GLOBAL AQUACULTURE CONSULTANTS (GAC)
Development/Evaluation/Training
81 Fieldwood Drive
Toronto, Ontario
M1V 3G3   Canada

Tel: (416) 297-6045
E-mail:                                
"Eat fish and seafood twice a week: It can make a difference."
                                                                            ~ J.A. Nettleton
  • “Physicians and dietitians regularly suggest fish for
    healthy eating at least twice a week because of their
    exceptional nutritional value.
                                         
  • Wild and farmed fish have the same nutritional value
    and both are superior to beef, pork and chicken.
                                  
  • Fish meat is one of the best sources of high-quality
    protein and also, vitamins A, B, D and minerals such as
    calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, selenium and
    iodine.

  • Fish protein is made up of long-chains of small subunits
    called amino acids and that is why fish meat contains
    the essential amino acids which cannot be
    manufactured by human body but must be ingested
    in the diet.

  • These amino acids are  Arginine, Histidine, Lysine,
    Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine, Methonine, Phenylalanine,
    Threonine and Tryptophan.

  • Besides, fish protein is low-fat and easier to digest than
    that of other meats because fish meat has very little
    connective tissue and shorter muscle fiber.

  • Moreover, the fats of fish, unlike that of other meats,
    are unsaturated fatty acids that lower blood
    cholesterol level and triglycerides (fats) in human body
    and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

  • Also, updated scientific analysis corrected the unfair
    reputation about shellfish (mollusks and crustaceans)
    raising cholesterol levels as they are low in calories,
    total fat, saturated fat, have little or no effect on the
    plasma cholesterol and are good sources of omega-3
    fatty acid.
                                        
  • Omega-3s are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
    (n-3 PUFA) found almost exclusively in fish, particularly
    fatty fish such as salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel,
    herring, sardines and also, shellfish or fish oils; smaller
    amounts are found in some plants and plant oils.

  • Omega-3s occur in three forms: ALA, the short-chain
    alpha linolenic acid and the long-chain, EPA and DHA,
    eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid
    respectively.

  • DHA and EPA are totally absent from plant sources
    but ALA is found in flax, walnuts, canola and soybean
    oils.

  • DHA and EPA are proved to be scientifically vital for
    human health from the cradle to the rocker.

  • DHA, in particular, is most important for the
    development of human brain and retina of the eye.

  • DHA is essential because fats make up more than 60%
    of the human brain and nervous system, and a
    considerable part of that is DHA.

  • DHA is incorporated into the brain during fetal  
    development and the first two years of life.

  • Besides, omega-3s make blood clotting more difficult,
    improve heart beat and prevent the build up of   
    “plaque” on artery  walls (atherosclerosis) which
    causes heart attack and stroke.
                                         
  • Also, they reduce: heart disease by lowering blood
    fats and pressure; levels of blood sugar and damage
    to kidney that occurs in some insulin-dependent
    diabetics; the development of Alzheimer's disease in
    senior citizens; certain inflammatory diseases such as
    arthritis and psoriasis; risk of some types of cancer; and
    various forms of depression.

  • Therefore, eating dietary fiber, fresh fish and shellfish is
    extremely important for human health.

  • Fish and shellfish lose their nutritional value if they are
    not chilled immediately after being caught or eaten
    fresh.”

  • Another very important fact is that fish do not require
    energy to maintain their body temperature because
    they are poikilothermic (“cold-blooded”) and that is
    why they can convert only 2 pounds (0.9 kg) or less of
    feed per pound of life weight while cattle and poultry
    require energy to maintain their body temperature
    because they are warm-blooded and convert 8-10
    pounds (3-6-4.5 kg) and 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of feed per
    pound of live weight respectively.
                                                                      
       By TT George at Aquaculture Canada 2007.
Howard Robinson
WHY FISH?
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