Health Benefits

Scottish Quality Salmon is a delicious, highly nutritious food and an excellent source of essential Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin A, and a range of B vitamins, as well as the minerals calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc – all of which are vital ingredients for a healthy balanced diet.

Scientific evidence has shown that an increase in consumption of oil-rich fish such as salmon can help to:

Ensure a healthy pregnancy for mother and child
Maintain a healthy heart by reducing the chances of developing coronary heart disease
Improve symptoms of auto immune disease
Reduce inflammatory disorders such as arthritis
Improve kidney function
Maintain healthy skin, and
Help to improve psoriasis

Healthy happy babies

Omega-3 fatty acids are also essential to ensure healthy growth and development in unborn and newly born babies and toddlers - in particular for optimum brain and vision development.  So, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding you should include oil-rich fish such as salmon as part of your diet.  In short, the grandmother's tale that fish is good for the brain has gained scientific backing!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Scottish Quality Salmon is one of the major sources of essential Omega-3 fatty acids.

What are essential Omega-3 fatty acids?
Essential Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fats recognised as important to human health.

Why are Omega-3 fatty acids called essential?
Omega-3s are termed essential fatty acids because they are critical for good health.  However, the body cannot make them on their own.  For this reason, Omega-3s must be obtained from food, thus making outside sources of these fats essential.

How much Omega-3 fatty acids should we consume?
The Food Standards Agency's advice shows that the subgroups outlined below can eat the following amounts of oily fish, such as salmon, to gain maximum health benefits:

• Men, boys and women past child-bearing age can eat up to four portions a week
• Women not intending to have children can eat up to four portions a week
• Girls and women who may become pregnant at some point in their lives can eat up to two portions a week
• Pregnant and breast-feeding women can eat up to two portions a week

The British Nutrition Foundation recommends that we consume about 2.85g of essential Omega-3 fatty acids per day.  However, since the 1940s, fish consumption in the UK - especially the consumption of oil-rich fish - has been falling and now actual average intakes of essential Omega-3 fatty acids is only about 1.8g per day.