Wild Salmon: one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet

Wild Salmon: one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet

We all strive for wellness. We all know that eating wisely is essential for good health. So how can we up our nutrition?

What should be included in a healthy diet? What one food should we be sure to eat each week? How can we easily improve our diets? The answers? Fish, fish and fish! And more specifically, salmon!

And not just any salmon. Wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon are always at the top of the nutrition lists. Did you know that these salmon are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet? They provide protein, vitamins and minerals, and they contain those healthy Omega-3 fatty acids - nutrients that are linked to countless positive health outcomes. The American Heart Association recommends 2 servings of fish (particularly fatty fish like salmon) a week; a serving is 3 ounces cooked. 

Eating fish once or twice a week is associated with a 36% lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease (Mozaffarian & Rimm, JAMA 2006) - and fish offers many other health advantages.

In this article, we approach the topic of wellness through salmon in two ways: 

• we list and explain the nutrients that salmon provide (in six-ounce units, when applicable), and
• we list the specific body systems that benefit from eating salmon. 

Wild Salmon Nutrition | PROTEINS

- the primary construction materials of the body. Proteins are the building blocks for our bones, skin, hair, muscles, hormones and antibodies.

• Protein from wild-caught Alaska sockeye salmon is a high-quality, complete protein. In one 6 oz cooked serving of wild sockeye, there are about 45 grams of protein (USDA).

• Protein plays a major role in maintaining our muscle mass, and in healing and protecting our bone health. It is also vital for fetal development.

Wild Salmon Nutrition | OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS EPA AND DHA

A family of healthy, unsaturated fats (nutrients) that we must get from our food (or less-effectively, from pills), because our bodies make only small amounts of them on their own.

• Omega-3 fatty acids - salmon oil - are a powerful, super-healthy type of fat that our body needs, but makes only in small amounts on its own. These are essential fats, which means you need them to survive. Very few foods provide these omega-3 fatty acids, but happily, oily fish like salmon do. 

• Research links eating fish with brain and heart health: in one study of older adults, eating fish at least once a week was linked to a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease (Morris et al., Arch Neurol 2003), and a 2018 American Heart Association advisory recommends 1 to 2 seafood meals a week to help reduce the risk of heart disease (Rimm et al., Circulation 2018).

Wild Salmon Nutrition | VITAMINS

Organic substances that cooperate to help our bodies grow and work the way they should. Vitamins are essential because they are required for life, and our bodies cannot make them. Salmon contain many of these essential vitamins.

Vitamin A 

• Vitamin A is an important fat-soluble vitamin. 

• Vitamin A is essential for healthy vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development. Vitamin A also helps our heart, lungs, and other organs work properly.

B Vitamins 

• B Vitamins are essential nutrients. Salmon is an excellent source of B Vitamins, particularly Niacin, Vitamin B6 and B12. 

• Niacin helps our body convert the food we eat into energy, and it helps keep our skin, hair, and nervous system healthy. A 6 oz cooked serving of wild sockeye provides about 17 mg of Niacin, more than 100% of the Daily Value (USDA). 

• Vitamin B6 is essential for efficient brain functioning. A 6 oz cooked serving of wild sockeye provides about 1.4 mg of Vitamin B6, 82% of the DV (USDA).

• Vitamin B-12 keeps our body’s blood and nerve cells healthy. It creates and repairs our DNA, the genetic material in all of our cells. It also helps prevent anemia and reduce inflammation. Whole books are written about this one vitamin! A 6 oz cooked serving of wild sockeye provides about 7.6 mcg of B-12, 317% of the DV (USDA).

Vitamin D 

• Vitamin D, which is found in very few foods other than seafood, is an essential, fat-soluble vitamin. 

• Vitamin D is essential for a healthy brain throughout our lives, and for creating and maintaining strong bones. It aids in calcium absorption and protects older adults from osteoporosis. An adequate intake of Vitamin D is associated with a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and Covid-19 complications. A 6 oz cooked serving of wild sockeye provides about 1,140 IU (28 mcg) of Vitamin D, 142% of the DV (USDA)! 

Vitamin E

• Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble vitamin required for the proper function of many organs in the body. 

• Vitamin E enhances our immune system and prevents clots from forming in our arteries. It’s important to vision, reproduction, and the health of our blood, brain and skin. With its antioxidant properties, it “scavenges” loose electrons, called free radicals, that can damage our cells.

Wild Salmon Nutrition | MINERALS

Inorganic substances our bodies need for growth and good health. Minerals are essential in the development and maintenance of our bones, muscles, heart and brain, and they support our hormones and enzymes. 

Wild Salmon Nutrition | SELENIUM

• Selenium is a key nutrient stored in our muscle tissue that our bodies need to function well.

• Selenium protects our body from infection. It can improve cognition, immune system function, fertility and bone health. A 6 oz cooked serving of wild sockeye provides about 60 mcg of selenium, 110% of our DV (USDA).

Wild Salmon Nutrition | PHOSPHORUS

• Phosphorus is a mineral found throughout the body. 85% of the body’s phosphorus is in our bones and teeth, and smaller amounts in our cells and tissues throughout our body. 

• Phosphorus is needed to build strong healthy bones and teeth. It helps filter out waste in the kidneys, and plays an essential role in how the body stores and uses energy. Phosphorus also helps reduce muscle pain after a workout.

Wild Salmon Nutrition | POTASSIUM

• Potassium is a mineral our body needs to work properly. It is a type of electrolyte.

• Potassium helps maintain normal levels of fluid inside our cells. It helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells. Potassium helps our nerves function, our muscles contract and our heartbeat stay regular. Importantly, potassium helps offset some of sodium's harmful effects on blood pressure and stroke. 

Wild Salmon Nutrition | MAGNESIUM

• Magnesium is a mineral that is essential for good health. It plays many crucial roles in our body.

• Magnesium helps keep our blood pressure normal, our bones strong, and our heart rhythm steady. It supports our exercise performance, our energy production and our brain functions.

Wild-caught Alaska salmon are a great source of the minerals listed above. 

Elsewhere on this blog, we explain the differences between wild-caught  salmon and farmed salmon. Suffice it to say, wild-caught salmon are nature's answer to questions about nutrition!