Do you like sushi? Are you ready to love sushi even more? As if you needed more reasons to love sushi, today you are going to discover 5 benefits of sushi that will make you fall 5 times more in love. Sushi is super healthy for you in more ways than one. Get out your chopsticks and read on.
Before the sushi craze reached American shores, sushi first appeared in Southeast Asia before spreading to China and reaching Japan around the 8th century. All thanks to a simple dish where the fish was salted and wrapped in fermented rice. It wasn't until Japan, however, that they started eating fermented rice alongside fish, and that's when sushi, which we all know and love, was born. Small beginnings for an amazing food that we cannot live without, and we are grateful for that because there is so much good stuff in sushi.
Helps you manage your weight
If you have a social life, you probably go out to a few restaurants. Everyone will tell you that eating out will make you gain weight, and who can blame them? American cuisine is not really famous for its dishes that keep the figure. Rather, it is a lot of fat, frying, red meat, carbohydrates, starches, etc. But that's not necessarily the truth every time.
Yes, ordering a Big Mac every other day will definitely make you gain weight. This is likely to hurt your body a lot more than just putting on weight. But it's not eating out that makes you gain weight, it's what you order. As you look at the Big Mac, think about everything in it. Three carb buns, two red meat patties and lots of thick, creamy Big Mac sauce, full of fat and heavy ingredients. There are foods that may not be harmful to your waistline. And one of those wonderfully delicious and healthy foods is: sushi.
Sushi is a great option for your next social gathering. There is no oil to roll the sushi, nor any frying ingredients (unless you are thinking of spoiling yourself with this special tempura roll with spicy mayo on top). Sushi has many health benefits: it's full of protein, vitamins, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. It's good for your heart, good for your taste buds, and good for life.
Full of antioxidants
Speaking of antioxidants, you can get a good dose of them by eating sushi. Did you know that the green wasabi that accompanies your sushi has antioxidant properties? Pink or beige colored ginger is also rich in antioxidants and other benefits. So don't forget to use your sushi condiments to give your sushi rolls and sashimi an extra touch of health benefits.
Antioxidants are like little soldiers fighting free radicals throughout the body. Free radicals are a bit more complicated to explain. It is a normal toxic product of oxygen metabolism which can damage living cells and tissues. This harmful process is also known as oxidative stress. But thanks to antioxidants, the body can counter oxidative stress.
With age, free radicals increase in the body. Fried foods, charcoal grilled meat, and pollution (including cigarette smoke) are other sources of oxidative stress. The theory is that free radicals are the cause of “normal” aging. So the more antioxidants you consume, the slower the aging process, inside and out. Antioxidants also help prevent free radicals from damaging cell membranes. Free radicals may also be responsible for an increased risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease.
So the benefits of sushi don't stop at making you feel good in your stomach. They will make you feel good everywhere and maybe keep you alive a little longer.
Rich in omega 3 fatty acids
Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “food for the brain”? It was probably anything high in omega 3 fatty acids. These nutrients nourish your brain cells and promote cell regeneration. You will begin to notice that your concentration increases, your attention and memory are stronger, and the combination of these elements will give you more energy and relieve stress.
Plus, omega-3s can help prevent age-related mental illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease. One study even found that eating fatty fish that are high in omega-3s can help increase gray matter in your brain, which means better memory and cognitive function. This phenomenon seems to manifest itself more in people who eat fish every week, so don't think about skipping sushi day. In addition, eating sushi that is high in omega-3s can help alleviate or even prevent depression. So, sushi makes your stomach happy and you, yourself, happy.
Omega-3 fatty acids can also be beneficial for the health of your eyes. DHA is a type of omega-3 and a major structural component of your retinas. Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce macular degeneration, which can help offset vision loss as you get older.
As if that weren't enough, omega-3 fatty acids can also benefit your heart health and fight risk factors that contribute to heart disease. Thanks to omega-3 fatty acids, eating sushi can lower blood pressure levels in people with high blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids can also increase good HDL cholesterol, fight inflammation in the body, prevent arterial plaque, and prevent harmful blood clots from forming. Since sushi is high in omega-3s, it's no wonder it's known as a healthy food. Omega-3 fatty acids can also fight autoimmune diseases. Some studies have shown that they can reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes, and that they can help treat lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, etc.
And if you're still worried about your waistline, did you know that omega-3s can also help fight metabolic syndrome? One of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome is central obesity, which is belly fat. So, enjoy your sushi and control your belly fat while you're at it.
Omega-3s can also help keep your skin healthy. Just like DHA is a component of your retinas, it is also a part of your skin and its cell membranes. For this reason, omega-3s can reduce premature aging, control your acne, and even manage your skin's sebum production. And if DHA wasn't high enough, it has also been linked to the production of the hormone melatonin. Without enough omega-3s, you produce less melatonin, which makes it harder to fall asleep. This phenomenon is the cause of sleep problems in children, but also of problems such as sleep apnea in adults.
If you're looking for the best omega-3 rich sushi, try fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna. These three fish are very high in omega-3s and each have wonderfully unique flavors. So you can both enjoy a healthy body and taste a whole range of sushi flavors.
Accelerates muscle repair
If you're trying to build muscle, sushi is a great dinner choice. Sushi is full of protein. Protein helps your muscles rebuild after a hard workout. These same proteins can also help your hair grow and keratin strength in your nails. For maximum benefit and cell regeneration, try to eat sushi at least twice a week.
Improves your immunity
From A to Z, sushi, associated with its condiments, has everything you need. Vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. These are all vitamins and minerals necessary for your body to function. They contribute to the production of energy and immunity, to the health of the organs, skin, brain and heart. From preventing cancer to slowing the onset of mental illness, the benefits of sushi are amazing.
Thank you for this useful article! By the way, sushi did not exist as a separate dish for a long period of time. People in Southern Asia were using rice as a preservative substance for fish, which helped to keep the product edible during the following year. The fish was cut into the small portions, seasoned with salt, and mixed with rice. After that, Asians would put this mix under a stone press for fish to absorb all the useful ferments from rice.