Packed with vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids, oily fish have long been celebrated for their potent health benefits.
Now, a study, published in the Journal Of Nutrition, suggests one particular type could tackle a « silent killer » condition that is a major risk factor for cardiovascular problems.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that can eventually build up on the walls of your blood vessels and arteries, creating blockages. Over time, this can limit your blood flow.
Worryingly, the fatty substance doesn’t often ring alarm bells, leaving sufferers unaware until it progresses to a heart attack or a stroke.
The good news is that eating two portions of salmon a week could help keep high cholesterol in check, according to the new research.
Research team from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus looked at 41 participants aged 30 to 69 who were overweight or obese, with no other acute illnesses.
These study subjects followed two types of diets, with one of them being a Mediterranean-style diet, which has been hailed by experts like Dr Michael Mosley as one of the healthiest to follow.
The two diets were administered over two periods of five weeks with a four-week break in between.
Those who followed the Mediterranean-style diet were given two portions of salmon a week.
The scientists studied the fish through a field known as metabolomics and the production of metabolites, which are made when the body goes through metabolism – a chemical process which breaks down food into energy.
The team wanted to see if any metabolites derived from salmon were linked to improvements in health.
After the analysis for metabolites, the researchers uncovered a total of 1,518 individual compounds. And 500 of which were specific to salmon.
The findings revealed that the increase of two compounds found specifically in salmon and two other metabolites were associated with lower total cholesterol, lower “bad” cholesterol and other fats in the blood.
The study’s authors penned: “We are the first to identify salmon-specific bioactive compounds that increase in plasma after consuming [a Mediterranean diet] with ~4-8 oz of salmon per week. Further, several of these food-specific compounds were associated with short-term improvement in cardiometabolic health indicators.”
Source link