The nutritionist’s answers - 2016
The biologist and nutritionist Elisa Merli has accepted to collaborate with L’Isola d’Oro and Tonnotto in order to answer the many questions about a health and balanced diet that you have been sending us on the Tonnotto Facebook page. Here, to satisfy your curiosity, are her first answers.
Marisa from Parma asks our nutritionist if tuna fish is a food recommended for sportsmen and women, even before training. Canned tuna is recommended in the diet of sportsmen and women even before training: as tuna is rich in complete proteins it is an excellent food for keeping the musculoskeletal system efficient.
Giovanni from Milan asks us: My cholesterol is high - is it true tuna is good for me? Thanks to their high content of Omega 3, up to 3g per 100g of product, tuna and mackerel are excellent allies in the fight against bad cholesterol (LDL), as they reduce its levels in the blood, Omega 3 increases good cholesterol (HDL) while eliminating the bad one (LDL), thus lowering the risk of strokes and heart attacks. It is always best to prevent, rather than treat, symptoms and diseases by adopting a varied and balanced diet.
Martina from Padua asks: Which foods burn fat? Fat burning foods, the ones that activate your metabolism, are those rich in the proteins that require the highest consumption of energy in order to be assimilated. If the protein source comes from tuna, sardines, anchovies and, in general, salt water fish, we will also be introducing iodine and omega 3: the former will regulate the thyroid and the second will release the satiety hormone, controlling the famous hunger pangs. Therefore we need more tuna, anchovies, mackerel etc, which in addition to being good for our heart, will help us to maintain or return to our ideal weight.
Amedeo from Lucca asks: I read that tuna is an important part of the diet of the elderly. How come? In old age it is essential to stay as healthy as possible. Often adults, and especially the elderly, are iron deficient; tuna is an excellent source of this trace element and contributes to reduce its deficiency when introduced in the diet. In addition, when added to two meals a week, its omega 3 content helps to regularize heart rate rhythms and lower blood pressure.
These are some of the questions we have received. We will answer some of them on our Facebook page, and will regularly collect them in posts on our blog.
