Pass the Soy Sauce: The Top 5 Health Benefits of Eating Sushi

Do you love sushi?

Are you ready to love sushi even more? As if you needed more reasons to love sushi, today you’re going to learn 5 benefits of sushi that will make you fall 5 times more in love. Sushi is super healthy for you in more ways than one. Get out your chopsticks and keep reading.

Before the sushi craze hit American shores, sushi actually first began in Southeast Asia before spreading to China and then hitting Japan around the 8th century. This was all thanks to a simple dish where fish was salted and wrapped in fermented rice. It was not until Japan, however, when they started eating the fermented rice along with the fish, and that’s when the sushi, that we all know and love, was born. Humble beginnings for an amazing food that we just can’t get enough of, and thank goodness for that because there’s so much goodness in sushi.

Helps You Manage Your Weight

If you maintain any sort of social life, you probably go out to a few restaurants. Everyone will tell you that eating out will make you gain weight, and who can blame them? American cuisine isn’t exactly world-renowned for meals that keep the waistline under control. More like lots of grease, lots of frying, lots of red meat, carbs, starches, you get it. But that doesn’t have to be the truth every time.
Yes, ordering a Big Mac every other day will definitely make you gain weight. It’ll likely do much more bad to your body than just weight gain. But eating out isn’t what causes weight gain, it’s what you order. Looking back at the Big Mac, think of what all is in there. Three buns of bready carbs, two red meat patties, and a lot of that thick, creamy Big Mac sauce that’s chock full of fats and heavy ingredients.
There are foods out there that don’t have to be an assault on your waistline. And one of those wonderfully delicious, and healthy, foods is: Sushi.
Enter the sushi restaurant.
Sushi is a great option for your next social gathering. There’s no oil involved when rolling sushi, and no frying of any ingredients (unless you’re thinking of spoiling yourself with that special tempura roll with spicy mayo on top). Sushi is full of health benefits—it’s full of protein, vitamins, antioxidants, and omega 3 fatty acids. Good for your heart, good for your taste buds, and good for life.

Full of Antioxidants

Speaking of antioxidants, you can get a great dose of antioxidants when you have sushi. Did you know that the green wasabi that comes with your sushi has antioxidant properties? That pink or beige-colored ginger also is packed with antioxidants along with other benefits. So don’t forget to use your sushi condiments to give your sushi rolls and sashimi an extra punch in health-giving properties.
Antioxidants are like cool little army men that fight off free radicals all over the body. Free radicals are a bit more complicated to explain. They are a normal toxic product of oxygen metabolism that can cause damage to living cells and tissues. This damaging process is also known as oxidative stress. But with antioxidants, the body can counter the oxidative stress.
As you age, the free radicals in your body increase. Other sources of oxidative stress can come from fried foods, charcoal broiled meat, and pollution (including the smoke from cigarettes). It’s theorized that the free radicals are what causes “normal” aging to begin with. So, the more antioxidants you consume, the slower you’ll go through the aging process, inside and out. Antioxidants will also help prevent free radicals from damaging cell membranes. Free radicals may also be responsible for increased risk in forms of cancer, stroke, and heart disease.
So, the benefits of sushi are not just restricted to making you feel great in your tummy. It will make you feel great all over, and it might keep you alive a little longer.

Rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Have you ever heard someone use the term “brain food”? They were probably referring to anything high in Omega 3 fatty acids. These nutrients feed your brain cells and encourage cell regeneration. You’ll start to notice your concentration increases, your focus and memory will be stronger, and the combination will give you more energy and relieve stress.
More to the brain food claim, Omega-3 may help prevent age-related mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. One study even showed that eating fatty fish rich in Omega-3 can help increase grey matter in your brain, which means better memory and cognitive function. This seems to show up more in people who eat fish every week, so don’t think about skipping sushi day. Also, eating sushi rich in Omega-3 can help alleviate or even prevent depression. So, sushi makes your tummy happy and you, yourself, happy.
Omega-3 fatty acids can also benefit your eye health. DHA is a type of omega-3 and a major structural component of your retinas. Omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce macular degeneration, which can help offset vision loss as you get older.
As if that wasn’t enough, Omega-3 fatty acids can also benefit your heart health and combat risk factors that contribute to heart disease. With Omega-3 fatty acids, eating sushi can reduce blood pressure levels in those suffering from high blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids can also raise good HDL cholesterol, fight body inflammation, prevent artery plaque, and prevent harmful blood clots. With sushi being rich in Omega-3, it’s no wonder that sushi is known as a healthy food. Omega-3 fatty acids can also fight autoimmune diseases. Some studies have shown that it can reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes, and it can help treat lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and more.
And if you’re still worried about your waistline, did you know that Omega-3 can also help combat Metabolic Syndrome? One of the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome is central obesity, which is your belly fat. So, enjoy that sushi and keep your belly fat under control while you’re at it.
Omega-3 may also help your skin health. Just as DHA is a component of your retinas, it also is a part of your skin and its cell membranes. Because of this, Omega-3 can reduce premature aging, control your acne, and even manage the oil production of your skin. And if that DHA wasn’t important enough, it has also been linked to the production of the hormone melatonin. Without enough Omega-3, you produce less melatonin, which makes it harder to fall asleep. This has been blamed for sleep problems in children, while also being blamed for things such as sleep apnea in adults.
If you’re looking for the best sushi that is rich in Omega-3, try fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna. All three fish are super rich in Omega-3 and they each have wonderfully unique flavors, so you can both enjoy a health body and taste a whole spectrum of sushi flavors.

Speeds Up Muscle Repair

If you’re trying to buff up and build some muscle, sushi is a great dinner choice.
Sushi is packed with protein. Protein is what helps your muscles rebuild themselves after an intense workout. That same protein can also aid in your hair growth and keratin strength in your nails.
For maximum benefit and cell regeneration, try to eat sushi at least twice a week.

Ups Your Immunity

From A to Z, sushi, in combination with its condiments, has got it.
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and zinc. These are all vitamins and minerals necessary for your body to function. They aid in energy production and immunity, organ health, skin health, and brain and heart health. From preventing cancer to slowing down the onset of mental disease, it’s amazing how much there is to the benefits of sushi.

One Bite and You’ll Taste the Benefits of Sushi

What did we tell you? Are you even more in love now that you know the benefits of sushi? If you haven’t had sushi yet, does it make you want to get some this week?
Before you run out to your local sushi restaurant, here’s one more. You know that green spicy stuff next to your delicious sushi? Most of us either mix it in the soy sauce or avoid it at all costs.
That’s wasabi. Don’t forget, wasabi is rich in antioxidants. You don’t have to mix it in your soy sauce if you don’t want to. You can also just take a pinch of it with your chopsticks after taking a bite of sushi, to control how much of it you get.
And it’s really good for you. Check out these 5 things you didn’t know about wasabi.