Food Omega 3 Sources – Canned Beauty

Omega 3 fatty acids and protein are great for healthy skin
Hair, skin and nails are mostly made of protein, though the
minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals we get from the best type
of carbohydrates – fruit and vegetables – are also crucial if
skin care is your goal
Protein is needed to repair cells, it is important for energy
levels, balancing blood sugar levels, and is involved with
glutathione production Glutathione is an important antioxidant,
and antioxidants are essential components of eating your way to
beauty
So what are some good sources of protein that are somewhat
under-represented in our average diet?
Fish is excellent as it supplies both protein, and the omega 3
fatty acids, which are believed to contribute to skin health
The oily fish like salmon, tuna, cod and mackerel are good
natural sources of omega 3, that have the advantage of avoiding
the reflux problem associated with many fish oil supplements
Being a whole food, these fish also have DMAE, which is
excellent for protecting cellular membranes and improving skin
tone (Angyal) Recommended sources of DMAE from fish are
anchovies, sardines, and wild salmon
Canned salmon is a good option, generally Although it may seem
strange to encourage people to eat canned salmon over fresh
salmon, it has some important advantages that are the direct
result of farming practices for fresh fish According to Erica
Angyal, the author of Gorgeous Skin In 30 Days, canned salmon is
typically wild salmon Wild salmon and farmed salmon that was
raised in crowded pens made of nets (think of an underwater
battery cage), have some important differences in nutrient
value
The food farmed salmon are fed is very different to what wild
salmon eat Wild salmon eat other sea residents such as shrimp
and krill And it is this diet that gives them the lovely pink
color we associate with salmon On the other hand, farmed salmon
are fed soybean pellets and other cereal based food, which
changes their ratio of essential fatty acids They become
characterized by higher levels of saturated fats and omega 6
fatty acids (linoleic acid), which we get plenty of in our diets
anyway, and their levels of the beneficial omega 3 fatty acids
become lower Given that the whole point many people eat fish
for is to change this very ratio in themselves, it seems to
negate the point somewhat
On top of this, farmed salmon, like their counterparts in the
poultry and beef industries, are fed antibiotics to keep them
healthy and protect the farmer’s investment There is an
expectation of cost effectiveness and market value that
determines the type of conditions farmed salmon grow in To
compensate for the lack of pink color, colors are added that can
be made both naturally and synthetically Whether they are
natural or synthetic is generally up to the farmer
This is not to say farmed salmon is bad, or has no omega 3 fatty
acids It does, and it is better than nothing And fresh fish is
a lovely meal But like eating free range eggs in preference to
battery cage eggs, wild salmon is an infinitely better
nutritional choice
References: E Angyal, Gorgeous Skin In 30 Days (Lothian, 2005)

Tags | acids, antioxidant, fish, important, practices, protein, salmon, skin, vegetables