If you’re a fan of sushi, you probably appreciate the fact that the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish per week. But with all the talk circulating about mercury and other possible contaminants in seafood, you may be wondering if regularly indulging in sushi is a good or a bad thing.
I set out to answer that very question, and what I learned surprised me. Here’s what I found out about the surprising link between sushi and heart health.
How Sushi Can Impact the Heart
Research suggests that sushi and other types of fish may provide a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for heart health. Consuming omega-3s may reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and help you live a longer, healthier life.
Whether you have a family history of heart problems or you just want to make sure you keep your heart in tip-top shape, your sushi habit may be extremely beneficial. So go ahead and indulge occasionally knowing that you’re giving your heart the nutrients it needs to keep pumping strong.
Order Seafood With Minimal Salt
Now that we’ve established the positive link between seafood and heart health, it’s time to add a big caveat. Depending on how your sushi is prepared, it may contain excessive amounts of salt. While our bodies require a small amount of sodium and other electrolytes to function optimally, too much is definitely not a good thing.
The American Heart Association recommends that most adults eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Keeping your salt intake below this level can improve your blood pressure and overall heart health.
High sodium intake can increase your blood pressure and thus increase your risk for heart disease. So if you want to get the healthy heart benefits of the omega-3 content in sushi, it’s very important to make sure you’re not getting too much salt while you’re at it.
The next time you order sushi, make sure you ask your waiter if there are low-salt options on the menu. If there aren’t, consider ordering your sushi without the sauce so you can reduce your sodium intake for the sake of your heart health.
As long as you’re watching your sodium intake and trying to select healthy sushi options, you’re doing a great thing for your heart and your overall health. So go ahead and enjoy your sushi guilt-free!
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