While canned tuna is enjoyed by more Americans than any other fish, really no comparison between canned and fresh tuna.Fresh tuna is firm but tender, with a meaty texture and flavor. While fresh tuna is usually available year-round, fresh tuna from Hawaii is most abundant in December.There are several varieties of tuna found in warm sea waters nearly worldwide, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.Skipjack and yellowfin are two varieties commonly consumed in the U.S. tuna is full of protein, rich in various vitamins and minerals and contains heart-healthy omega-3 fats.
High in Vitamins
All varieties of fresh tuna, including skipjack, yellowfin and bluefin tuna, are an excellent source of several B vitamins essential to human health. A portion of 100 g of cooked skipjack provides 18.76mg of niacin or vitamin B3, or 93 percent of the recommended daily value, percent and 2.19mg of vitamin B12, or 36; 0.98mg of vitamin B6, or 49 percent of the DV DV all for only 132 calories. Optimal intakes of B vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system and for the production of the brain chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, and red blood cells. All B vitamins are needed for energy metabolism, and vitamin B6 is used to break the glucose stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles into usable energy.
Rich in minerals
Fresh tuna is an excellent food source of several minerals such as phosphorus, potassium and selenium. A 100 g portion of skipjack tuna, cooked, provides 285mg of phosphorus, or 28 percent of the DV, 522mg potassium, or 21 percent of the DV, and 46.8mcg selenium, or 66 percent of the DV. Phosphorus is important for bone health and is necessary to form the genetic material into cells, such as DNA, and which aid in energy metabolism and the activation of certain enzymes in the body. Potassium, found in many foods, it is essential for the regulation of heart rate, blood pressure and acid-base/fluid balance in the body. Selenium acts as an antioxidant, as well as A, C and E. Besides vitamins promote a healthy immune system, selenium is necessary for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland.
The heart-healthy fats
According to the American Heart Association and an article published in October 2006 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, regular fish consumption promotes heart health.Consumption of about 4 oz of fish twice a week, especially fish high in omega-3 marine fatty acids reduces the risk of death from heart disease by a third, and total mortality by 17 percent. These omega-3 fatty acids are known as eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. Tuna is rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, however, the intake of only 250 mg per day of omega-3 marine fatty acids show benefits. According to the website of the World Healthy Foods, one 4 oz. portion of yellowfin tuna cooked provides about 330 mg of marine omega-3 fatty acids, while a 4 oz. skipjack tuna cooked portion provides 391mg enough to offer cardioprotective benefits.
