Zvijezda tuna is a yellowfin tuna which is a symbol of top quality. You only need to open the package and, whether you at home or at work, you will have a tasty, healthy and succulent meal right in front of you. From now on you can find the following among the wide range of Zvijezda’s products:
- Tuna in vegetable oil 185 g, chunks
- Tuna in vegetable oil 21% 185 g, chunks
- Tuna in tomato sauce 185 g, chunks
- Tuna in vegetable oil 185 g, pieces
- Tuna in vegetable oil 95 g, chunks
Fish in nutrition
Fish was an extremely appreciated food product by the ancient people for thousands of years, both due to its valuable nutritive features and the gastronomic potential. However, according to the most recent history findings, especially among the Western civilizations, a tendency toward meat and meat products has been recorded and fish found itself, without any good reason, on the margin of family menus. That type of nutrition has caused, among other things, the occurrence of the largest number of obese persons and persons with cardiovascular diseases.
Over the last few years, numerous scientific researches have indicated the important role fish has in the prevention of modern day diseases, which is the reason why more and more menus include it nowadays.
For the purpose of health prevention, eating 170 g of fish at least 2 times a week is recommended. It is also recommended that one portion includes “fatty” fish such as tuna, mackerel or sardine. Although a trend of increased consumption of fish per capita has been recorded across the world, the people in Croatia are, in spite of the ideal Mediterranean climate, modest fish consumers. Namely, the statistical data from 2008 show that an average Croatian citizen eats around 8.5 kilograms of fish and fish products a year, just as it was the case in the past. As a comparison, the consumption of fish per capita in Greece amounts to 21 kg, in France to 33 kg, in Spain to 44 kg and in Island to the unattainable 90 kg of fish. On the other hand, an average Croatian citizen eats around 10 kg of beef and 14.5 kg of pork, not including the meat products.
Tuna’s nutritive value
Tuna is a food product which has an almost ideal nutritive profile. Fish in general contains highly valuable proteins which ensure all essential amino acids and in terms of fish, tuna meat is the richest source of protein. Tuna is a typical representative of fatty fish meaning that it is rich with essential omega-3 fatty acids which are said to have numerous beneficial effects on the organism. There are almost no carbohydrates in fish, and therefore tuna as well, and due to the favorable components of short muscle fibers, tuna meat is easily digestible.
An additional benefit when it comes to tuna is the richness in vitamins and particularly minerals. Tuna primarily contains fat solvable vitamins A, D and E and it is also an excellent source of vitamin B. Alongside other types of fish, tuna is one the most significant sources of iodine which is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormone and selenium, an important antioxidant. Furthermore, tuna is a good source of zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphor and potassium.
It helps maintaining an optimal body weight
The scientists emphasize that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as tuna reduce the risk of being overweight. The reason is in the fact that omega-3 fatty acids, particularly the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), stimulate the extraction of a hormone which helps regulate the input of food, body weight and metabolism.
One must keep in mind that tuna is an extremely valuable food product in terms of nutrition and of relatively low energy value and is, therefore, an ideal proper nutrition ingredient for people of all age groups.
And more…
Tuna is rich with numerous nutrients necessary for optimal health. It contains vitamins B and phosphor which help the body use the energy gained through food while vitamin A, excluding the element of sight, has an important role in controlling the growth and the development of tissue and it also participates in the growth and regulation of bone cells. Vitamin D controls the calcium and phosphor absorption and is, therefore, necessary for the health of bones and teeth. Vitamin E is a strong antioxidant and it defends the body from the harmful effect of the free radicals, and both zinc and selenium have the same role. Tuna is a good source of calcium which, in collaboration with sodium, ensures normal heart, brain and muscle functions and the cell liquid balance as well as the balance of magnesium which facilitates muscle contraction and bone construction.
Tuna is also an excellent source of highly valuable proteins which build our muscles and it also provides the essential amino acid, tryptophan, which regulates sleep.
Tuna – the big pelagic fish queen
The most famous and also the most appreciated big pelagic fish is tuna. It is a type of pelagic fish which doesn’t depend on the sea floor. It is found in the warmer waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean and it is also a known inhabitant of the Mediterranean, particularly the Adriatic Sea. Tuna meat is firm, with a taste and texture which resemble beef or lamb, rather than fish. Tuna owes its excellent taste and reddish color of the meat to the hydrodynamic shape which enables it to swim faster than other types of fish, resulting in an increased flow of oxygen into the muscles. Since it needs large quantities of oxygen, tuna is found in clear seas.
The most popular types of tuna are the yellowfin and bluefin tuna. As the name itself indicates, the yellowfin tuna has exceptionally yellow fins and a tail and its meat is of a bit brighter color than that of the largest tuna species – the bluefin tuna. The yellowfin tuna surpasses less known relatives such as the white tuna when it comes to its taste, especially if we are talking about canned tuna, and its additional advantage is the fact that it contains less mercury.
Canned tuna
Canned tuna is a practical source of numerous valuable nutrients out of which we particularly emphasize the omega-3 fatty acids and the highly valuable proteins. This product’s additional benefit is that is doesn’t contain preservatives. The modern process of thermal processing in a can, namely, completely annihilates all potentially harmful microorganisms as well as the spores and it is, therefore, not necessary to add preservatives to the canned fish products.
Canned tuna is a product of lasting quality and duration and it can be eaten as a meal or used in the preparation of other dishes.
Interesting facts
The mercury in canned fish doesn’t present a great danger
The issue regarding mercury has made the recommendation for an increased consumption of fish as an omega-3 fatty acid source problematic.
Scientists from Purdue and Illinois-Indiana State Grant Program measured the quantity of mercury and fatty acids and they have established that the remains of mercury found in canned fish (tuna, salmon) do not surpass the limit determined by the FDA.
However, the women of reproductive age who eat more than 35 g of tuna a day can take in up to 153% of mercury which is considered a safe amount. Scientists recommend adequately marking the fish with an increased level of mercury and they believe it is possible to consume a sufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acids without surpassing the safety level regarding the input of mercury.
If you mix it, you will fix it: fish + broccoli
Tuna and other types of fish contain selenium which elevates the level of the enzyme thioredoxin reductase which prevents cancer. Broccoli and other plants from the cabbage family contain sulphoraphan, phytochemical which entices the occurrence of the same enzyme.
After the British scientist combined fish and broccoli, they noticed that the two of them joined together are 13 times more efficient in slowing down the cancer cell growth; the selenium enables the sulphoraphan an increased production of the thiroedoxin reductase.
