While eating a well-balanced diet is one of the best ways to stay healthy, it’s also useful to know some incredible health benefits of sushi. I love sushi, and I have a hard time turning it down because it’s so tasty.
Sure, not all types of sushi are good options for your health, but you will create some rolls that contain many essential vitamins and minerals if you mix and match ingredients. Enjoy learning why you should be eating more sushi.
1. Protect your heart
Eating sushi regularly has been shown to improve heart health. Rolls with brown rice give you a hit of the whole grains that keep your cholesterol levels under control.
You can also add a bit of avocado (or cucumbers) and eel for omega-3 fatty acids, which help to keep your heart healthy. Make sure you avoid using and eating soy sauce and sugary sauces, regardless of how delicious they are.
2. Sushi is fortified with important trace minerals
While you don’t need to consume huge doses of trace minerals, it’s still crucial to get enough of it regularly. Depending on how much trace minerals you consume each day, they can either improve or ruin your overall health.
The seaweed in sushi contains large amounts of minerals, such as iodine, magnesium, and copper. Eating it in moderation helps boost your energy levels, improve your mood, prevent heart disease and keep your digestive system healthy.
3. It contains powerful antioxidants
Sushi rolls made with vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals and keep you feeling and looking healthy and young. Moreover, antioxidants help ward off many serious diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
It doesn’t mean you should eat more sushi each day, though. Aim to eat them occasionally to get only its positive health benefits.
More: 10 Best Antioxidant-Rich Foods
4. Sushi has a high protein content too
Protein is an essential nutrient for healthy muscle function. It helps your muscles recover after exercise. Protein is found in meat, including fish, so your typical sushi roll is going to contain enough of it.
However, make sure you avoid rolls with shrimp or crunchy fish since they are fried and do more harm than good. Opt for lean fillings like tuna to get some protein without consuming tons of unhealthy fats.
5. It’s a natural energy booster
If you often suffer from mid-afternoon energy slumps, ditch your chocolate bar and eat a few sushi rolls instead. Rice contains carbohydrates that fuel your body and keep you feeling fuller and energized for hours.
It’s better to choose brown rice that’s less refined than white rice. It will help you lower the risk of a sugar crash later. Eating sushi packed with lots of vegetables is a quick way to boost your energy and brainpower.
6. Improve your digestion
Many kinds of sushi contain rice vinegar, which is gentle on your digestive system and helps keep your digestive system humming along steadily. There is no need to eat a lot of sushi, a couple of sushi rolls twice a week will be enough to improve your digestion and stay slim and healthy.
7. Sushi is low in calories
Even though this doesn’t apply to all kinds of sushi, many sushi rolls are low in calories, and they are a good addition to your diet if you want to shed pounds or keep your weight off. Choose sushi rolls that contain plenty of vegetables, such as cucumber, avocado, and carrots, and stay away from rolls that have cream cheese, mayonnaise, or other creamy fillings in them. Since fish is low in calories, rolls that have tuna, salmon, or shrimp are also good options.
More: 10 Popular Health and Diet Myths Busted
I can’t say that I’m a sushi junkie, but I have a few rolls to improve my health once a week. What about you? Now that you know these amazing health benefits of sushi, are you going to incorporate them into your eating plan? Have you ever cooked sushi at home?
Share your best recipes with us, please. I’ll definitely try some of them because I tend to eat sushi rolls that I make at home. So I’m always on the lookout for new sushi ideas.1