Sea food as name suggests is any sea life form consumed by the human. It prominently is consisted of fish, crab, shellfish and octopus. Seafood is considered as a very rich protein source and is eaten worldwide especially in the coastal areas. It can make one rich in health. The other invaluable products such as fish oil and Spirulina tablets that are used by humans are also extracted from the seafoods.
The common salt water fish that includes yellowfin tuna, ray, swordfish, and red mullet are the delicacies that are eaten salted. Moreover, Atlanticbluefin tuna, anchovies and sardines are the other regular seafoods that are relished by many. Here, we will know these seafood benefits.
Today, salmon is regarded as one of the best seafoods for humans. However, canned fishes like mackerel, herring, tuna, sardines and salmon are greatly used. Some like to eat dried cod that are subjected to desiccation or complete drying. However, it is interesting to categorize the different types of sea foods.
Different Types Of Sea Foods
The sea foods are categorized in the following five main groups:
- Fish
- Molluscs
- Crustaceans
- Other aquatic animals
- Aquatic plants and Microphytes
Each of these groups is further divided into the different subgroups. For better understanding, it is best to discover each of them in detail.
1. Fish
Fish is divided into four subgroups viz. marine pelagic, marine demersal, diadromous and freshwater. The main sea foods in marine pelagic can be divided into predator and forage fish. The predator fish constitutes of sea foods like shark, tuna, swordfish, marlin, salmon and mackerel. The forage fish includes sea foods like sardines, herring, sprats, menhaden and anchovies.
Some sea foods of demersal fish include flatfish, cod, stingrays and grouper and diadromous fish is constitutes of salmons, eels, lampreys and shad. The freshwater fishes are more used for fish farming and the sea foods are tilapia, carp, trout and catfish.
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2. Molluscs
Molluscs are divided into three subgroups viz. bivalves, gastropods and cephalopods. The important bivalve sea foods are oysters, mussels, cockles and scallops. They are also referred as the clams and are the main diet of the coastal communities. Gastropods are sea snails are univalve and the essential sea foods in this subgroup are conch, abalone, limpets, periwinkles and whelks.
Cephalopods are not having a shell. The most popular sea foods in this vital subgroup are cuttlefish, octopus and squid. They are consumed in innumerable cultures. Squid is more popular in Japan, Britain and Mediterranean countries where squid is famously known as calamari. Cuttlefish is a delicacy in Italy and dried cuttlefish which is eaten in shredded form is a snack food of East Asians.
3. Crustaceans
Crustaceans are divided into four subgroups: shrimps and prawns, crabs, lobsters and krill. There are countless species of shrimps and prawns and different types of species are adapted to varied habitat. Today, the shrimp and prawn farming is going on a very large scale globally.
Crabs are also integrated with wide species and are opted for fisheries business. Lobsters are larger than crabs and shrimps and besides lobster farming is also quite famous. Krill are known as baby shrimps. They are highly eaten as seafood in Russia and Japan. Krill fisheries are extensive worldwide since krill oil is very useful as a sea food since it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
4. Other Aquatic Animals
This group consists of four subgroups: aquatic mammals, aquatic reptiles, echinoderms and jellyfish. Sea mammals are very diverse containing 128 species. Whale meat is a costly sea food and is harvested largely by legal non-commercial hunters. The fluke meat of whale is selling at 200 dollars per kilogram in Japan. In Japan and Faroe Islands dolphin is regarded as seafood. And seals are important food sources for Nunavut and Alaska.
Sea turtles in aquatic reptiles are eaten as seafood in many parts of the globe. Chinese consider it as an exotic delicacy. Countless coastal communities worldwide regard it as a rich protein source and often gather sea turtle eggs. The sea foods in echinoderms consist of sea urchins, sea cucumbers and rarely starfishes. Sea cucumbers are commercially farmed in China. The gonads of male and female urchins known are corals or roe are delicacies in many countries. And in jellyfish only the scyphozoan type is harvested for food specifically in Southeast Asia.
5. Aquatic Plants And Microphytes
This group is divided into two subgroups viz. seaweed and microphytes. Seaweeds are rich in protein and fiber and are extensively used in coastal cuisines. They constitute the essential diet of Korea, Japan and China since ages. They are also consumed in many European societies, western Norway and Iceland, western and Northern Ireland, Wales, Atlantic coast in France besides Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Some species of Microphytes that are used as seafood is Spirulina. The farming of seaweed as well as Spirulina is going on in an extensive form worldwide.
Nevertheless, the common fish species that are used as sea foods are divided texture and flavor wise into varied groups like mild, moderate and full flavor besides delicate, medium and firm texture. To name a few of them we can enlist blue crab, spanner crab, eastern oyster, pacific oyster, black sea bass, crayfish, rockfish, drum, tilefish, halibut, conch, monkfish, pompano, moi, yellow perch, skate, sablefish, dogfish, mahimahi, kingklip, opah, cobia, blue marlin, escolar, Chinook, barracuda and many more. Although there are 32000 fish species universally, but only a small number is eaten by humans.
Seafood Benefits
There are endless Seafood Benefits that we can talk about. Here is an interesting video where you can learn the health advantages of consuming the seafood.
We have also outlined some of the important health benefits below –
1. Provides Essential Nutrients
Sea foods are healthy diets. They are rich in vitamin A that is required for healthy eyes and skin, vitamin D which helps calcium absorption besides nutrients and vitamin B complex specifically vitamin B2 or riboflavin which is excellent for energy production, concentration, metabolism and beauty. Fish oil reduces the prevalence of acne and protects the skin against UV rays of the sun.
2. Improves Body Function
Sea foods are rich in minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, magnesium, potassium and selenium that improve brain development as well as reproduction in the body and helps body run smoothly. Iodine is required for proper working of thyroid gland and selenium protects body cells from free radicals that cause cancer cells, lowers the blood pressure and prevents damage to DNA of the cells improving the immune system.
3. Seafood Benefits – Increase the Health of Heart
Doctors have reported a strong bond between fish and heart health on the basis of study on the heart disease in the Arctic populations. In the other scientific study it was revealed that eating one fish portion in a week reduces the chances from suffering a heart attack by half.
Fish is good for heart since it has more omega-3 and less saturated fats which assists to lower than the triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood. These are the two fats that increase the heart attack risk. Omega-3 prevents thickening and damage of artery walls. Regular eating of fish reduces arrhythmia risk an irregular activity of heart that increases heart attack and stroke risks.
4. Seafood For Brain Power
10-12% of human brain is composed of lipids viz. DHA omega-3 fat. Older people boost their brain power by eating more of oily fish. There are also reports that sea foods develop the concentration and those people who eat fish once a week have a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer. Sea foods improve cognitive function in the elderly persons. Omega-3 fatty acids are especially found in fatty fish viz. sardines, salmon, trout, herring, canned light tuna, oysters and canned mackerel.
5. Great For Body Joints
Including seafood in the diet reduces rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. A painful disease that swells up the joints reducing mobility and strength. The researchers have found a bond between omega-3 and cartilage wearing that leads to osteoarthritis.
6. Best For Pregnancy – Seafood Benefits
Sea foods are best for pregnancy. Eating more fish has a positive influence on the fetal growth as well as development. Reduces preterm deliveries and is crucial for the development of the central nervous system in the fetus.
7. Seafood Benefits – Reduces Depression
Sea foods are best to fight against the depression and have a better outlook towards the life. In many cultures fishes are regarded as the symbol of culture, prosperity and heritage especially in the Washington’s Native American Indian tribes and fish are considered spiritual in Pacific Northwest.
Thus we have seen here the various Seafood Benefits.
Online Access To The Ocean Of Sea Foods
Today with existence of innumerable websites on sea foods locating a best website that could fulfill your needs is not a difficult task. Fish is regarded not only as a healthy food choice, but also an extremely easy and quick option to bring a family together. There are numerous websites online that effectively provide information on fish blogs, recipes, tips as well as health information. One could easily access the recipe section and cook and relish the food.
In addition, there are many online websites having educational programs that help the children to know more about sea foods via interesting videos and lesson plans in addition to downloads and games.
On the information side too there are many different knowledge tips that can be gained from the seafood guide to buying the sea foods where a customer should have an eye on labels of the sea foods packaging and opt to by the sustainable foods and how he or she could recognize the freshest fishes available in the market.
The other aspect that can be accessed deeply is the healthy cooking of the sea foods. This includes the safe preparation of the sea foods, their safe cooking methods and mouthwatering seafood recipes like stews, salads and soups. It should be remembered that fishes can accumulate a little range of mercury in them so from the safety point of view it is best to gain more information on this regard via online websites too.
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Conclusion
Sea food is an international cuisine. It is loved by many people worldwide. Sea food is rich in nutrients and proteins besides vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. It effectually helps to reduce several common ailments. Besides providing essential nutrients required by the body to a human it helps in promotion of the heart health, it is good for joints, it is best nutrition for the eyesight and is excellent for skin.
Seafood benefits shows that it is best for fights against the depression and is an amazing food during pregnancy assisting the growth of a fetus. Last but not least it improves the body’s immunity function. There are great variations of sea foods available. So a person can invariably choose the type of fish that best suits his or her taste. Besides, there are several healthy ways wherein the fishes can be prepared. Fish is also vital for the functioning of a healthy heart.
At present, youngsters, children and even elders can avail good information on the sea foods online. They can find the unlimited number of websites that provide the vital knowledge on the sea foods that includes the total guidance on seafood benefits & covering the varied aspects of it viz. how to buy the best sea foods in your area and how to cook them safely.
Since ages fish has a significance of prosperity, health and wealth in many customs and traditions. The wide knowledge on this aspect can also be availed from the internet resources. Sea foods are safe and healthy options in your food plans if you are aware of its total aspects and find out all about it. The presence of mercury in some fishes is higher than the others.
So, by knowing more about them one could keep him or herself as well as his or her family totally safe from the world of sea foods. Undoubtedly, sea foods are integral parts of some of the exclusive cuisines of the day viz. sushi. Fish businesses like sustainable fish farming and the related ethics in sea foods have brought about a great insight into the countless research studies on the fishes worldwide. This trend will certainly support the fish industry for many years to come and besides will make the varied seafood menus as the favorite meals of different nations of the world.
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