Tuna - one of the most important commercial fish, has high taste and nutritional qualities. And canned tuna is almost as good as fresh fish. And it is important to know about what benefits it can be and what harm.
About the gastronomic benefits of canned tuna
The tribe (group) of tuna consists of 15 species, divided into 3 genera, belonging to the mackerel family. The highest commercial value is up to 80% of the catch, yellowfin, striped and Australian tuna are. Another 6% is accounted for by the big-eyed tuna.
And the lion's share of the total catch is processed into canned goods in tin or glass containers.
Surprisingly, until the 1950s, canning tuna was considered third-class fish, and only the natural decline in sardines helped him break into the market.
Tuna meat is almost boneless, it is beautiful pink-red in color, coarse-fiber, dense, non-greasy and very tasty, without the characteristic “fishy” taste and smell.
Canned tuna is convenient as a ready-to-eat product and a semi-finished product for preparing many dishes: soups, pastes, sandwiches, sauces, fillings for pies, pasta, omelettes, pizza, salads, as well as other cold and warm appetizers.
And it is no less useful than freshly caught fish.
Canned tuna is prepared according to a wide variety of technologies and recipes, it happens:
In own juice;
· In oil;
· Under tomato or white sauce;
In the marinade.
The highest quality canned food is made from the backs of the fish, signing such tuna that it is “whole” or “sliced”. Leftover meat goes to products labeled as chopped or salad tuna in the form of shavings. Pate-shaped tuna is also very good.
Those who cook it variably and often, unanimously note that canned tuna may well become a worthy alternative to fresh fish, and if we add to this that when heat-treated it retains its original useful properties, it will become clear the stormy, like foamy sea, popularity these canned fish.
As part of tuna, all the most important for human health is presented in a fair amount and balanced.
How can health benefits of canned tuna manifest
The energy value of canned tuna in its own juice does not reach 100 kcal per 100 g. Together with a complete lack of carbohydrates, tuna fish is ideally suited to the dietary table of diabetics and those who adhere to carbohydrate-free diets for weight loss.
At the same time, its use helps to build muscle.
The fact is that tuna contains up to 30% of protein digestible by 95%. Frequent deliveries of it to the body are able to maintain new body forms in tone, as well as strengthen bone tissue, including teeth.
Macro and micronutrients are presented in tuna in bioavailable, that is, again - perfectly digestible form.
Only 100 g of tuna fish covers 20% of the daily human need for phosphorus and 15% for magnesium. This fish is also seafood, which means it is a source of iodine, which is necessary to protect the thyroid gland from hyperplasia (benign at the beginning of the process of organ growth).
And an equally modest portion will provide 100% daily requirement for selenium.
Without it, the full-fledged work of the liver, responsible for cleansing the blood, is impossible.
Selenium maintains immunity at a level that does not allow you to get sick in an epidemic, prevents premature aging and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
The latter is enhanced by vitamin E, the content of which in tuna is also impressive.
Tocopherol activates reproductive functions, but most of all it is known as the "vitamin of youth and beauty":
· Magnificent, obedient and silky hair;
· Strong shiny nails, not prone to fungal diseases;
· Clean skin without oily sheen;
· Suppression of oxidative processes of cell aging.
All this provides vitamin E.
From group B vitamins B6 and B12 are most fully represented in tuna.
The first is required for the very existence of enzymatic systems and the full absorption of glucose by nerve cells.
The second - maintains a proper level of iron reserves and promotes the conversion of carotenes to vitamin A.
The polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 in 100 g canned tuna contain 1.1 g and 0.21 g, respectively.
Their indispensability for the work of the cardiovascular system, including the prevention of the risks of heart attack and stroke, as well as the development of thrombosis, has been perfectly proven.
In addition, they align the hormonal background, which is responsible for stress resistance and have a positive effect on brain activity, so that tuna on the table is shown with great mental and emotional stress.
These acids are indispensable, that is, they are not synthesized at all in the human body and can only enter it from the outside.
In addition, if canned tuna regularly appears on the table, the benefits will be as follows:
· Normalization of hemoglobin level and, as a result, prevention of anemia;
· Improving blood circulation of internal organs;
· Stabilization of blood pressure;
· Improving vision, including reducing the effects of stress on it and the disappearance of dry eye syndrome;
· Strengthening immunity, coupled with blocking the effects of allergens of food, drug origin and environmental factors.
Great is the use of canned tuna in the treatment of specific diseases:
· Cholecystitis - relieves the inflammatory process;
· Arthrosis and arthritis - minimizes pain;
Thrombophlebitis - moderately dilutes blood;
· Damage to the skin due to burns or frostbite - accelerates regeneration.
Feeding fish often threatens with a serious disease - helminthiosis, but this simply cannot happen with tuna - no parasites adhere to it.
Likely harm from canned tuna
The natural level of harmful substances in seawater, including mercury, has significantly increased (and continues to rise) as a result of human activities. Tuna belongs to fish that can accumulate this heavy metal in a fair amount, and then, with its meat, mercury is in the human body.
Theoretically, if tuna fish were not old and were caught in relatively clean waters and if you didn’t eat fish for half a kilogram daily, canned tuna would not do any harm.
But because of mercury, tuna in limited quantities and with great care is included in the diet of children under three years of age, the elderly, women during pregnancy and lactation.
The fact is that an overdose of mercury, even at an early stage, provokes headaches, disorder of the vestibular apparatus, visual impairment, hair loss, and much more.
Another misfortune that tuna in the ocean absorbs is bisphenol A. The substance originating from the production of plastic is close to the hormone estrogen, the harm of which is not even fully understood, but its destructive effect on the central nervous system is known for certain.
In addition, there may be harm from canned tuna if:
Allergies to fillet of mackerel fish;
Kidney disease
Severe respiratory diseases, such as asthma.
This is not to say that there is clear harm from canned tuna in oil, but from the point of view of dietary nutrition, it is strikingly different from fish in its own juice:
· High fat content, so that 100 g of canned food in oil cover up to 22% of the daily need for fats;
· High calorie content, exceeding tuna, again in juice or in tomato 1.5-2 times;
· Far from useful proportionality of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, expressed in a ratio of 13: 1, while 4: 1 is considered the norm.
However, these indicators can be contrasted with the fact that 100 g of canned food in oil covers 60% of the daily need for vitamin D.
How to choose a delicious canned tuna and use it profitably
The result of all of the above may be the conclusion that canned tuna is very tasty and useful to include in the diet, observing healthy moderation.
But, before you enjoy the fish, you should go fishing for it. That is, to eat canned tuna without harm, you need to choose good canned food:
· The tin jar should be flat, not wrinkled, without traces of rust, and in no case can it be swollen - this is a sure sign of a spoiled product;
· In good canned food, the proportion of fish raw materials exceeds 50%, so if you shake it, it should not gurgle inside;
· For tuna to become truly tasty, it should be 2-3 months from the date of manufacture, for which it is preserved until ready, soaked in juice or oil, sauce. So it’s better to take what was done a few months ago;
· Canned goods produced on land with access to the waters where tuna is caught are of the highest quality. Products are not from chilled, but from frozen raw materials, this is not that second grade, but for lovers of really good food the option is not suitable. Moreover, if the tuna is frozen incorrectly, the histamine substance accumulates in it, provoking aggravated allergic reactions of various origins;
· There are no small fry in the catch of tuna for a fish factory, so even whole pieces cannot be found in an open bank, as if taken from a fish of a smaller container. If you bought one, it means that it is not tuna, but a different fish.
The contents of an open tin can are recommended to be transferred to glass containers and stored under a tightly fitting lid in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.
