Introduction
Fish is one of the most common and abundant sources of protein. I chose to analyze the nutritional value of 100 grams of sockeye salmon fish cooked under dry heat. Fish as stated earlier contains a lot of protein that could be as much as nineteen percent of the edible portion. This fish protein has an amino acid concentration of 1-20 percent dependent on the species of the fish and time of the year.
Salmon is rich in almost all the essential constituents of a balanced diet including low-fat protein, minerals, lipids, and vitamins. Fish contains high levels of protein and amino acids. The fish protein has a lot fewer fats as compared to other animal proteins like beef.
Body
According to Nuclear Data Laboratory (NDL), sockeye salmon has 0% waste and all of it is edible. The socket eye salmon (cooked under dry heat) has a value per 100 grams of 216-kilocalories, or 912-kilo joules, for energy. The protein and total fat value per 100 grams are 27.31 grams and 10.97 grams respectively. This indicates very high protein content in the fish which is important for muscle growth, tissue repair, and growth.
This particular fish protein is ideal as it is very easily digestible and is highly nutritious; 85-95 % of it is easily assimilated into the body after digestion. The fats found in salmon like other fish are mostly unsaturated. It has been widely recommended that these fatty acids be taken more rather than saturated fats. An example of an important unsaturated fatty acid is Omega-3. Omega-3 has been observed to reduce the chances of heart disease by suppressing low-density lipoprotein which in turn lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. It is however important to note that salmon and fish, in general, do not contain any carbohydrates.
Salmon is also an important source of minerals. The most common and abundant minerals in salmon include magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium. The values per 100grams are 7 grams, 31 grams, 276 grams, 375 grams, 66 grams, 0.51 grams, and 37.8 grams for Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Zinc (Zn) and Selenium (Se) respectively. These are many essential minerals to be found in a 100-gram portion of a single type of food and are important for sustainability, growth, repair, and wellness of the body (Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat, 2009).
Vitamins are another important component of a balanced diet. They help the body stay healthy by fighting off infections. Salmon provides quite a several vitamins (some in very small quantities). Niacin, choline, Betaine, Vitamin A, D, and E are some of the vital ones found in salmon in appreciable amounts. It is therefore an important source of these vitamins (Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat, 2009).
Salmon like most fish is low on calories with only 216 kcal per 100 grams portion. This makes it an important food for individuals looking to cut down their weight.
The highest biological molecule in this portion is protein at a value of 27.31 grams per 100 grams. Proteins are made up of such elements as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. This means that they are polymers (polypeptides) of amino acids. Physically, proteins are nanoparticles and consist of a sequence of 20 L-α-amino acids (residues). Chains with less than 40 residues are referred to as peptides rather than proteins (Sarrieau & Najimi, 1994).
The primary structure of proteins is a polypeptide with amino acids. It is denoted by writing the amino acid sequence e.g. the structure of a polypeptide with glycine, serine, and alanine would be gly-ser-ala. Hydrogen bonding is important in secondary structures for proteins and polypeptides as sometimes the protein arrangement is localized into folded patterns and the hydrogen bonding helps stabilize these patterns. Hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions, Van Der Waals forces, and hydrophobic packing are also employed by the protein molecules when they fold into the mentioned patterns (Sarrieau & Najimi, 1994). Proteins are therefore largely made up of amino acids which are vital for bodybuilding and tissue repair.
The value per 100 grams for water in salmon is 61.84 grams (Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat, 2009). This is an indication that most of it is water. Water is not a nutrient but is an essential component in our diet and body as a whole. Water helps ease digestion and can also help in proper muscle toning.
Conclusion/Recommendations
According to the food pyramid, emphasis is placed on physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetables (Inside the pyramid, 1996). It is also recommended that people take in as much protein as possible from fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds rather than meats. I, therefore, recommend that sockeye salmon (cooked under dry heat) be used as the source of protein in our diets rather than red meat. Fish protein is readily assimilated, has low-fat content, and contains essential oils that have been observed to reduce the chances of coronary heart disease. It also contains many minerals and vitamins that are important in bodybuilding and the strengthening of the body’s immune system.
References
Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat. (2009). USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory. Web.
Inside the pyramid. (1996). Web.
Sarrieau, A., & Najimi, M. (1994). Localization and developmental pattern of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide binding sites in the human hypothalamus. Synapse, 17(2), 129-140.