Sardines And Their Three Main Benefits

Eating fish is a basic part of our food. They are a source of nutrients necessary for the formation of tissues and the development of physiological reactions in the body. For this reason, today we’ll talk about the main benefits of sardines , so you can add these fish to your daily diet.

Sardines belong to the herring family. They contain a number of nutrients that are beneficial to your health in the medium term. Learn about the three main benefits of sardines thanks to the information in our today’s article!

Sardines – their 3 main advantages

Before we begin discussing the benefits of sardines, let’s review an important fact. Well, sardines belong to the herring family. One of the main characteristics of these fish is their higher lipid content, so they have a higher energy value compared to other less fatty varieties of these sea creatures, such as hake.

We highly recommend eating sardines in a variety of forms. They are an essential part of the Mediterranean and Atlantic diets, two diets most often recommended by nutritionists. Here are the three most important benefits sardines offer us.

1. Muscle health

Sardines contain a significant amount of protein with high biological value. This means that we will find all the necessary amino acids in them. Moreover, these fish are easily digestible. According to a study published in the journal Nutrition Research , protein is fundamental when trying to avoid the progression of diseases characterized by muscle atrophy.

Therefore, for adults who lead a sedentary lifestyle, we recommend eating at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This will reduce the risk of loss of lean tissue that is associated with worse health.

However, proteins are not the only ingredients in sardines that are capable of improving our muscle function. These fish also contain omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients have been shown to maintain a better level of health in lean tissue, preventing the onset of fat-free tissue dysfunction and catabolism, among other things.

You just have to remember that sardines are a type of oily fish that is high in protein. They are extremely beneficial for the good condition of our muscles.

2. The beneficial effect of these fish on bone density

One of the most common pathologies in women who have overcome menopause is osteoporosis. This disease causes a progressive reduction in bone density, which increases the risk of fractures and worsens the quality of life.

To prevent the development of this disorder, it is necessary to take calcium regularly. The good news is that sardines (especially their bones) contain large amounts of this micronutrient. According to a study published in the journal Maturitas, regular intake of calcium reduces the incidence of osteoporosis in adult women.

For this reason, we strongly recommend that you include sardines in your daily diet. However, when you eat them, you need to make sure that you are also consuming the little bones they contain. Only the spine should be discarded as due to its large size it may cause choking.

3. Sardines improve cardiovascular health

We have already mentioned that sardines contain unsaturated fatty acids. Nutrition experts have shown a strong link between the consumption of these lipids and a reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. For this reason, we recommend that you eat oily fish at least twice a week.

The fat content in our diet is also associated with a reduction in blood pressure, which is important in the case of patients with essential hypertension. This also happens in people who are prone to vascular disease.

In addition, sardines have a strong “competitive” advantage over other larger, oily fish because they have almost no heavy metals in their bodies. For this reason, there is no compelling reason to limit their consumption or exclude them from the diet in sensitive patients, such as pregnant women.

Sardines are low in heavy metals, so consumption may even be appropriate in special situations, such as during pregnancy.

Include the benefits of sardines in your daily diet

As you have seen, sardines are very beneficial to our health due to their excellent nutrient content. They should appear regularly in all our diets. And because they are so small, there is no danger of high heavy metal consumption.

If you suffer from cardiovascular problems or want to reduce the risk of developing bone pathology, we recommend increasing your consumption of these fish. In addition, eating them regularly is fundamental for athletes, as sardines contribute to the maintenance of bone and muscle mass.

Finally, we would like to point out that you should be careful when preparing sardines for consumption. It is important to avoid frying them, as applying high temperatures to the lipids they contain increases the likelihood of them converting into trans fats, which are harmful to our health.

It’s always best to cook or fry them at low temperature, in the oven or on the grill. You can also buy them simply canned, in the form of canned food.