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What is useful for herring — 7 facts about its effect on health

Herring is a valuable commercial fish that lives mainly in the seas of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. It is an integral dish of Russian and European cuisine.

Fish is rich in vitamins (especially D and B12), selenium and omega-3 fatty acids, which are extremely important for health.

In recent years, more and more studies have highlighted the tangible benefits of herring for humans. It can improve the health of the heart and blood vessels, normalize the work of the central nervous, hematopoietic and endocrine systems, and reduce the risk of age-related diseases.

7 useful properties

Below are 7 positive properties possessed by herring (based on the evidence base).

1. Valuable composition

Herring has an average calorie content (about 158 calories per 100 grams). At the same time, she contains a number of valuable biologically active components:

Name of the substance Percentage of daily requirement per 100 grams of product
proteins 23,6 %
Vitamin B2 13 %
Vitamin B5 13 %
Vitamin B6 15 %
Vitamin B12 456 %
Vitamin D 42 %
Vitamin E 7 %
Nicotinic acid 16 %
potassium 13 %
sulfur 18 %
phosphorus 30 %
iron 6 %
copper 9 %
selenium 66 %
zinc 8 %
Omega-3 fatty acids 100 %

Valuable substances in the composition of herring perform a number of important functions, for example:

  • B vitamins ensure the coordinated work of all departments of the central nervous system, promote hematopoiesis, regulate metabolism;
  • Nicotinic acid Improves skin condition;
  • Potassium Normalizes blood pressure levels;
  • Selenium prevents the development of thyroid diseases.

Thus, eating herring is a fairly simple and effective way to get a number of essential nutrients.

2. Improving the health of the heart and blood vessels

Surprisingly, herring is able to provide reliable prevention of a number of heart and vascular diseases due to several mechanisms.

Indian Experts discovered the ability of herring to regulate cholesterol level and its atherogenic fractions in the blood, and thereby prevent the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of arteries.

Fish also lowers blood pressure (due to the abundance of potassium and omega-3 fatty acids in the composition) and can provide prevention of tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias.

Herring can be used to alleviate the course and prevention of diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic cerebral ischemia, as well as significantly reduce the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke.

It is also a source of essential proteins. As claimed Swiss scientists, its use is several times more useful than usual beef or pork .

Herring contains valuable omega-3 polyunsaturated acids and potassium, which reduce the risk of the most common cardiovascular pathologies.

3. Anti-inflammatory effect

Chronic inflammation is a physiological but extremely dangerous process in the human body. More and more scientists associate its high activity with the early appearance of malignant tumors and various chronic diseases.

American specialists underline the ability of herring (due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids in the composition) to inhibit chronic and acute inflammation. At the same time, fish is comparable in effectiveness with a number of fairly toxic drugs from the group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen).

Herring can also alleviate the course of any inflammatory diseases in the body, even rheumatoid arthritis.

Herring improves the course of acute inflammatory processes and slows down the activity of chronic inflammation, leading to the early appearance of chronic diseases and cancer.

4. Improving mental health

According to the data According to scientists from the USA, omega-3 fatty acids have a positive effect on the central nervous system and can be used to correct mental disorders, the frequency of which is steadily increasing due to the high prevalence of smoking, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

Israeli scientists underline high efficiency of omega-3 acids in improving the flow depression for adults and children. The effect has not been compared with medications, but is significantly superior to placebo.

Omega-3 fatty acids also show high results in terms of attention deficit therapy, have a positive effect on children's academic performance and brain function in general (memory, attention and thinking are normalized).

Vitamin D in the composition of herring plays an equally important role. This substance (in combination with polyunsaturated acids) increases the production of serotonin, which improves mood and improves the course of obsessive-compulsive and bipolar disorders, as well as schizophrenia.

Regular consumption of herring is the key to stable brain function and prevention of a number of mental disorders.

5. Prevention of age-related diseases

Aging is a physiological process in which the work of all organs and systems fades away. There is a development of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, Alzheimer's disease or Peak, as well as other pathologies.

Scottish Specialists discovered the ability of omega-3 acids, which are part of fish, to increase the intensity of metabolic processes in muscle tissue. As a result, atrophic changes (sarcopenia) are less common, and daily activity fades more slowly.

Research by Australian scientists show that omega-3 fatty acids in herring are also effective in preventing and slowing the progression of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system (Alzheimer's disease).

Vitamin D, also included in fish, restores the mineral balance of bone tissue and prevents the appearance of osteoporosis. This property is especially important for the elderly and post-menopausal women.

Herring, like many other varieties of fish, can be included in the diet in order to slow down the age-related transformations of the body.

6. Prevention of anemia

Anemia is a fairly common disease, the incidence of which increases with age.

The leading reasons for the rejection of are lack of iron or vitamin B12 in the body due to many reasons: from poor nutrition to the course of malignant processes.

Herring is able to completely cover the body's daily need for vitamin B12, as well as provide small amounts of iron. These substances are extremely important for ensuring adequate hematopoiesis.

Herring can be used to prevent anemia associated with a lack of iron or vitamin B12.

7. Maintaining thyroid health

Atlantic herring contains a large amount of selenium. This mineral has high antioxidant activity and provides protection of all body tissues (mainly the thyroid gland) from malignant tumor processes.

Regular adequate intake of selenium into the body is associated with a rare occurrence of autoimmune and inflammatory pathologies of the thyroid gland, a normal thyroid background.

Eating herring has a positive effect on the thyroid gland, an important endocrine organ.

Safety, possible harm

In most cases, the inclusion of herring in the diet has a positive effect on health. However, there are a number of exceptions to the rule. Side effects include the following:

  1. Mercury poisoning. Unfortunately, many fish species have a high mercury content. Herring, although characterized by a low concentration of this element, when consumed in large quantities can provoke poisoning.
  2. Allergic reactions. Herring is a highly allergenic product. The most common manifestations of hypersensitivity are: urticaria, isolated itching of the skin, irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract with stool disorders.

Separately, it should be noted that herring is prohibited to be consumed in conjunction with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (IMAO). Such an interaction reduces the effectiveness of medicines and increases their toxicity.

The inclusion of fish in the diet is associated with a number of risks and contraindications that must be taken into account.

Selection and preparation

It is recommended to consume any fish at least 1-2 times a week.

Herring can be eaten raw, but the most common option is salted or pickled fish.

Herring caviar is also in great demand. It is characterized by a high content of vitamins (A, E, group B, D), iron and phosphorus.

When choosing salted herring, preference should be given to a high salt content. The growth of pathogenic microorganisms can be observed in slightly salted fish.

Less common cooking methods are:

  • Frying in a frying pan;
  • Steaming;
  • Baking in the oven;
  • Boiling.

For such options, you should choose fresh, chilled or freshly frozen fish.

There are a number of rules to distinguish a quality product:

  1. Gills. Should be dark red in color, elastic.
  2. Scales. In fresh fish, it is always whole, has a characteristic shine and a pleasant smell.
  3. Tail and fins. They are elastic, they hang from the palm of your hand.
  4. Body. Should be elastic. When pressed, pits do not form.

Many different dishes can be prepared on the basis of fish: soups, salads (herring under a fur coat), pies.

It is better to refuse from buying canned herring, especially in oil. Canned food contains practically no biologically active substances, but contains a number of harmful chemicals.

Herring is a fairly versatile product that goes well with most dishes. It is recommended to carefully choose fish on store shelves and give preference to useful cooking methods.

Conclusion

  1. Thus, herring is an extremely valuable seafood. It combines many vitamins, minerals and polyunsaturated acids in its composition.
  2. With regular use, it has a positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular, hematopoietic, central nervous and musculoskeletal systems, can be used to maintain the functioning of the thyroid gland and fight aging.
  3. However, the entire volume of useful qualities can be reduced to zero when choosing low-quality fish or an incorrect cooking method.
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