Health Benefits of Catfish

A lot of people will say that they like eating catfish because of its wonderful flavor. But there are other reasons why you should consider including this in your diet – healthy reasons. This is considered to be a very nutritious fish. Eating it will give you the benefit of meeting your protein needs, and boosting your vitamin intake.

Why Catfish is a Healthy Choice

Three ounces of catfish will give you 122 calories as well as 6.1 g of fat. As you can see, it’s low in calories which make it a popular choice for those who are trying to manage their weight, but enough that you won’t go hungry. For women, the needed amount of calories would be anywhere from 300 to 500 calories per meal. In comparison, men need about 400 to 600 calories. With catfish as your main meal, you can still have some other food portions on the side.

This food can boost your consumption of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. One serving will give you 220 mg of omega 3 and 875 mg of omega 6. Both of these types of fats are considered healthy and are said to help improve heart and cognitive functions. There are no federal guidelines that limit the intake of these fats. In fact the American Heart Association encourages the consumption of fish like catfish so that you could increase your intake of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

It’s also a great protein source where one serving can give you 15.6 g of protein that already have the essential amino acids that your body needs. It’s a high quality protein that can help you build lean muscle while improving immune function at the same time. This food can also provide you the energy needed for daily activities.

One serving of catfish contains 40% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin B12. This particular vitamin is helpful in breaking down foods so that you can use this as energy as well as supports nerve function.

So when someone offers you to eat some catfish, then you should know by now that it can make you healthy!