Why is catfish useful?

This product has appeared on our tables relatively recently. The striped catfish or sea wolf is a perch-like fish of northern latitudes. The benefits and harms of catfish are still the subject of discussion between nutritionists and doctors, but it can already be concluded that the meat of this fish can be regularly eaten, subject to fairly basic rules for handling it.

What does the catfish look like and where is found

The catfish is a fish of the Catfish family of the Perchiformes class. It has an elongated body, tapering towards the tail and covered with fine scales. The weight of the fish can be up to 23 kg, and the length is up to one and a half meters.

The fish got its name for its teeth, similar to those of a dog - it has several protruding fangs as well as many strong grinding teeth located in the palate and jaws. The fish has pectoral fins, but the pelvic fins are absent.

The fish habitat is the coast of the north Atlantic Ocean and the southern parts of the Arctic. It is found in the Barents and Norwegian Seas, in northern America and southern Greenland.

Catfish meat composition

The benefits of catfish for the body are due to the composition of its meat. Meat contains a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals for a good nutrition of a person.

Fish contains the following vitamins (calculated per 100 g of mass):

• vitamin PP - up to 5.8 mg;
• vitamin C - 1.4 g;
• vitamin E - 0.4 g;
• vitamin A - 0.06 g

The catfish is rich in microelements:

• sulfur - 190 mg;
• phosphorus - 180 mg;
• sodium - 100 mg;
• magnesium - 35 mg;
• calcium - 30 mg.

Among marine fish, it holds the record for the content of iodine (0.05 mg per 100 g of weight) and cobalt (0.02 mg).

The nutritional value of fish is as follows:

• proteins - 20 g;
• fats - 5.8 g;
• carbohydrates - 8 g.

Also, meat contains up to 4.9 g of unsaturated fat.

Calorie content of catfish

The energy value of meat depends on the way it is cooked. Below are the calorie values ​​of catfish per 100 grams of product weight:

Based on the table, we can conclude that catfish is a fish with average calorie values.

Useful properties of catfish

The main advantage of catfish meat is its high nutritional value due to its high protein content. The useful components that make up it have a positive effect on the work of the following body systems:

• cardiovascular;
• nervous;
• immune (primarily to the work of the thyroid gland).

Fish is also recommended as a dietary food for type 2 diabetes and in the fight against obesity, since its meat does not affect blood sugar levels.

Is catfish possible for pregnant and lactating women

Modern medicine has recorded cases of the negative influence of the meat of this fish on the nervous system of the fetus during pregnancy. The American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists considers catfish to be a possible source of heavy metals (particularly zinc and lead), and therefore does not recommend catfish for use by pregnant and lactating women.

Is catfish useful for children

For children under the age of 12, catfish is not recommended for the reasons indicated above, as well as due to the child's possible allergy to seafood.

Catfish for weight loss

Meat is recommended for weight loss and is included in many diets. This is due to the following features:

• low calorie content;
• high content of useful trace elements and vitamins;
• a large amount of unsaturated fats that help break down fats in the body.

Naturally, you should not use fried fish for weight loss. Boiled or steamed is best suited for these purposes.

How to cook catfish deliciously

There are about fifty recipes for preparing this fish - from classic to extravagant. Fish is used in a wide variety of forms, from boiled to grilled. She goes to pickles, baked goods, soups and so on.

The most popular catfish is, oddly enough, fried. It is strange because this fish is dietary, but fried catfish has the maximum calorie content.

The recipe is as follows:

1. The fish is cut into steaks, they are salted and settled for about an hour.
2. Steaks are dipped in batter and fried in vegetable oil over high heat. The oil level should be about half the thickness of the steak.
3. The steaks are fried on both sides until crisp.
4. The heat is reduced to ¼ of the maximum, and on each side, each steak is cooked for another 5 minutes until tender.

A standard egg batter is used: flour, water and salt are added to the beaten eggs, after which the composition is whipped again and spices are added to it. An alternative is to use regular bread crumbs instead of batter. crackers.

The main secret in cooking is simple - the meat should freely communicate with large volumes of air, there should not be too tight closed spaces. Otherwise, the meat will lose its texture, in other words, it will creep. In the case of cooking in foil, it should be squeezed out strongly, removing moisture as much as possible.

Catfish harm and contraindications

Despite the fact that the effect of catfish meat on the human body has not yet been studied enough, we can confidently talk about only two factors of harm to fish, the existence of which has been clinically proven.

The first relates to seafood allergies. The prevalence of this kind of allergy is rather low, but just in case, it is recommended to pass a short test before using the product for the first time, eating 5-10 g, and make sure that there is no negative reaction during the day.

Another unpleasant feature is the ability of all marine animals to accumulate salts of heavy metals, in particular lead, in their meat. In catfish, this indicator is in a range acceptable for human health, but do not forget that in case of overeating, both excessive accumulation of heavy metal salts in the body and cases of pseudo-allergies are possible.

Also, sometimes when eating catfish meat, there are cases of exacerbation of pancreatic diseases.

How to choose and store catfish correctly

When choosing catfish at points of sale, the first thing to pay attention to is the condition of the fish's eyes. If they are light, not cloudy and shiny, the fish is fresh and can be bought. It is better to take not frozen, but chilled fish, since it is easier to determine its freshness, in addition, meat that is subject to freezing may crawl into pieces during cooking.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of catfish are currently not yet fully understood.On the one hand, it is an excellent marine product with a high protein content, the consumption of which provides the body with many useful elements and does not lead to excess weight gain. On the other hand, it is fraught with potential danger as a source of heavy elements, and it is not recommended to consume it too often.

Fish reviews