While tuna is more commonly used canned, it can not compare to the incredible hard, full and fleshy texture and taste of fresh tuna. Canned and fresh fish can be found in stores throughout the year, but December is the month where you can buy really fresh Hawaiian tuna.
Tuna fish have great strength and some of them are nearly as large as a dolphin. The term "tuna" combines several species of ocean fish from one family of fish. More species such as tunas swim with great speed and migrate very often, so catching them in the past was considerably difficult for fishermen. A big boom in tuna took place in the 40 years of the last century. During this time, they called Tuna "the antelope of the ocean."
Nowadays tuna, also known as tun is consumed worldwide and its catches her are so large that its population is threatened. An interesting fact about these fish is that they live around dolphins. This is because dolphins repel sharks and enable Tunas to grow with lower losses in population.
Content of Tuna
Tuna is very high in vitamins B3, B6, and the exceptionally rare B12. Moreover, it contains large amounts of iron, phosphorus and magnesium. Contains many proteins and almost no fat. A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, it contains small amounts of vitamin E.
100 g tuna contains approximately 144 kcal, 68% water, 23 g protein, 4.9 g fat, 0 g carbohydrates.
Tuna varieties
Blue scaled tuna - the biggest representative of the species. Its sizes range from one to two and a half meters, its weight reaches 180 kg. There is talk that a fish weighing near 700 kg was caught. The meat of this tuna has a strong red color, which demonstrates excellent qualities and it contains protein. The meat of this type of tuna is much more oily than others. It contains about 5% animal fat.
Yellow scaled tuna - with yellowish flakes, thus easily distinguished from other tunas. Weighs up to 130 kg, but larger specimens are common. Its meat is handled more easily, and its population is higher, suggesting that it will soon displace the consumption of the current world leader – blue scaled tuna.
Naked tuna - aka naked tun, is a true dwarf in comparison to others of its kind. It weighs between 2 and 4 kg, and its flesh is very rich in myoglobin.
White tuna - up to 60 kg and is thus considered to be middle sized tuna. Its protein is of lower value than species that have red meat. It has no myoglobin, so naked tuna is more useful.
Selection and storage of tuna
- Although canned tuna is widely spread, it is preferred to buy fresh fish - with steaks, fillets and other cuts. If you buy a whole one, it must be marketed buried in ice, but if it is in cuts, or fillets, it should be placed on the ice.
- Do not buy tuna that has dry or brown spots.
- If you buy fresh tuna, note that it can remain in the refrigerator up to four days, and it is preferable to prepare it the same day or at the latest, next.
- If you get frozen or fresh fish that you want to freeze, remember that it is best to eat within two to three weeks after you put in the freezer.
Culinary use of tuna
Tuna in a can is a great addition to a number of green salads. When stewed, it is complemented by great vegetables, but can also fry it quickly and eat it alone.
Frozen Tuna defrosts in about 15 minutes, then you can bake it on the grill. If you want to cook it in the oven, first thaw it for about 10 minutes. It can be made with noodles and pasta or bites, it even makes some very filling pancakes.
Benefits of Tuna
- Helps our cardiovascular health. It has been shown that tuna protects us from heart disease, because of the omega-3 fats and vitamin B, including vitamin B12 and niacin that it contains.
- Increases the heart rate variability (HRV) - a measure of cardiac muscle function. One way in which the intake of fish rich in Omega 3 - fats, such as tuna, has beneficial impact on our health is by increasing HRV. This reduces the risk of arrhythmia and / or death in patients who have heart problems.
- Protect us from fatal cardiac arrhythmia. A healthy diet that includes intake of at least 300 grams a week rich in omega-3 fish (tuna is a good source of omega-3) improves the electrical properties of heart cells protecting us from fatal cardiac arrhythmia.
- Just two servings a week of fish rich in omega-3 fats, reduces the triglyceride levels in your body. High levels of triglycerides are associated with higher levels of cholesterol, low levels of good and high levels of bad cholesterol, which provides an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Enjoying salmon or tuna twice a week will help you increase your levels of omega-3 fat as effectively as taking fish oil supplementation will.
- Protects us from ischemic stroke. Studies have shown that eating fish at least 1 to 3 times a month can protect against ischemic stroke (stroke caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain, as a result of clotting).
- Daily intake of fish provides us greater protection against heart attack. While the intake of fish several times a month protects us against ischemic stroke, taking it almost every day or several times a week, safeguards us against heart attacks. This is due to its rich content of omega-3 fats.
- Fish, fruit and vegetables protect us against deep vein thrombosis of the legs. To prevent this type of thrombosis, a dangerous condition in which the deep veins of the legs, thighs or pelvis clot, increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, eat fish at least once a week.
- Help us to prevent and control high blood pressure. People taking higher amounts of foods rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats (such as mussels) have lower blood pressure.
- Protect us from colon cancer and kidney cancer
- There are specific cardiovascular benefits for women after menopause, who suffer from diabetes.
- Thanks to the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fat protects us from sunburn, but also skin cancer.
- Protects us from Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases. Studies have shown that eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, DHA (DocosaHexaenoic Acid) and EPA (EicosaPentaenoic Acid), helps prevent Alzheimer's - a disease becoming more widespread among the population. So if you want to keep your wits, take cold-water fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least 3 times a week.
- Whole grains and fish act as a powerful protector against childhood asthma. Studies have shown that whole grains and fish could reduce the risk of childhood asthma by 50%.
Dangers of tuna
Tuna is also one of the few foods containing purines - natural substances found in plants, animals and the human body. Therefore, people who have problems taking purines, should avoid eating tuna in larger quantities.
Moreover, tuna contains mercury, which is a powerful neurotoxin. It can lead to mental retardation, brain and other nerve damage, both in adults and in children. So tuna should not be consumed more than once a week. Pregnant women and young children should refrain from its consumption.
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