Search From Over 10,000
   Pages of Fitness Content!

Tuna Canning - Eating Tuna in Oil vs. Tuna in Water

Living on a planet where over 70 percent of the surface is covered is with water abundant in edible life, fishing is a sport and a hobby with delicious prizes. But if fishing is not your avenue of feeling peace and serenity or thrill and excitement, you probably buy fish at the supermarket every now and then. Fish not only satisfies your appetite, but supplies generous amounts of valuable protein, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. More specifically, fish is the best source of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids which play a balancing act with animal fats found in plentiful amounts with most of our meals.

Eating fish just three times a week helps to boost your immune system, assist in blood clot formation and hormone production, balance your cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease, reduce joint and muscle pain, support healthy brain and nerve function, fight depression while slowing down aging and keeping your body youthful. According to many researches, fish-eaters are hot only happier, but they tend to have more pleasant personalities than people who don't eat seafood.

Fish Fats
The main reason is found in the unique chemical nature of fish fats which work on the cellular level. Every cell in our body is surrounded by a cell membrane composed mainly of fatty acids. This membrane checks that the proper amounts of necessary nutrients enter the cells and ensures efficient excretion of harmful toxins and byproducts of metabolism. Made up of fat, cell membranes depend on the type of fat we eat.

To maintain integrity and fluidity, cells need a healthy membrane. This ensures good communication with other cells and efficient ability to hold water and vital nutrients. All the fats you eat get incorporated into cell membranes, and the type of fatty acids dictates how your cells respond and grow. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats stay liquid even in the refrigerator. Researchers believe that diets containing large amounts of saturated or hydrogenated fats produce cell membranes that are hard and lack fluidity, while diets rich in Omega-3 fats promote membrane fluidity.

Omega-3 fats are also famous for their ability to improve blood flow, prevent cardiovascular disease, reduce the risk of arrhythmia, lower the amount of lipids in the blood, and prevent extreme blood clotting.

Did you know that you may be able to shed extra kilos almost effortlessly if you eat your Omega-3s? The reason is found in the wonderful ability of its constituents - the Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) - to work with appetite-suppressing hormone leptin released from your fat cells. When leptin goes up, you put down the fork down sooner because you feel satisfied and full. So, when you eat your fish, your hunger disappears thanks to the team work of EPA and leptin. Since all hormones work synergistically, your insulin also stays in check regulating your food intake, body weight and metabolism.

Researchers found that Omega-3 fatty acids affect cell growth by activating an enzyme called sphingomyelinase, which ultimately causes cancer cell death. Additionally, fish is full of other anti-inflammatory compounds known as resolvins which, unlike drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and the COX-2 inhibitors, do not have negative side effects on our gastrointestinal or cardiovascular systems.

Nutritious Tuna
To stay healthy and safe from premature aging or onset of chronic disease, eating tuna twice a week is a great option. This truly nutrient-dense food gives you high quality protein, no carbohydrates, minerals selenium, magnesium, and potassium; the B vitamins niacin, B1 and B6; and perhaps most important, the beneficial Omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Besides the healthy fats, fish has more digestible complete protein than most foods, high amounts of vitamins A, B, D, and K, as well as calcium, iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. Tuna is also a very good source of Vitamin B6 which, along with Folic Acid lowers levels of artery-damaging homocysteine and prevents atherosclerosis.

With all the fabulous benefits tuna has to offer, moderation is still the key to success. Consider that overdoses of nourishing fish nutrients, just like underdoses, may also impair immune function, elevate LDL cholesterol, alter blood lipids and blood clotting, and worsen Type II diabetes. Moreover, fish oil naturally contains high levels of the two potentially toxic vitamins, A and D.

Canned Tuna
If you established that fresh tuna fish is excellent for your health, can the same be attributed to canned tuna? If you are think canned foods are less nutritious than fresh options, you are not far from truth. But canning may not be as bad as you think.

Canning foods is a very effective method of preservation. The process protects against the growth of micro-organisms and kills harmful bacteria, but the high heats used for canning rob foods of vast amounts of nutrients, especially vitamin C, Thiamin and Riboflavin which are sensitive to light. You still benefit from the mineral supply of the canned foods, and the macro-nutrient nourishment may even be better than what you find in fresh products.

So, canned food is not always worse than fresh or frozen. If the food's overall quality is high, it is best in all forms - canned, frozen, or fresh.

Canned tuna can be a good source of Omega-3 fats, but the specific amounts depend on the product you choose. You'll find a variety of different terms used to describe tuna on canning labels. The market name "light" tuna may refer to many different species of tuna, including Skipjack, Bluefin, Yellowfin, and Tongol, but the specific name"albacore" or ''white tuna' comes from a biological species of tuna Thunnus alalunga, which includes Longfin, Tombo, Ahi, and Ahi Palanacanas tuna.

Nutritionally, these different types of tuna are quite similar-except for their fat content, which can vary by as much as 10 grams per cup depending on the chosen species, additional ingredients used in canning, brand name, and season and water temperature where the fish was caught.

Choosing Canned Tuna
To get the most Omega-3 fats from your canned tuna, choose water-packed over oil-packed. The oil mixes with some of the tuna's natural fat, so when you drain oil-packed tuna, some of its Omega-3 fatty acids also go down the drain. Since oil and water don't mix, water-packed tuna won't leach any of its precious Omega-3s.

Some manufacturers first bake tuna for easy de-boning, but it causes a loss of natural beneficial oils. Then the fish is mixed with additives and flavorings and put into the can - all you really get from these products are nutrient-lacking calories. When tuna is packed into the can raw and cooked only once, all the natural juices and fats remain.

Tuna in Oil vs. Tuna in Brine
Trying to tingle your taste buds with canned tuna may be as challenging as choosing the right flavor, texture and nutrient profile of the product. The first question on the menu is: What is the best health- and diet-boosting canned fish - Tuna in Oil or Tuna in Brine?

So, if you are ready to give your body a healthy boost of nourishing gifts from the sea, get your knowledge ready to explore the 'Canned Food' isle of the supermarket. After all, sometimes we all need a 'food break', and easy grabs, such as canned tuna, become handy.

By Elena Voropay