Can Wild BC Salmon Help You Live A Long and Healthy Life?
For 50 million years, lava flows, ice ages and the re-arranging of mountains have not deterred salmon’s existence. For most of human history, salmon have been abundant to the point of excess. At one point, salmon was so common that the fish were considered food for the poor. What was once an abundant staple has become a precious commodity, highly valued for its substantial health attributes. For just one food, wild salmon offers a highly complementary range of nutrients. Dr. Enrico Sorrentino, a psychotherapist, says, “Salmon is the universe. It contains vital minerals, vitamins and fats. A few servings of salmon a week can lower our risk of heart disease, prolong our lives and even make us happier.”
The Importance of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Some researchers believe that humans evolved in coastal areas because of their consumption of fish, ingesting omega-3 fatty acids crucial for healthy brain development. The brain is 60 percent fats and it is here that omega-3 fats from salmon concentrate to support brain cells for optimal function. Registered dietician Liz Pearson calls omega-3 fats “fertilizer for the brain”. “Yes, people have heard of salmon’s omega-3 fats,” says Dr. Sorrentino. “But unfortunately, 99 percent of the population don’t understand their importance. If you don’t think omega-3 fats are important, then salmon is just another fish.” According to Dr. Sorrentino, if we don’t know that what we are eating is good for us, then we aren’t maximizing our cognitive functions. It’s important, he says, that we know why we are eating a portion of salmon. More than 50 percent of the outcome depends on intention and knowledge. “You are what you eat, as the ancient Latin saying goes,” says Dr. Sorrentino. “And we have the good fortune to have easy access to this wonderful fish that feeds the organ that runs our body and our life – the brain. We need to understand that the consumption of salmon is directly linked to the general public’s good mental health.”
In the last ten years, science has made the connection between the main brain and the second brain – the gut. In general, Dr. Sorrentino says, we eat to satisfy our emotions, which start in the gut. Neurons need to be healthy and happy as they produce 95 percent serotonin which is needed for emotional health. Without it, our emotions become blocked. Everything the body utilizes for functioning comes by way of food passing through the gut. And it’s omega-3 fats that connect the membranes of the neurons in the brain and the gut.
What are omega-3 fatty acids?
The importance of omega-3 fat was suspected by scientists in the 1970s after they noticed the lack of heart disease among the populations of Greenland and Okinawa, Japan, who both consume high amounts of omega-3-rich fish. In scientific terms, long fatty-acid chains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) are referred to collectively as omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon need these fatty acids to keep their cell membranes pliable in cold-water environments like coastal British Columbia, Alaska and the Bering Sea. Salmon do not eat upon return to fresh water, so they store great amounts of fat in advance of their spawning runs. Like machines, salmon transform the rich fats from oily krill, capelin and other forage into omega-3 fatty acids, so they’ve done the work by the time we eat them. Because our bodies cannot generate omega-3s on their own, we need to consume them, however, these fatty acids are different than other fats in that they are not simply used for energy or stored. They are biologically active and have important roles in the function of the body. They incorporate directly into cell membranes throughout our body, including tissues in the heart, brain and eyes. Ninety-five percent of our cells’ membranes are made of fat and without omega-3s our cells cannot function properly.
What do they do?
Omega-3s have an anti-inflammatory effect while omega-6s are pro-inflammation, essential for protecting our bodies from infection and injury, but in excess, inflammation may cause disease. A diet balanced with each reduces inflammation and allows membranes of neurons to work effectively. The goal of our diet should be to have a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 that ranges between 4:1 and 1:4. The ancient hunter/gatherer whose diet included cold-water fish rich in omega-3 had an ideal ratio of 1:1. The ratio in today’s industrialized world ranges between 14:1 and 16:1.Since the advent of the industrialized world over 100 years ago, diets in developed countries include an overabundance of omega-6 in the form of processed seeds and vegetable oils (soybean oil being the highest; butter, coconut oil and olive oil are low in omega-6) and the processed foods that contain them. We are consuming an amount of omega-6 fats that is much higher than what we are genetically adapted to. Keep in mind that high omega-6 intake is associated with violence and depression while omega-3 improves mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and bi polar, earning it the moniker of “happy fats”. Salmon, which is balanced in omega-3s and omega-6s, earned the title “Prozac from the sea”. The brain and neuron system depends on the right balance, particularly for transmitting electrical messages along the nerves. Neurotransmitters impact how we think, how we behave and how we react. According to neuroplasticity, the brain is living matter and we need to provide building blocks so it can improve. Build a healthy brain, says Dr. Sorrentino, to improve thoughts and thereby effect positive change.
Is it important to eat wild salmon?
Yes. If the brain and the body are healthy, life is more enjoyable and we can decide what we are going to do with ten extra years of life. Salmon is nutrient dense, and while omega-3 fatty acids garner much of the attention, there are other vitamins and minerals that contribute to its superfood status. Those include Niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and the little-known astaxanthin.
Here’s a look at how all of these nutrients contribute to our health and well-being.
A balanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6 may:
Increase the number of connections between brain cells.
Preserve cognitive skills, especially memory.
Promote higher intelligence and academic performance in children.
Play a role in the prevention of depression.
Reduce the development and spread of cancerous cells.
Stimulate bone-building cells.
Promote eye health, particularly the retina and the photo receptor cells that detect light and allow us to see.
Reduce the risk of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and dry eye syndrome.
Keep the heart beat strong and regular.
Keep artery walls relaxed and dilated.
Reduce the buildup of plaque.
Boost serotonin levels.
Regulate function of insulin and glucose in the blood and decrease possibility of blood clots.
Niacin (vitamin B3) facilitates more than 200 chemical reactions in the body.
Assists hormone function.
Maintains healthy skin.
Boosts HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
Plays a part in the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and fats into energy.
Maintains energy levels and energy production in the gastrointestinal tract.
Reduces pain and inflammation caused by arthritis.
Metabolizes fat in all cell membranes.
Protective against cognitive decline.
Vitamin B12 was first discovered in 1934, but wasn’t fully understood until the 1960s. It is not made in animals or plants, but instead originates from bacteria, fungi and algae, and is found in all animal tissue and many, but not all, vegetables. It is the most complicated and unique of all the B vitamins. Vitamin B12 relies on a combination of stomach acid and protein, and can be recycled and stored for many years, mostly in the liver.
Essential for blood cell formation, DNA synthesis and proper brain function.
Plays a role in the formation of healthy sperm.
Maintains the protective coating around nerves and the nervous system.
Influences melatonin which is directly linked to sleep.
Vitamin D is found naturally in very few foods. Studies show that vitamin D deficiency is increasingly common and linked to osteoporosis and muscle weakness. The good news is that salmon provides significant levels of vitamin D. Discovered in 1920 when its importance for bone structure was recognized, vitamin D is available in two ways – sunshine or ingested. When exposed to the sun, cholesterol in our skin reacts with UV light to make an inactive form of vitamin D, which is carried to the liver where it is activated, and then further converted to its most potent form in the kidneys. When ingested, vitamin D follows the same pathway to be converted. Just 100 g (3.5 oz) of cooked salmon supplies about 90 percent of our daily vitamin D needs.
Vital for calcium absorption in the gut.
Maintains immune defenses.
Plays a role in maintaining sugar balance.
Regulates blood pressure
Magnesium works closely with calcium in providing the structural bone scaffolding into which calcium and other minerals can slot. We may only store less than one ounce of this mineral, but it is responsible for hundreds of metabolic functions.
Assists with the function of adrenal glands, blood clotting, and the production and use of insulin.
Maintains proper bone and muscle function.
Keeps body temperatures in check.
Known as the “anti-stress” mineral.
Maintains proper absorption of calcium.
Phosphorus is a “macro mineral” used throughout the body where it is second only to calcium in quantity. Approximately 85 percent of this essential mineral is stored in our bones, the remainder in cell membranes. Salmon is an excellent source of phosphorus.
Plays a vital role in keeping our blood fluid by breaking down the fats.
Breaks down digestible fats and stops them from accumulating in the liver.
Forms part of the fatty sheath that protects our nerves.
Vital as a cell-to-cell messenger.
Sends the message to muscles to contract and gives them the energy to do so.
Selenium was an overlooked mineral until 1957 when it was recognized as an important antioxidant. Selenium is found in the soil and while plants don’t use selenium, it is incorporated into their structure and available to us as plant-based foods. Research suggests that selenium is lacking in today’s diet, mainly because of soil depletion. However, salmon feed on marine vegetation that is rich in selenium.
Aids thyroid function.
Supports the immune system.
Reduces potentially damaging free radicals.
Recognized as an important cancer-protective nutrient.
Contains antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Helps the body eliminate mercury which can accumulate from eating swordfish, marlin or tuna.
Astaxanthin is a little-known carotenoid, which is believed to be the most potent antioxidant nature has to offer and has earned the title “super-nutrient”. There are more than 700 naturally occurring carotenoids, but most people are familiar with only a few, such as beta-carotene. Carotenoids are the compounds that give salmon their natural pink colour. There are only two sources of astaxanthin – microalgae and the salmon and krill that consume it. Astaxanthin gives salmon their strength and endurance, and gives athletes a turbo boost.
Protects cells, organs and body tissues from oxidative damage.
Stabilizes blood sugar.
Improves cardiovascular health.
Boosts immune system.
Reduces inflammation.
Reduces DNA damage.
Improves eye health.
Reduces the tendency to sunburn.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.