Maintaining a balanced diet is key to enjoying good health. Incorporating a correct amount of vegetables, meats, fruits, and fish into your daily diet makes the body function much better, thereby reducing the occurrence of diseases and occasional dysfunctions.
From the perspective of seafood products, iron-rich fish can become an essential food in cases where a person suffers from a deficiency of this component in their body. Anemia is a very common condition that the iron in fish helps to alleviate.
Therefore, eating fish is not just about savouring a rich and diverse product with dozens of ways to prepare it; consuming iron-rich fish also reinforces the diner’s health.
What anemia is and its symptoms
When we talk about anemia or lack of iron in the blood, we are referring to a very common condition among the population in western countries like Spain.
The World Health Organization identifies the percentage of children with anemia at 42%, a figure that highlights the significance of maintaining this deficiency of red blood cells in the blood. It is also very common in pregnant women and the adult population, especially in the elderly.
How does it occur? Primarily, the lack of iron in the body is the cause of this transient condition, except in more severe cases. Without an adequate supply of this element the body cannot produce red blood cells and as a result, symptoms begin to manifest.
Fatigue during any physical activity, paleness, palpitations, dizziness, and headaches are the main symptoms that should alert individuals to a possible lack of iron.
The way to confirm that one is suffering from anemia is by consulting a doctor and undergoing a blood test. Healthcare professionals analyse the sample and check for the presence of red blood cells. If they are below the normal range, it is time to take measures to return to a healthy baseline state.
While at Chao Pescao, we always recommend consulting a doctor for health-related matters, opting for a diet that can provide everything the body needs can always complement any treatment with medications or supplements.
In fact, any healthcare professional observing iron deficiency in a patient will recommend, in addition to necessary pharmaceutical supplements, improving the diet and increasing the consumption of iron-rich foods.
And indeed, the consumption of fish that’s high in iron can make the onset of anemia disappear, be delayed, or become much less severe. Furthermore, the characteristics of these foods create certain advantages in consuming fish to increase iron.
- The iron in fish is classified as heme iron, different from that present in vegetables or legumes: it is much more easily absorbed by the body.
- Fish and seafood have very little fat compared to other foods. This means that their intake will not have negative implications, but only points in their favour.
- Furthermore, they provide other nutritional benefits such as vitamins A, B, E, and B12, folic acid, and antioxidants.
- Scientific studies associate the consumption of fresh fish with the reduction of depressive episodes. It has also been revealed as an important food for improving other mental disorders, according to a recent study from the University of Qingdao in China.
Iron-rich fish that you should eat
Since scientific studies have focused on the characteristics of foods, some fish have become part of the list of the most interesting ingredients to combat anemia.
While most seafood products are rich in iron, some contain a higher quantity and are more recommended for alleviating health conditions related to these types of ailments, especially oily fish.
Doctors and nutrition specialists recommend including the following in the diet:
- Tuna, which can be consumed both tinned and fresh.
- Salmon, in the same ways as tuna: fresh and preserved.
- Albacore, anchovy, and mackerel.
- Fresh anchovies and sardines.
- Fresh hake.
- Shellfish: cockles, oysters, razor clams, scallops, or clams.
There is no need to make a significant investment or vary the daily diet too much to provide that “extra” iron that ensures the blood is perfectly nourished for its proper functioning, eliminating the risk of anemia.
Now you can enjoy all these fish at Chao Pescao on Consell de Cent street, one of the most highly rated restaurants on Paseo de Gracia by customers, with affordable prices and excellent quality.
Iron-rich fish are aligned with the most consumed in the recipe book of our country. That’s why it only takes a more “conscious” shopping basket to balance all the necessary nutrients and be healthier and stronger from a health perspective.
