From today, all Japanese food maniacs have one more excuse to go out for sushi: "the doctor ordered me to," they will be able to tell friends and family. The Professor Massimo Cocchi, professor of biochemistry of nutrition at Malta's LudeS University, published the results of extensive research highlighting all the effects that a diet rich in raw fish produces on the human body. The results are surprising.
Thanks to the Vitamin D and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, present in high percentages in raw fish, those who habitually consume it achieve a consistent reduction in the effects of aging, improved functioning of the cardiovascular system, and prolonged efficiency of cognitive function.
The mechanism induced by these substances acts to chromosome level: Omega 3 helps slow the shortening of telomeres, protective membranes located at the top of chromosomes, the vehicles of DNA. Shortening of these membranes is among the main causes of cellular aging, especially at the level of the epidermis.
Other valuable nutrients found in raw fish are: tocopherol (vitamin E), coenzyme Q10, some B vitamins, and taurine, an important amino acid that positively affects adipocyte metabolism, promoting the maintenance of body weight within normal parameters.
Not just sushi
The healthiest and richest fish are salmon, tuna, and anchovies. Of course, the benefits of this type of diet are not exclusive to Japanese cuisine but to all culinary traditions that involve heavy consumption of raw fish. We think especially of the Apulian and Sicilian traditions, where seafood, bluefish and large marine predators are present in abundance, at various times of the year. All the more reason, for those who live far from the sea, to decide to spend a few weeks of vacation in these regions, well determined to exhaust all buffets of raw seafood appetizers, from every restaurant encountered along the way. Always on prescription, you understand.
Source: Republic.co.uk.
