Facts: Why Eating Fishes Is Healthier Than Meat

Hey Guys! You’ve already read about three important types of low-fat foods: fruits, veggies and whole grains. What about meats?

When you look at the healthy protein benefits of eating fish vs. eating meat, though, you wonder why fish and meat are in the same food group. You can maximize your chances of living a long, healthy life by eating the right meat, but fish in general is significantly healthier than meat

Why Are Chicken, Fish and Beans Better Than Red Meat?

In general, red meats (beef, pork and lamb) have more cholesterol

and saturated (bad) fat than chicken, fish and vegetable proteins such as beans. Cholesterol and saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol and make heart disease worse. Chicken and fish have less saturated fat than most red meat.  The unsaturated fats in fish, such as salmon, actually have health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and some plant sources, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Fish has significantly less saturated fat than meat, reports the Demand Media article “Seafood vs. Meat.” Saturated fat increases your chances of getting heart disease. A 3-ounce piece of sirloin has more than 3 grams of saturated fat, while 3-ounce pieces of salmon and shrimp each have less than 1 gram of saturated fat. It has significantly more of what health experts call “good fats.” Certain types of unsaturated fats reduce your chances of getting heart disease. About 80 percent of the fat in salmon is unsaturated vs. about 50 percent of the fat in beef sirloin.

   

 One of its unsaturated fats is omega-3 fatty acid. People who eat foods high in omega-3 have reduced how much triglycerides, a fat, they have in their blood by about 30 percent, reports the Harvard Health Publications’ report “Should you worry about high triglycerides?” High levels of triglycerides are a major risk factor in heart disease. Herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout, and tuna all have a lot of omega-3 fatty acid.

   Its omega-3 also reduces your risk of depression, arthritis, and asthma, and might reduce your risk of dementia, according to the CNN report “The benefits of eating fish” and the WebMD report “The Facts on Omega-3 Fatty Acids.”

    It contains selenium, which reduces your risk of cancer. People who ate fish were about 40 percent less likely to have prostate cancer than people who did not, the CNN report says.

Tips for People Who Like Meat

It’s OK to eat red meat as long as you limit the amount. The American Heart Association recommends that people  limit lean meat, skinless chicken and fish to less than six ounces per day, total.  Fish (3.5 oz./serving) should be eaten at least twice per week, preferably fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout and herring.

Use the tips below to lower the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you get when you eat meat.

    One portion of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or three ounces.

    Choose lean cuts of meat. Lean cuts usually contain the words “round,” “loin” or “sirloin” on the package.

    Trim off as much fat as you can before cooking, and pour off the melted fat after cooking.

    Use healthier cooking methods: bake, broil, stew and grill.

Note: Eating a lot of meat is not a healthy way to lose weight, especially if you have heart disease. See the “5 Goals to Losing Weight” for better ways to lose weight.