Nutritional value of Bass/Mullet/Yellow Fin Tuna/Mackeral/...

[Mr. X]

Ever wondered about the nutritional content of Bass? Nor me but I stumbled across this website today and thought it pretty amazing. All you wanted to know about the nutritional value of fish but were afraid to ask:

Bass is anti-inflammatory (for soreness, rather than putting out fires):

Raw Sea Bass: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Fish, sea bass, mixed species, raw
Dry cooked sea bass: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Fish, sea bass, mixed species, cooked, dry heat

"ND's Opinion
Weight loss: 3/5
Optimum health: 2/5
Weight gain: 2/5

The Good
This food is a good source of Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin B6 and Selenium.

The Bad
This food is high in Cholesterol"

There's more...

Raw yellow fin tuna: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Fish, tuna, fresh, yellowfin, raw
Subway Sandwich, classic tuna: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Subway sandwich: Classic Tuna

Raw Atlantic mackeral: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Fish, mackerel, Atlantic, raw
Raw Spanish mackeral: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Fish, mackerel, spanish, raw
Dry cooked Atlantic mackeral: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Fish, mackerel, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat

Flat fish: Search Results for sole

Complimentary foods:
Lemon: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Lemons, raw, without peel [Includes USDA commodity food A415]
Lime: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Limes, raw
Water cress: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Watercress, raw
(No samphire )
Garlic: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Garlic, raw
Onion: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Onions, raw
Fava/Broad beans: Search Results for fava beans
Raw broccoli leaves: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Broccoli, leaves, raw
Kale: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Seaweed: Search Results for seaweed
Whole wheat spaghetti: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked
Wine: Search Results for wine

...there are lots more of course: ling cod, crabs appear to be only American varieties, mullet, pollock, various salmon (coho, chinook, pink, sockeye, etc.) & trout (rainbow, steelhead,...), striped bass, pike, walleye,...

[Mr. X]

'Was listening to an interesting article on the nutritional value of fish recently. Apparently fish do not make Omega-3 fatty acids, all the Omega-3 is made by algae in plankton. Sea creatures eat the algae. Some fish eat the algae and some fish eat the creatures that eat the algae. In this way, fish absorb and concentrate omega-3. Apparently you can get vegetarian Omega-3 made directly from algae; you can also get in from flaxseed oil (also called linseed oil) - perhaps more cost effective.

[kmo]

It would only be more cost effective if you weren't a spearfisherman

[sciencemike]

Originally Posted by Mr. X

'. . .Apparently fish do not make Omega-3 fatty acids, all the Omega-3 is made by algae in plankton. Sea creatures eat the algae. Some fish eat the algae and some fish eat the creatures that eat the algae. In this way, fish absorb and concentrate omega-3. Apparently you can get vegetarian Omega-3 made directly from algae; you can also get in from flaxseed oil (also called linseed oil) - perhaps more cost effective.

I think it would be incredibly boaring to sit all day mindlessly munching away on pound after pound of algae. Ill let the snails and grazer fish concentrate it for me into a nice fillet or cheek meat.

Theres a lot of evidence now that mainly primary producers can sythesize fatty acids. The rest of us just take in what we extract from our food and incorperate it into our own cell membranes and tissue. Why make the raw materials when we can just get em second hand or third hand or fourth hand... Lends creedence to the old saying "You are what you eat"

Great report. Im shocked at the cholesterol. That amazed me.

[Mr. X]

Yes flaxseed* oil is currently quite expensive & is best kept in a dark container in the fridge to maintain all the goodness. The fish may be free but getting to & from the coast is not unfortunately (for me). Fuel taxes in UK are extortionate (& I don't like feeding Greedy Gordon's bad tax habits).

It labels the cholestoral among the bad points but it does not differentiate between HDL & LDL ("good & bad" cholesterol). From what I recall, the ratio of these is more important than the overal rating. Doctors here often recommend that heart patients eat fish twice a week (somebody recently told me the local hospital gives heart patients red wine - not sure if it is true, the doctors dealing with cancer & liver problems might disapprove).

Saw an interesting piece a couple of week ago: apparently fish this time of year contain much more fish oil than in spring, as fish feed up for winter now & deplete there internal reserves over the winter. I think they said the difference was something like 18% in the autumn vs. 9% after the winter - something like that.

*Sometimes you see eggs labelled as a good source of Omega-3, this is apparently done by feeding chickens flaxseed (and/or fish meal).

[naiad]

Originally Posted by Mr. X

Apparently you can get vegetarian Omega-3 made directly from algae; you can also get in from flaxseed oil (also called linseed oil) - perhaps more cost effective.

The omega-3 in flaxseed oil is different from that found in oily fish (short-chain vs long-chain). The long-chain omega-3 in oily fish is supposed to be much better. I'm not sure about algae, they probably contain long-chain because that is where the fish get it from.

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by naiad

The omega-3 in flaxseed oil is different from that found in oily fish (short-chain vs long-chain). The long-chain omega-3 in oily fish is supposed to be much better. I'm not sure about algae, they probably contain long-chain because that is where the fish get it from.

Yet another fat caveat! No wonder folk are just opting to get fat.

In a similar vein: Corn oil, sunflower oil or Canola? (I reckon Canola - health neutral).

[naiad]

At least fish oil is good!

[wet]

Alpha-linolenic acid, the primary dietary source of omega−3 fatty acids in the diet, is frequently found in green leaves. The leaves and seeds of the perilla plant (widely eaten in Japan, Korea and India) are the richest plant source of alpha-linolenic acid, although linseed oil is also a rich source. Fish oil contains very little alpha-linolenic acid, but is rich in the omega−3 derivatives EPA and DHA. Fish are at the top of a food chain based on phytoplankton (algae) that manufacture large amounts of EPA and DHA.

It has been estimated that thousands of years ago the diet of human hunter-gatherers consisted of approximately equal parts of omega−3 and omega−6 essential fatty acids [*15]. Since the beginning of agriculture ten thousand years ago there has been a steady increase in omega−6 at the expense of omega−3 fat in the human diet. This process accelerated about 50 years ago as cattle began to be fed increasingly on grains rather than grass. Recommendations by nutritionists to eat margarine rather than butter (polyunsaturated rather than saturated fats) increased the trend toward omega−6 and trans fat consumption. Currently, the ratio of omega−6 to omega−3 fatty acids in the American diet is 7−to−1 or more. There are good reasons to believe that this imbalanced essential fatty acid ratio has led to increased cancer, heart disease, allergies, diabetes and other afflictions. Much of the reason for this lies in the membranes of our cells.

[Mr. X]

Did you hear about Sainsbury's Tuna (& other products) being recalled this week due to high levels of histamines:
BBC NEWS | UK | Sainsbury's recalls tuna products
Sainsbury's recalls own-brand tuna products - Telegraph

Looks like the BBC & Telegraph share the same source, this quote is in both of the above reports

"High levels of histamine can be caused by poor refrigeration of fish and can lead to itchiness, headaches, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhoea. "

I would think that could be quite harmful for folk with allergies/asthma/ecsema/...

[naiad]

Most customers would have eaten the fish by now...

That's not very reassuring.

I am always careful about fish and seafood from supermarkets. I have seen prawns which are clearly off being sold. Sainsbury's is usually good, despite the above news I have seen less stale fish being sold there than in other supermarkets.

[Mr. X]

I saw some public TV shows while in the US by a chap called Dr Perricone. He's a dermatologist and big advocate for a diet rich in fish oil and fish. His programs were very interesting. For example he advocates wild salmon over farmed as it has higher levels of omega-3 (most tinned salmon is wild). The main thrust seemed to be that most/all disease involves inflammation and so eating things which reduced inflammation is a good thing. Being a dermatologist, there was a lot of stuff about dealing with skin related issues (aging/acne/blemishes/...).

He has several books out and a diet (excellent way to make money). Haven't read them but did skim through one, similar content but more detailed: Perricone Prescription

[Morg]

Awesome site eh Mr. X

I ran into it a while back and found it amazing. I then mapped out everything I was eating.

[Mr. X]

Yes, amazingly good -- pity they don't differentiate between HDL & LDL (good/bad cholesterol), a surprising oversight. Something tells me that a diet that involves eating bass/fish regularly would do more good than harm when it comes to heart disease (the old studies of inuit/eskimos & more recent studies of the Japanese, and S. Italians, suggest as much). Especially if you spear it yourself

[Morg]

Yeah, maybe they are unaware. I tend not to use that for those areas. I just use them to find out the specific amounts I am getting.

I believe my diet currently is alright but it defiantly could be better. I loved learning about Southern Italians diets and incorporating it into my own. As well as any other benefits of other diets.