Harvard Medical School’s ‘Top 10 Superfoods’… Trout, ‘antioxidant secret’ in red flesh [건강한 가족]

The weather has become quite chilly and we have entered full-fledged winter. To survive the winter cold healthily, you need rich nutrients such as high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is time to consider a nutritious diet with good ingredients. Among them, trout is considered the best food ingredient for a healthy meal. Trout is listed in the ’10 Superfoods for a Healthy Diet’ recommended by Harvard Medical School as ‘a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids that help prevent heart disease.’ “No single food can provide all the nutrition, health benefits and energy you need,” says nutrition expert Catherine McManus, who created the list of superfoods. “Nonetheless, there are a few foods that deserve special recognition, and these are the superfoods: “It provides very important nutrients that can further strengthen healthy eating habits and patterns,” he emphasized.

In addition, trout is considered a recommended food for the Mediterranean diet, which is well-known worldwide as a healthy diet. The Mediterranean diet is the ‘world’s best diet’, ranked first for six consecutive years by the American current affairs magazine US News & World Report, and is also an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity designated by UNESCO.

The reason trout is a top choice for a healthy diet is because it is rich in and diverse in nutrients. Trout is a fish belonging to the salmon family of the salmon order, and in Korea, rainbow trout, which can be produced and supplied in-house, is in the spotlight. Rainbow trout is a cold-water, high-quality freshwater fish with vivid flesh color and a name that resembles pine joints. They live only in clean fresh water and are known to have excellent adaptability to the environment.

First of all, trout is an excellent source of protein. The content and composition of 9 essential amino acids, excluding tryptophan, account for more than half of the total amino acids. It is a food ingredient recognized for its effectiveness in eating protein. In particular, it is well known for its high content of essential amino acids lysine and threonine. This is why it is considered an important food ingredient for balanced nutritional intake for people in Eastern countries, including Korea, who rely on grains as their staple food. In addition, it is rich in anserine, which is involved in antioxidant and metal ion removal, and taurine, which acts to regulate osmotic pressure, prevent cholesterol, anti-gallstones, and lower blood pressure by suppressing the sympathetic nervous system.

Unsaturated fatty acids are also an essential nutritional component of trout. According to reports, trout is rich in EPA, an unsaturated fatty acid that lowers blood cholesterol content and inhibits the formation of blood clots to prevent arteriosclerosis and myocardial infarction, and DHA, an unsaturated fatty acid that increases the fluidity of brain cell membranes and facilitates the transfer of information to the brain. . Eating just 100g of rainbow trout meets the daily sufficient intake of EPA and DHA (210mg) (818.07mg).

Trout is also rich in vitamins and minerals. According to a domestic report, just consuming 100g of rainbow trout can meet Korean nutritional intake standards of 29.7% vitamin D, 15.66% vitamin E, and 5.91% vitamin B₂. Vitamin D is essential for maintaining calcium homeostasis and bone and mineral metabolism, vitamin E plays a role in protecting biological membranes, prevents arteriosclerosis and reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease, and vitamin B₂ is an essential coenzyme involved in metabolic processes in the body. It acts as

Among the key ingredients contained in trout is astaxanthin. Astaxanthin, along with lutein, is an essential ingredient for eye health and a representative antioxidant. Rainbow trout, which spends its entire life in fresh water, have red flesh due to the astaxanthin contained in the muscles. In addition, astaxanthin is known to be involved in important metabolic functions such as activating immune function, suppressing aging, and anticancer activity.

When choosing trout (rainbow trout), choose one that is the right size rather than one that is too large. It is better to have a smooth surface and transparent, reddish flesh. When cleaning, remove the scales, cut off the head, remove the internal organs from the head, wash thoroughly, dry, and scoop out the bracts from the tail. It can be eaten raw, grilled, spicy stew, stewed, or steamed.

Recently, concerns have been raised about liver fluke (parasite) infection when consuming freshwater fish, but there is no need to worry if it is domestically farmed rainbow trout. Liver flukes are infected through consumption of wild freshwater fish and are known to be a class 1 carcinogen, especially causing bile duct cancer. The Pathology Research Department of the National Institute of Fisheries Science said, “As a result of a survey on liver fluke infections in fish farms conducted from 2004 to 2023, it was confirmed that liver flukes were not detected in farmed freshwater fish such as rainbow trout, which Koreans enjoy eating as sashimi,” and “Conducted from 2022.” “The liver flukes were not detected in any of the liver flukes in the breeding water at a total of 25 rainbow trout and perch farms.” In particular, he emphasized, “The reason there is no need to worry about liver fluke infection when eating farmed freshwater fish as raw fish is because freshwater fish farms supply proven mixed feed and conduct thorough breeding management.”

Ryu Jang-Hoon (ryu.janghoon@joongang.co.kr)