Fish is easy to digest and nutritious, and 4 groups are most suitable for eating fish! Nutritionist: Avoid these 3 parts

The smallest unit of protein is amino acid. The nutritional value of protein can be determined by the way amino acids are composed. There are 20 kinds of amino acids in the human body, 11 of which can be synthesized by the human body, so they are called "non-essential amino acids"; the other 9 amino acids cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be obtained from food, so they are also called "essential amino acids." Therefore, the higher the content of these 9 essential amino acids in protein foods, the higher the nutritional value.

Proteins that contain these 9 essential amino acids are called "complete proteins." Generally speaking, all animal proteins and some plant proteins (soybeans) are complete proteins; however, Corning Hospital nutritionist Chen Shiting said that the content of essential amino acids in different types of complete proteins is also different (for example, the content of methionine in soybeans is lower). Therefore, it is generally recommended to consume a variety of different types of protein in order to fully supplement all the essential amino acids.

Fish is one of the best sources of essential amino acids

Among them, fish is one of the best sources of essential amino acids. Chen Shiting explained that fish is rich in protein and contains a wide range of essential amino acids for the human body. Most importantly, compared to pork, beef, lamb, chicken and other meats, fish has shorter muscle fiber tissue and is easily broken down after chewing. It is the easiest of all meats to be digested and absorbed by the human body. This is why fish is suitable for consumption by the elderly and children, and is also a suitable supplementary food for young children.

4 groups are best suited to eating fish

1. Pregnant women

Fish is the most suitable food for pregnant mothers. During pregnancy, due to hormones, gastrointestinal motility will slow down. Therefore, many pregnant mothers will experience constipation, bloating, etc. If the source of protein intake is mainly fish that are easy to digest and have shorter muscle fibers, it can improve constipation and bloating.

2. Young children

As fish muscle fibers are shorter, they are easily digested and absorbed by the body after chewing, making them a suitable entry-level supplementary food for babies. Fish meat is also rich in nutrients such as EPA and DHA, which are good for children’s brain development and vision development. This is why people often say that children who eat fish will be smarter. It’s true!

3. Elderly people

Because the elderly have poor dental conditions and their chewing muscles degenerate, some pork, beef, and mutton are indeed difficult to swallow if they are not cooked until soft. However, because fish is easy to chew, digest and absorb, it is suitable as the main source of protein for the elderly.

4. People with cardiovascular disease

Because fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, it is very effective in softening blood clots and lowering blood fat. Therefore, people who usually suffer from three highs, such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, high cholesterol and high blood sugar, may as well use fish as the main source of protein. However, it should be noted that people with high uric acid and high cholesterol are not suitable for eating whole fish (anchovies, dried small fish, sweetfish, etc.), because the internal organs contain high levels of purine and cholesterol, which is not conducive to disease control.

Worried about consuming heavy metals when eating fish?

If you eat too much fish, will you ingest heavy metals and be harmful to your health? Chen Shiting explained that the amount of mercury in fish depends on the fish's position in the food chain. Fish at the top of the food chain, such as tuna, swordfish, salmon and other large fish, will have much higher mercury content than small fish, and parts such as fish skin, fat, and internal organs are also where mercury is most likely to accumulate.

In principle, as long as we try to consume a variety of fish species and avoid eating offal, fish skin and fat, and pregnant women eat less large fish, it is best to use small fish as the main source, then we don’t have to worry about consuming excessive heavy metals.

※This article is authorized by Changchun Monthly. Reprinting without permission is prohibited.

Source: ※This article is authorized by Changchun Monthly. Reprinting is prohibited without consent. Click here to view the original article