Salmon: How Good Is It For You & A Delicious Recipe

You've probably heard of how big of a role fish play in a healthy diet and in losing weight, (because of their protein/low-calorie makeup) but I can almost guarantee that you don't know exactly how healthy one specific kind is: salmon. For starters, salmon has one of the highest amounts of complete protein in one serving, around 26 grams. When I say complete protein, I mean the kind that has all of the essential amino acids that our bodies need for rebuilding muscle and performing other tasks, which only animal protein contains. Other sources of protein such as beans, lentils, and some grains are not considered sources of "complete protein" which our bodies need. (That's why vegans and vegetarians must supplement accordingly to allow for certain amino acid deficiencies.) Anyway, recent studies have found that the specific protein makeup of salmon includes small bioactive protein molecules (bioactive peptides) which may provide many health benefits such as staving off digestive inflammation, joint health, and insulin control. One peptide called calcitonin is of particular interest, which you can search more about on your own. Once us health freaks stop drooling over the amount of protein in a serving of this delicious fish, we can start analyzing all of it's other benefits. We talked about heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and their importance when we talked about flax in this article. But basically, our bodies do not produce them on their own and these particular polyunsaturated fats are essential for normal brain function, and have recently been granted studies that show its role in reducing heard disease.

On top of that, salmon contains a natural large serving of tryptophan. What the heck is tryptophan, you say? Luckily, I'm about to tell you! Tryptophan is another one of those 10 essential amino acids that your body needs to process proteins, and it's famous for it's role in the production of nervous system messengers, responsible for relaxation and restfulness. A small amount of this amino acid converts itself into niacin in our bodies, preventing symptoms of low niacin deficiencies. Perhaps on of the most interesting and most useful jobs of tryptophan is the fact that is rises the serotonin level in our brains, which regulates appetite, sleep patterns, and mood. Therefore, tryptophan has been used in treatment therapy for anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

So as you can see, literally everyone on planet earth can benefit from large servings of salmon. It's one of the most trusted fish as far as mercury levels, but there is much controversy on constant pollution in the salmon habitats. So make sure your diet consists mainly of fresh, Alaskan salmon.

For a delicious recipe for salmon skewers, check out this post.

Resources: whfoods.com, jillianmichaels.com [cpDonation id='donatetovivendidesign']