A Million Reasons to Eat Trout

We’ve had the joy recently of working with Dr Lucy Williamson, nutritionist & ambassador for Love British Food. We all know about how oily fish + Omega 3s are good for us, but trout has so many amazing health benefits that with Lucy’s help, we’ve dug deeper. It’s a long list but no apologies!

The pink colour of trout is due to an antioxidant called astaxanthin, which we convert into Vitamin A. We need this for our barrier immune system – the immune cells lining airways + intestines – & for healthy vision. Astaxanthin boosts our ability to repair cells & equip us against long-term disease.

Dr Lucy Williamson | Love British Food Ambassador

There are 2 types of Omega 3 in fish – DHA & EPA. DHA is 60% of the fat in our brain tissue, so it’s important in pregnancy for the development of babies, & as a low-mercury fish trout is safe to eat, & when breastfeeding too.

EPA is in our cell membranes; it helps cells function properly. In the immune system, where there are lots of cells with different functions, it’s very important. It also improves the lining of blood vessels, making them healthy & elastic, protecting against blood pressure problems, heart disease, stroke…

Omega 3 is also a fantastic anti-inflammatory. We can get it from plants too, but we’re not so efficient at converting it into DHA + EPA, so we need to eat a lot more to achieve the same benefit, whereas in trout it comes ready to absorb.

Fish is about the only food that’s a really good source of Vitamin D. 95% of our Vitamin D comes from the sun, but when we’re not out so much or the weather’s wintry, we really need to get it from our food; it’s important for healthy bones & the immune system too.

Protein is needed for growth & in the over 65s, when muscles start to weaken, the protein from fish in particular provides every type of amino acid that the body needs to keep muscles strong.

It’s a good source of Vitamin B12, to prevent anaemia & neurological problems, & we become less able to absorb this when we get older so keeping it in our diet is key.

Finally iodine. It’s becoming evident in the UK that we have low levels of iodine, which keeps the thyroid functioning & brain development too.

A million reasons to eat trout!