Squid, or also known as calamari, is a beneficial power-house that is often neglected by some people. This mollusk is the secret key to easy healthy living.Squid is a weirdly-shaped mollusk that has been a staple in kitchens for many years. It has tentacles, a chewy flesh and it squirts a black ink when it feels threatened.
This many parts of squid are now making its way to our dinner table. Its ink is used to color food, it’s oil is used for taste and it’s flesh is converted into many dishes. This shell-fish is not only tasty but also very healthy. Since squid is now a rising star in the restaurant business all over the world, it’s time for you to know what kind of health benefit it has. You will be amazed by how healthy and life-changing this simple food really is. Indeed, here is the health benefits of eating squid that you should know:
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- Keeps you in shape
Squid is one of the few shellfish that actually have low carbohydrate. In fact in 1 0z of boneless squid, you will only get 0.87 carbohydrates. This is good for your diet because carbohydrate is a substance that can be converted by your body to glucose; this is what makes you gain weight. High carbs food will make you fall out of shape. So for those of you who want to have a diet but are frightened because the menu will only consist of vegetable, do not be worried, you can still add squid to your diet since it have little to none carbs.
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2. Lower Cholesterol Level
What is the health benefits of eating squid? Unlike any other seafood that increases the cholesterol level in your blood, squid can actually lower cholesterol level when you eat it. An uncooked squid is surprisingly low in its fat which is the agent that can increase cholesterol level. It is scientifically proven that in 100 grams of squid there are a low number of calories which is 1.4 g.
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- Fight cancer and tumor
Squid ink and its flesh can help you prevent and fight cancer. Both parts of the squid hold an abundance of high antioxidants substance. Antioxidants are agents that shield cells from hazardous and unstable molecules, called free radical.
Free radical is inescapable because it can be caught in our everyday life which is in air pollutant, cigarette smoke and industrial chemicals. So there is a big chance that we are already polluted by it. The antioxidant in squid can help you fight free radicals by increasing the efficiency of killer cells and, if you are already infected by cancer, it can help you fight it because it increases the number of white blood cell in the process of chemotherapy.
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- Makes you more productive
Squid ink is a source of dopamine that can contribute to your mental health. A part of your brain which makes you focused, happy, and have a great memory is supported by a chemical called dopamine. Eating squid will actually boost the supply of dopamine in your brain which makes you more alert and makes you have more energy to do your work. If you want to get the job done, eat squids!
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- Stabilizing your blood sugar
Diabetes is an awful sickness that can cause you to cut a lot of food that have a possibility of worsening your blood sugar level. Luckily, with squid there is no sugar whatsoever and it can also help you reduce the risk of having diabetes. The substance in the squid that caused this is vitamin b3. There is 2.17 milligrams of vitamin b3 in every 100 gram of squid which contributes 11% to your recommended daily income of vitamin b3.
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- Reducing the chance of migraine
Migraine is getting more common these days, especially in a modern life that gets more hectic every day. It’s hard to predict and prevent migraine, but eating squid can actually help. The time and frequency of migraines can be reduced by vitamin b2. Squid is rich in vitamin b2; by eating them you could prevent migraine and gain more energy.
- Helps you fight anemia
Blood is one of the majorities of our body and sometimes we need something to maintain its flow. By eating squid you are maintaining this intricate work because it contains copper. In fact, it has 90% of copper that the blood needs to function properly. Since copper is a trace mineral, by consuming it you make your body do an even greater job in producing red blood cells which contributes to your overall nerve cells and immune system healthy. Therefore, reducing the chance of anemia which is now classified by doctors as a rather deadly disease.
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- Maintain health of bones and teeth
Squid have an abundant amount of phosphorus. Phosphorus is a substance that stimulates calcium which is a well-known agent for tooth and bones building. That way you’ll have an everlasting smile and strong bones.
- High in protein
Like any other seafood, squid is a great source to look for protein. In fact, it can contribute to 64% recommendation of protein daily. Protein is a part of important substances we need to take daily because it makes up most of our body. Our nails and hair is made up of protein and it can also boost the production of hormones, enzymes and other chemical that are important for the body. In fact we need it so much because it does most of the ‘building’ work in our body for us. It is the building block of our muscles, bones, blood and even skin.
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- Makes our health last longer
Squid helps build our immune system that eventually helps us maintain our health for a longer period of time. The agent that is responsible for that is zinc. If you lack zinc you will be more prone to being attacked by diseases that could damage your health to a lethal extent.
- Decrease chance of stroke and heart disease
Your heart is one of the most important parts of your body. By consuming squid you are consuming potassium that comes along with it. Potassium helps your heart beat normally. Squid also comes with another heart- healthy agent which is vitamin E. Vitamin E helps with heart disease because it strengthen the protection of the cells and make them less prone to damage.
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- Lowers inflammation
‘Inflammation’ might be alien to the ear, but it is actually quite mundane. It is proven that almost everything that we do either increase or decrease the number of inflammation. But chronic inflammation is what we need to look for. It can inflame arteries, which is a start of heart attacks and strokes, which in the end can be very lethal. Squid helps us with this because it is one of the anti-inflammation foods that stop the body from causing too much inflammation.
- Natural source of anti-bacteria
Squid is actually an example of the food that is used for alternative medicine. What it does is it is a powerful agent of anti-bacteria, especially its ink. There is an experiment proving this theory where squid ink is evidently fighting bacteria such as E.coli and K. Pneumoniae. Considering the many bacteria that enter your body every moment, squid should have a portion in your plate.
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- Boost growth in children
With its many benefit, it isn’t a surprise that it helps in the growth period of children. It has all the components it needs for a good child growth. Squid has a minimum amount of cholesterol, which is controllable but the amount still contributes to the growth of children by helping brain development.
It has vitamin B2 which is awesome for converting carbs, fat and protein to energy. And it is also rich in selenium which is an agent that has antioxidant elements which helps a child’s cell combat damage, eventually improving the child’s immune system. These elements help the growth of child so it can become a strong, smart and healthy child.
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- Maintains your sodium level
We need a daily amount of sodium intake to help maintain blood pressure and to make sure that the fluid in our body is balanced. When there is too much sodium you can get a higher blood pressure which can be harmful. Squid provides just the right amount of sodium, which is 744 mg per 100 g cuttlefish. That way, you can still get the benefits of sodium without being sick.
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Cautions when eating and serving squid
These benefits are very good for your health but squid needs to be consumed in the right way if you want to get all these nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Scientist suggested that it is not good to consume it breaded – like we usually do – because it will instantly increase saturated fat, carbs and other bad elements that come with the breadcrumbs, oil and extra cooking. In fact, there are quite a few rules to get a tasty but still nutritious squid.
- Eat it raw or with minimum cooking process: squid is most nutritious when its nutrients isn’t taken away or added to an unhealthy amount by all the intricate cooking process. This way all the nutrients can still bring you the health benefits you want.
- Get it fresh: like all other food it is prone to bacteria contamination and therefore should be eaten the same day it is caught or stored in 0 – 5 degree Celsius. If you want to get it fresh, you also need to check if your fish market or the place you buy the squid is reliable and doesn’t sell spoilt seafood.
- Know how to clean it well: it is important to clean the squid well before serving them unless it won’t be tasty. What you need to do is remove the ink by puncturing the ink sac, remove the tentacles and eyes and then wash thoroughly with clean water.
At the end of the day, squid is a healthy and tasty food that absolutely needs to be in your diet. It is a superstar in the culinary world that can help you be a super – healthy – star in the real life. Indeed, there are many health benefits of eating squid that we now know.
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