Mackerel - Nutritional Value And Health Benefits

Mackerel is the most common and most consumed fish in Bulgaria. It is a fatty fish, it contains a lot of protein, which is absorbed 3 times faster than those of beef. It can be classified as a dietary product because it is low in calories. Unsaturated fatty acids, which are contained in large quantities in mackerel, contribute significantly to the strengthening of the cell membrane because they actively neutralize free radicals. These fatty acids are the most important element that acts as an antioxidant.

Nutritional value and composition

Health benefits

The beneficial properties of this fish are mainly due to the minerals contained in its composition: phosphorus, sulfur, zinc, manganese, potassium, sodium. They are vital to the human body.

Mackerel meat is suitable for pregnant women, the elderly, young children. Its enormous benefit to the spinal cord and brain is undeniable.

The fact is that most older people do not consume enough omega-3 fatty acids. If we are looking for a source of Omega-3, we always focus on fish and rightly so. Just one 100-gram fish fillet provides nearly 3,000 milligrams of Omega-3.

Omega-3s have a wide range of health benefits, they have anti-inflammatory properties, improve heart health and reduce the risk of death caused by heart disease.

Another advantage of mackerel is that it has a lot of vitamin B12, whose deficiency affects almost 1/3 of people, especially with age. Vitamin deficiency can cause anemia and damage the nervous system. Therefore, it is important to ensure adequate intake of vitamins, regardless of dietary preferences. Mackerel contains about 300% of the required values ​​for a fish. Vitamin B12 affects DNA synthesis, is involved in fat metabolism, which makes it possible to increase oxygen consumption by cells.

Another mineral that remains in the background in our hectic daily lives, but is very useful for health. A small mackerel fillet provides 71% of the daily requirement of selenium, and its properties are:

• strengthens the immune system;
• participates in the production of DNA;
• regulates thyroid hormones and generally supports the health of the gland;
• improves heart health;
• fights inflammation.

You certainly have no doubt that fish have a beneficial effect on the heart. This is due, as already mentioned above, to Omega-3 and selenium.

Not only that, mackerel is also a rich source of a number of vitamins and minerals that are also linked to heart health, especially magnesium, zinc and potassium. Research confirms that the consumption of oily fish improves vascular function and reduces the risk of mortality caused by heart disease by nearly 7%.

People who have problems with blood sugar will get positive results with regular use of this fish, and diabetes is also a prerequisite for heart disease.

Vitamin D deficiency is a significant problem for the developed world, especially in places where they have long and dark winters. Since most of us spend our time indoors, we suffer from a lack of vitamin D, even if we are in sunny places. In addition to supplements, you can increase the vitamin by eating mackerel, which has 100% of the daily amounts of the sun vitamin.

Cognitive abilities refer to the ability to perform mental activities and process information.

Mackerel supports mental health, according to a study of 232 children who ate a certain way, and those who ate fish 3 times a week (mackerel or herring) reported a significant increase in mental abilities. Of course, brain care is mostly due to omega-3s.

High cholesterol and triglycerides are some of the most significant risk factors for the heart.

You can improve your triglyceride levels by exercising, eating well and getting enough sleep. Oily fish helps in this endeavor, proven by studies that accurately subject mackerel and its effects on lowering triglycerides and the results are encouraging, so include mackerel in your diet to improve your health.

A big plus is the large amount of protein, which in the modern diet remains in the background, at the expense of a large amount of carbohydrates. Fish has all the necessary essential amino acids.

The beneficial properties of mackerel contribute to the significant improvement of the condition in diseases of the blood vessels. The minerals contained in it successfully increase cartilage tissue, which improves human health.

A major problem nowadays is the presence of mercury in fish and many people even refuse to consume it because of it. There are very small quantities in mackerel, but it depends on the area where it was caught. Atlantic mackerel is considered the purest.