The various health benefits of mackerel can be obtained thanks to the nutritional content in it. Not only can maintain a healthy body, this type of seawater fish is also claimed to reduce the risk of developing serious diseases, such as diabetes and breast cancer.
Mackerel is one type of fish that is quite widely consumed by the people of Indonesia, because it is easy to find, the price is affordable, and can be processed into various types of dishes to snacks.
In addition, mackerel also contains a variety of important nutrients for the body, such as vitamin A, vitamin B12, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, and omega-3.
Various Health Benefits of Mackerel
There are several health benefits of mackerel that you can get by consuming it regularly, namely:
1. Increase body immunity
Mackerel contains essential amino acids and one of them is lysine. This type of amino acid can increase energy and body immunity. In addition to lysine, in mackerel fish also contains vitamin A which is quite high. This vitamin is known to be useful for increase body immunity.
2. Maintain heart health
Mackerel contains high vitamin B12. This vitamin is known to bring various benefits, one of which is reducing homocysteine levels in the blood, which is a type of amino acid that plays an important role in the formation of protein in the body.
However, if the levels are excessive in the body, the amino acid homocysteine can harm heart health and can trigger stroke.
3. Prevent anemia
The next benefit of mackerel is to prevent anemia. This benefit comes from the content of iron, vitamin B12, and folate in it. These three nutrients play an important role in the process of forming healthy red blood cells.
4. Reducing the risk of developing diabetes
Although it needs further investigation, research shows that consumption of foods containing unsaturated fats, such as mackerel, can prevent diabetes.
This benefit is associated with the omega-3 content in it which can control weight and control blood sugar levels. However, these benefits can be obtained if you also balance them with a healthy lifestyle, such as eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly.
5. Reducing the risk of breast cancer
In addition to diabetes, consumption of mackerel fish is also believed to reduce the risk of breast cancer.. These benefits can be obtained thanks to the omega-3 content in it. However, this still needs to be investigated further.
The benefits of mackerel are very diverse. However, you are advised to consume it wisely. The reason is, some types of mackerel contain mercury and can be harmful to health when consumed in excess.
Mackerel should only be consumed as much as 2 servings per week and each serving is only about 80–90 grams. You should also cook it thoroughly before eating it to prevent possible exposure to bacteria.
That’s the benefits of mackerel that you need to know. If you have certain medical conditions and want to eat mackerel on a regular basis, you should consult with a doctor first to find out how many servings of mackerel you can consume.
