Sushi boom has waned in many countries across the world. It seems, everybody has ever eaten sushi. For many people, this initially exotic Japanese dish turned into a regular item on menu. But the dispute over whether sushi is healthy or not is still hot. Here we are going to try to answer the most common questions about sushi.
They say fish contains much of mercury. Does it mean that eating much sushi is dangerous?
Some fishes – including salmon and tuna used for sushi and rolls – do have mercury in them. Saying that one portion of sushi contains risky amount of mercury would be exaggeration. Rice, vegetables, sea weed and omelet make up the bigger share of the dish. Even if you have exclusively sushi diet, you won’t consume more than 150 g of fish per week. At the same time, the upper limit of fatty fish consumption is 1.3 lb (600 g) per week. It should be twice as less for girls, pregnant women and breastfeeding women.
Can sushi be considered a dietary meal?
Yes, it can, compared to what we usually have for lunch. Medium sushi roll provides about 350 kcal and is pretty low on fat (3.6 g). Notice that only 2 g out of that overall fat content is so-called saturated fats responsible for high cholesterol levels. Compare with 15 g saturated fats in regular hamburger.
What is unhealthy about sushi?
The sole unhealthy ingredient in sushi is salt. Some people believe soy sauce can make healthy substitute for salt. This is not true. 2-3 teaspoonfuls of soy sauce may contain up to 1 g of salt (daily salt intake for grownups is no more than 6 g), so try to be moderate on the sauce.
Rice is a grain. Does it mean that sushi is fattening?
Theoretically, you can get fat on just about anything given unrestricted consumption. As far as rice is concerned, it is far from being low-calorie. It is rich in simple carbohydrates. On the other hand, sushi contains vinegar that impedes on carbohydrates uptake and spices that speed up metabolism temporarily. You can say this has a balancing effect.
Are sushi and sashimi equally healthy?
No. Actually, sashimi is sliced fish fillet. It is rich in proteins and fatty acids on the one hand, and contains mercury on the other. So be careful. One sashimi portion makes a half of your daily intake.
Source of the image: ayuschka.blogspot.com.
