Salmon: Healthy Food for the Heart
A Fish Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
What are the different kinds of salmon available and why is this fish so desirable and heart-healthy to eat?
The Salmon Industry
Both farmed and wild, salmon is a much-revered fish throughout the modern world. In total, the salmon aquaculture represents an income of more than 1 billion dollars annually Generally speaking, salmon have among the lowest methyl-mercury contamination levels of all fish. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the benefits of eating even farmed salmon far outweigh any risk imposed by contaminants. As a rule, 99 percent of the Atlantic salmon available on the world market are farmed while more than 80 percent of the Pacific variety are wild.
In the United States, canned salmon is usually wild Pacific catch, although some farmed varieties are also canned. Smoked salmon is very popular today and comes in two varieties, hot or cold smoked. Lox has more than one name depending on the process used to make it. It can refer to either cold smoked salmon or salmon which is cured in a brine solution and known to a closed circle of admirers as gravlax. Who in the modern world could ever imagine a bagel without at least one of these options?
Some Interesting Salmon Facts
In addition to being a very popular and heart-healthy food rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is also at the core of some enduring folk legends. It is said that salmon, for whatever reason (some experts say it is their keen sense of smell that guides them), return to the exact spot where they were born to spawn. Oddly, modern research does indicate that at least 90% of the fish that spawn in a particular stream were actually born in that stream. Among salmon and those who understand them this trait is known as semelparity. All politics aside, one can only wonder if this same instinct guides the swallows back to Capistrano every year on the same day? (And if so, consider what a smelly place that poor California mission would be if all the fish decided to join all the birds!)
Other Heart-Healthy Fish
In addition to salmon, other fish that are good for the heart include:
- Albacore
- Black bass
- Bluefish Carp
- Channel catfish
- Herring
- Lake herring
- Lake trout
- Mackerel
- Pompano
- Tuna (packed in water)
- Whitefish
The recommendation is to eat fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week. Generally speaking, two 3-ounce servings are sufficient.
Consider the following salmon recipe along your way to maintaining a happy healthy heart!
Easy Poached Salmon
This is an easy and delicious way to make moist salmon every time. No more dry fillets! The more you prepare salmon this way, the more often you will want to.
1 to 2 salmon fillets
1 can chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Cover the fillets with the chicken broth in a medium sized saucepan and add a bay leaf on top.
Cover the pot and bring everything to a rolling boil. Then shut off the heat and let the fish cook in the residual heat, about twenty minutes (or until you can put a fork through the fillets).
Serve with any vegetable or side dish and enjoy!
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