- Salmon is a heart-healthy food rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.
- Researchers conducted a study in which participants ate a Mediterranean diet for two five-week periods, including two servings of salmon per week.
- They then identified specific compounds in salmon that were associated with certain health benefits, such as lower cholesterol.
Even if you have a passing interest in diet and nutrition, you probably know that salmon is good for you.
Of course, this statement comes with a few caveats. After all, not all salmon are created equal. There is a big debate between wild fish and farmed fish; and questions about which variety of salmon is the most nutritious and tastiest – do you prefer coho, sockeye, or chinook?
Putting these questions aside, the evidence is clear: Salmon is nutritious and delicious. It’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, and, of course, heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Now, a recent study Nutrition Journal further supports this claim and takes an in-depth look at the biological components that make salmon a superfood.
Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are studying salmon through the lens of metabolomics, a field of study that focuses on small molecules known as metabolites that are the result of metabolism, a chemical reaction that converts nutrients into energy.
When you eat for energy, this is your metabolism working. Metabolites are formed during this process and can be measured in your blood and urine. Scientists study metabolites as tiny biological clues to see how what you eat may affect your body at the molecular level.
The goal of researchers at Anschutz was to identify specific metabolites from salmon and then see if they were associated with any beneficial health outcomes, such as improving cholesterol.
“While the general benefits of salmon and omega-3s have been established in previous studies, evaluating their unique and abundant health-related metabolites was a fascinating component of the study,” said Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, Cleveland Clinic Dietitian. co-author of Regenerative Health told Healthline. He was not involved in the study.
To investigate beneficial salmon metabolites, researchers recruited 41 participants who had to adhere to a special diet for two 5-week periods with at least 4 weeks in between. During the dietary intervention periods, participants adhered to a controlled Mediterranean diet that included 2 servings of salmon per week. The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy diet that emphasizes vegetables, fish, and whole grains and limits sugar and refined foods.
Study participants were 30 to 69 years old and had overweight or obesity but did not have other acute illnesses or metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
Samples of all foods prepared for the participants were analyzed in the laboratory and their metabolites were examined. In total, scientists identified 1,518 individual compounds in the food. Only 508 of these were determined to be specific to salmon. Once the salmon metabolites were identified, the researchers were able to compare them to blood samples taken from the participants.
When they looked at the number of salmon-specific metabolites that increased in blood tests during the Mediterranean diet, only 48 were significant. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of these compounds are fats, providing further evidence of the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.
From more than 500 potential compounds initially, scientists identified only a few dozen that could be associated with what they later called indicators of cardiometabolic health.
In conclusion, increases in two compounds and two metabolites specific to salmon were associated with improvements in cardiometabolic health indicators such as lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
“We are the first to identify salmon-specific bioactive compounds that increase in plasma after consumption of salmon. [a Mediterranean diet] ~4-8 ounces of salmon per week. Additionally, many of these food-specific compounds were associated with short-term improvement in cardiometabolic health indicators,” the study authors wrote.
Studying salmon under the lens of metabolomics is more like chemistry or biology than nutrition. Although it provides insight into the mechanisms that make salmon healthy, you don’t have to be a scientist to understand why salmon is beneficial.
“Salmon is a great animal-based protein that is rich in marine-based omega-3 fatty acids,” Kirkpatrick said.
In addition to protein and healthy fats, salmon is also rich in B vitamins, potassium and selenium vitamins and minerals that are essential for your body.
If you don’t eat salmon or fish regularly, there are still ways to include more in your diet.
“Baby steps are always a good way to start; really, the best diet you can follow is one that is nutrient-dense and one that you can stick to long-term,” Kirkpatrick said.
“If you’re having a hard time consuming fish because you don’t know how to cook it or which type to buy, stick to the basics to get started,” he added.
Kirkpatrick suggests starting with simple ideas, like using canned fish or salmon in salads or mashing them into burgers. You can also use omega-3 supplements, an accessible supplement available at your local pharmacy.
Whatever your preference, there are many delicious and exciting ways to incorporate heart-healthy salmon and omega-3-rich foods into your diet.
Salmon is a superfood full of protein, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids.
Thanks to the study of specific metabolites in salmon, scientists now better understand the specific compounds associated with health benefits.
The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of salmon or other types of fatty fish per week.