Fish gives us more than just Omega-3
Fish contains many important nutrients and is a good source of much more than just the Omega-3 fatty acids. It is therefore a good idea to eat fish at least four times a week.
Photographer: Ragge Strand
According to NIFES, the Nasjonalt Institutt for Ernærings- og Sjømatforskning (the National Institute for Nutrition and Seafoods Research), one portion of oily fish covers the daily requirements for both the marine Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, and in addition is an excellent source of protein. Fish and seafood also provide iodine, selenium and other minerals.
Vitamin D is especially important in the winter
Vitamin D intake from our food is particularly important for us Scandinavians, because we are exposed to little sun especially during the winter months. Vitamin D helps the body to bind calcium which is an essential mineral for healthy bones. The vitamin D content of oily fish such as salmon, trout, halibut, herring, brisling and mackerel is higher than semi-oily fish such as turbot, catfish and Norwegian haddock. In the non-oily species such as cod, Pollack and haddock, most of the vitamin D is present in the fish liver.
Your cells need iodine to function normally
Fish and seafood have a high content of iodine. Iodine is important for your body’s metabolism, mental activity and normal cell function. Non-oily fish contain twice as much iodine as oily fish. In Norway, small children and adult men take in the recommended dose, but young people, in particular girls, and adult women take in lower doses than that recommended.
Fish provides the body with protein
In addition to all these other excellent qualities, fish is also a good source of protein. Fish contains 15-20g of protein per 100g fish, and the quality of the protein is high because it contains all the essential amino acids. This means that, at dinner-time, replacing a portion of fried lamb cutlets with a portion of fried salmon cutlets reduces the intake of saturated fatty acids and increases the intake of healthy mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, salmon provides the daily requirement of vitamin D, is a good source of protein and contributes significant amounts of vitamin B12, iodine and selenium.