We've all heard about eating fish to get more Omega-3's fatty acids in our diet. I was browsing through CNN.com and ran across an article on omega-3 in canned fish. Of the types of canned fish discussed the focus was on tuna and salmon. Tuna varieties have varying amounts amounts of omega-3's. Albacore, also called "white meat tuna," has the most with a four-ounce serving packed in water having 1.06 grams. You get 0.5 grams from a four ounce serving of albacore packed in oil. I thought this was interesting that the water pack is better for you having more omega-3's. The article says, "Since omega-3s are oils, they don't disperse when the fish is packed in water, and draining the water allows most of these beneficial fatty acids to remain in the fish. But tuna packed in oil provides an environment where the fish's natural oils intermingle with the packing oil, so when the can is drained, some of the omega-3 oils are lost."
I didn't realize that canned salmon has even more omega-3's than tuna, with a four ounce serving having 2.2 grams. Unlike tuna, the omega-3 levels among salmon varieties are basically the same.
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week as a source of protein and that it is low in saturated fat. Canned fish can be a great, and convenient source of omega-3's. Fatty fish such as trout, sardines, tuna, and salmon are very high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may reduce the risk of heart disease.
The benefits of omega-3's go far beyond heart health, and may prevent a variety of other health issues. They have anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting, and anti-arrhythmic properties. Which means that Omega-3 fatty acids reduce swelling and lower blood pressure. In addition, an ample amount of of omega-3s in your diet has beneficial effects on the brain by enhancing moods and sharpening your memory.
They did make note about safety issues of mercury and PCB's in canned fish, stating "Salmon has been linked with cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). However, both wild and farm-raised salmon contain PCB levels well below the government's advisory level. There also have been concerns about tuna's levels of mercury, which is linked to neurological damage in unborn children. Although tuna is not on the government's mercury advisory list, pregnant or lactating women and young children should limit their consumption to 12 ounces of light tuna or 6 ounces of albacore weekly. Mercury levels are generally higher in large, older predatory fish because the mercury accumulates over the fish's lifetime. Despite these issues, many experts believe that the health benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-02-2007 @ 4:30PM
Sara said...
Good to know. I help edit a health blog (http://www.marksdailyapple.com) and had once informed our readers that the fish in oil had more Omega-3's. But, when you consider the draining, this makes sense. Thanks for highlighting this info! We'll point it out to our readers. Cheers :)
Reply
5-02-2007 @ 6:58PM
biscuitbaker said...
Put me down for a can of sardines for lunch! Who new that the corner market had such great healthy food!...don't fear the can, embrace it....
Reply
5-02-2007 @ 7:17PM
Rob O. said...
Rather than the canned variety of tuna or salmon, I'd urge you to instead try the kind in the foil pouch. Much better taste and texture at only a slightly higher price than the stuff in the can. And, hey, you're worth it!
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5-02-2007 @ 8:19PM
bdw said...
Or you could buy fish packed in a better quality of oil, like olive oil. That way you don't drain it.
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5-02-2007 @ 11:54PM
JMForester said...
Personally I think the fish in the pouches tastes terrible. I was curious and I had read several taste tests saying the pouches were pretty bad, so I did a taste test myself and found out they were right. Nasty.
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5-03-2007 @ 7:32AM
LordJezo said...
I mix all my canned fish (tuna) with mayo and spread it on bread so water packed chunk in good enough for me.
Reply
5-03-2007 @ 2:03PM
ShakestheClown said...
FYI, by definition anything termed "Alaska caught salmon" has to be wild. Salmon farms are illegal up there.
Reply
5-04-2007 @ 3:47PM
pbpmom3 said...
The Acai berry is very rich in healthy Omega fats. Nearly 1/3 of the Acai berry is fat - with 74% of the fat coming from healthy unsaturated fats such as Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. with high ORAC values have numerous health benefits. Acai is one of the highest ORAC value foods. While there are no miracles, Acai is an incredibly healthy food that can help you maintain healthy bodily functions across the board.
You can get a daily dose of the acai berry along with 18 other fruits in Monavie! Just 2 oz in the morning and 2 oz at night and you will be good to go!
Check it out: www.mymonavie.com/gregandaurorarichard
Reply
5-04-2007 @ 3:47PM
pbpmom3 said...
The Acai berry is very rich in healthy Omega fats. Nearly 1/3 of the Acai berry is fat - with 74% of the fat coming from healthy unsaturated fats such as Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. with high ORAC values have numerous health benefits. Acai is one of the highest ORAC value foods. While there are no miracles, Acai is an incredibly healthy food that can help you maintain healthy bodily functions across the board.
You can get a daily dose of the acai berry along with 18 other fruits in Monavie! Just 2 oz in the morning and 2 oz at night and you will be good to go!
Check it out: www.mymonavie.com/gregandaurorarichard
Reply
5-04-2007 @ 3:49PM
pbpmom3 said...
The Acai berry is very rich in healthy Omega fats. Nearly 1/3 of the Acai berry is fat - with 74% of the fat coming from healthy unsaturated fats such as Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. with high ORAC values have numerous health benefits. Acai is one of the highest ORAC value foods. While there are no miracles, Acai is an incredibly healthy food that can help you maintain healthy bodily functions across the board.
You can get a daily dose of the acai berry along with 18 other fruits in Monavie! Just 2 oz in the morning and 2 oz at night and you will be good to go!
Check it out: www.mymonavie.com/gregandaurorarichard
Reply
5-16-2007 @ 6:46AM
Shirley said...
gee, I saw this on Oprah too, the in house doc did recommend canned salmon as opposed to tuna, and the canned ones are mostly wild-caught, processed at its peak season, much easier and safer than asking every fish monger if the salmon is farm raised or wild-caught I guess.
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