.com/topic/seafood  

3.     https://restaurantclicks.com/most-popular-seafood-dishes/