Nutrition Facts and Figures 1
Nutritional value
(compared to a T-Bone steak)3-5 oz. cooked meat Common Blue Mussel T-Bone Steak (Choice) Calories 172 214 Protein 23.80 grams 26.13 grams Fat 4.48 grams 10.37 grams Carbohydrates 7.39 grams 0.00 grams Cholesterol 56.00 grams 80.00 grams Calcium 33.00 milligrams 7.00 milligrams Magnesium 37.00 milligrams 26.00 milligrams Phosphorus 285.00 milligrams 208.00 milligrams Potassium 268.00 milligrams 407.00 milligrams Iron 6.72 milligrams 3.00 milligrams Omega 3 Fatty Acids 782.00 milligrams 0.00 milligrams Omega 6 Fatty Acids 36.00 milligrams 290.00 milligrams Source: United States Department of Agriculture Handbooks
| Sample Omega-3* Content in Certain Fish Compared to Mussels (3-Ounce Portion) |
|
| Type | Grams |
| Mussels | 0.7 |
| Bluefish | 0.8 |
| Flounder/Sole | 0.4 |
| Haddock | 0.2 |
| Salmon, chum | 0.7 |
| Swordfish | 0.7 |
| Tuna, white canned | 0.7 |
| Shrimp | 0.3 |
| *Omega-3 Fatty Acid: polyunsaturated fatty acids. | |
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and half of mortality is attributable to heart disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the major cause of heart attacks, remains the number-one killer in the U.S.
About two Americans die each minute, often before the age of 65, as a result of CVD.
At least one or two servings a week of seafood will provide a protective health benefit to consumers.
Seafood consumption - along with other risk-lowering steps like quitting smoking, lowering blood cholesterol and exercising - can help prevent CVD.
Seafood tends to be lower in calories and fat - particularly saturated fat which is linked with high blood cholesterol and heart disease.
Research decades ago showed that Eskimos and Japanese rely on seafood as a dietary mainstay and have a low rate of heart attacks.
Benefits From Regularly Eating OMEGA-3 Rich Fish:
- Less chance of developing heart disease
- Ensures the proper development of brain, and nervous tissue in infants
- May live longer, even if you already have heart disease
- Lowers blood pressure
- Lowers risk of heart attack if you already have heart disease
- May improve kidney function in severe diabetes
- May improve certain inflammatory conditions such as arthritis
- May ease inflammatory bowel disease
Omega-3s inhibit the formation of blood clots, which cause most heart attacks.
Omega-3s may prevent deadly heart beat abnormalities.
Omega-3s lower high levels of triglycerides, which make up 95% of dietary blood fat, a type of fat in the blood that when elevated increases the risk of heart attack.
Omega-3s may retard growth of plaques that narrow arteries leading to the heart.
Landmark Studies Suggest Eating Seafood Protects Against CVD
Most Current Research, June, 1999
A workshop of biomedical experts sponsored by the National Fisheries Institute was convened in June, 1999, by the University of Maryland's Cooperative Research and Information Institute (CRII) to assess the status of the science regarding the role of omega-3s essential fatty acid in the U.S. diet. This group's conclusions reinforced the significant findings of previous studies.
These results include: Eating Omega-3 can diminish the development of cardiovascular diseases, and the probability of immune diseases and psychiatric disorders.
A recent clinical trial that Omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduced all causes of mortality and coronary heart disease deaths.
The addition of fish and fish oil in the diet reduced the risk of heart attack by lowering blood pressure, lowering heart beat rate, lowering blood fat, reducing the speed of blocking heart and brain arteries by thrombosis and clotting and protecting the heart from arrhythmia, responsible for half of fatal heart attacks.
The group also reported a correlation between fish consumption and significantly reduced incidence of depression.
A cautionary note was made that the many obese Americans encouraged to consume low fat diets should not exclude fatty fish from their diets.
