Famous for its low fat content and rich in Omega 3, O salmon it is one of the dishes consumed by those who want a healthy diet. Like mullet, sea bass and croaker, salmon is an anadromous fish, that is, one that migrates to fresh water for breeding purposes. Generally, at the time of breeding, these animals return to the river where they were born.
Like any other fish, the salmon also has white meat. But where does that reddish color characteristic of salmon come from? This color we know is acquired over time, due to a natural dye called astaxanthin.
The relationship of astaxanthin to the reddish color of salmon
THE astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment synthesized by algae and unicellular organisms, which are consumed by shrimp. In this way, the color is concentrated in the meat and shell of the shrimp, giving it its characteristic pink color.
What does shrimp color have to do with salmon?
In your habitat, O salmon is a big predator of CameroonTherefore, the astaxanthin present in the crustacean reaches the muscles of the salmon. Even though its flesh is naturally white, the outside turns pink because the salmon cannot eliminate the pigment.
When feeding on shrimp, salmon cannot eliminate astaxanthin
In nature, salmon has meat in a wide variety of colors, from pink to bright red. It all depends on your diet.
Other animals and vegetables also have carotenoids responsible for the red color, such as tomatoes, peppers, carrots and flamingos. The human being stores astaxanthin in adipose tissues, but not enough to change the tone of the body.
Captivity
In the wild, salmon is found in the salt waters of the Atlantic and Pacific. However, much of the salmon consumed in the world is raised in captivity and does not feed on shrimp, so the meat of this animal is naturally gray. For commercial reasons, synthetic astaxanthin is included in the animals' meal, giving the rosy hue to the meat of captive salmon. In this case, the pigment is extracted from shrimp meal or petroleum derivatives.
A curious fact is that only 5% of salmon sold in the United States is natural. The rest comes from nurseries installed in Chile, Canada and northern Europe. Despite this, there is no regulation that obliges companies that sell salmon to inform on the label whether the animal was raised in captivity or not.
Even being artificial, the astaxanthin present in captive salmon does not harm humans, according to experts. However, food based on fish flour and oil, in addition to high doses of antibiotics, speeding up the development of the animals, it gives the captive salmon a high level of trans fat and saturated. Thus, this food has nutritional values very close to canned foods.
Salmon Benefits
Unlike other carotenoids, astaxanthin does not convert to Vitamin A in the human body, therefore, it is a great oxidant and prevents degenerative diseases. The consumption of salmon, especially wild salmon, provides tryptophan, fatty acids, selenium, protein, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamins B3, B6, B12 and D, in addition to omega 3. Therefore, it can also prevent cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases and strengthen the immune system.
by Rafael Batista
Brazil School Team
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/origem-cor-avermelhada-salmao.htm