Nutrition Value of Fish Protein
Fish is a widely cultivated food product with highly economical trading value. Fish are considered highly nutritious products of the aquaculture system due to the presence of well-balanced macronutrients such as proteins, lipids and micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. The protein present in fish has high nutritional value because essential amino acids serve as antioxidant elements in various nutraceutical industries.
The fish protein is of high quality, containing an abundance of essential amino-acids, and is very digestible by people of all ages. Seafood is also loaded with minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium.
Fish protein is rich in many bioactive peptides and essential amino acids. They are readily digested due to the presence of low connective tissues and can be used for various metabolic activities. These proteins have various pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications and are being efficiently used as functional ingredients in many food items. Even though they have some useful properties such as oil absorption, water-holding capacity, gel formation, emulsification and foaming properties.
In addition, fish protein has various significant bioactive properties such as anti-oxidative, anti-thrombic and antihypertensive properties. Fish proteins are used to repair muscle tissues, and improve immunity and blood quality. Fish proteins can also be used to prevent protein–calorie malnutrition in animals.
In addition to being a food source, protein also performs various dominant functions to prevent bacterial and viral infections and helps to maintain the water balance and regulatory system in the human body.
Lipids play an important role in the nutritional value of fish due to the presence of long-chain PUFAs which consist of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA. These fatty acids have great beneficial impacts on human health and nutrition and prevent various diseases. PUFAs help to reduce blood pressure and high concentrations of triglycerides in blood vessels.
Fish also contain the perfect balance of all essential vitamins which play an important role in human health. Fish is a rich source of vitamins (A and D) and a good source of B-group vitamins which are considered to be beneficial for the growth and development of children.
Vitamin A maintains cell development, the formation of bones and teeth and it also significantly contributes to improving weak eyesight as well as the treatment of various eye-related diseases. Vitamin D present in fish was found in the form of vitamin D3 which represents a three-fold higher potential efficiency ratio than that of vitamin D and it was also found in the skin as 7-dehydrocholesterol after exposure to ultraviolet light. Most children suffer from vitamin D deficiency that causes rickets but it is also found common in adults where many other diseases such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia, osteopenia, low bone mineral density and diabetes have been reported. Vitamin B accelerates enzyme functioning which facilitates chemical processes in the human body whereas vitamin K is important for blood coagulation and helps to prevent internal bleeding in the body.
Most micronutrients with high bioavailability are present in fish within the range of approximately 0.4 to 1.5%. Fish contain high-nutritional-value minerals in widely varying quantities including calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, iodine, phosphorus and potassium.
In particular, iodine and selenium are considered to have significant nutritional value due to their high bioavailability. Iodine is essential for hormone production, especially thyroxin which helps to regulate the body’s metabolism. It is also important for the psychological and growth development of children. Selenium possesses some antioxidant properties and is an important micronutrient in the human body that only performs various functions in the form of selenoproteins. These proteins are directly responsible for normal thyroid function and the inactivation of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase. Calcium is significantly used for bone formation and mineralization, and the proper functioning of muscles and the nervous system. Iron is directly involved in the synthesis of haemoglobin in red blood cells (RBCs) that can assist in the regulation of oxygen in every body part.