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Tuna

This article is part of a larger article titled "100+ Healthiest Foods On Planet Earth."  Read it here.

Tuna Nutritional Information (per 100g)

Water: 68.1 g
Calories: 144 kcal
Protein: 23.3 g
Fat: 4.9 g
Saturated fat: 1.3 g
Monounsaturated fat: 1.6 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4 g
Cholesterol: 38 mg
Vitamin B1: 0.2 mg
Vitamin B2: 0.3 mg
Vitamin B3: 8.7 mg
Vitamin B6: 0.5 mg
Vitamin B9: 2 μg
Vitamin B12: 9.4 μg
Vitamin A: 655 μg
Vitamin E: 1 mg
Vitamin D: 5.7 μg
Calcium: 8 mg
Iron: 1 mg
Magnesium: 50 mg
Phosphorus: 254 mg
Potassium: 252 mg
Sodium: 39 mg
Zinc: 0.6 mg

Tuna is a staple in many households, often in the canned variety, and it’s not hard to see why – it is versatile, delicious and an excellent source of protein. This yummy fish also boasts some wonderfulbenefits that have been scientifically proven to be beneficial to your health.

Good For Heart Health. The debate over the health benefits of canned tuna has received new evidence to support the idea that canned tuna can be just as healthy as fresh, thanks to this study carried out in Italy that compared the lipid profiles of different types of canned fish. They found that out of all the samples tested, canned bluefin tuna contained the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

This is important because omega-3 fatty acids are incredibly important for maintaining good heart health. The researchers concluded that the canned bluefin tuna could play a pivotal role as a dietary inhibitor of cardiovascular disease.

Helps Fight Obesity. Researchers from Pukyong University, in the Republic of Korea, have been studying the role that tuna plays in maintaining a healthy weight. They have recently published their results which has confirmed that tuna contains a peptide that prevents the process that turns certain cells into fat cells. The peptide does this by inhibiting certain proteins from communicating with each other, thus preventing a chain of events that results in fat cells being created.

Prevent The Risk Of Stroke And Brain Abnormalities. In 2011, a study was published that examined how eating a diet rich in fish, including tuna, would affect the risk of experiencing ischemic stroke – which is a stroke caused in the brain thanks to the blockage of an artery in the brain.

The researchers found that those who ate fish at least five times a week had the greatest reduction in the risk of experiencing an ischemic stroke, by as much as 31%, although eating fish just once a week also had a significant impact.

Interestingly, the study also showed that when elderly participants consumed moderate levels of fish each week, they were less likely to show abnormalities on MRI scans. It was noted, however, that fried fish did not contribute to these results, perhaps because frying the fish damages much of the nutrient content.