As the largest and best known supplier of canned fish, we take our responsibility to sustainable fishing and the marine environment extremely seriously.
From succulent salmon caught in the wilds of Alaska to tender tuna from the depths of the Atlantic, there’s no stopping our fishermen when it comes to bringing you the very best.
John West fish is delicious enough to eat by itself straight from the can, but you can make it even tastier by using it as the key ingredient in some of our marvellous, mouth-watering recipes.
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Did you know your brain is mostly made out of fat? Take away the water and most of what you are left with is actually fat. About 60% of the fats in the brain are omega-3 with DHA, a type of omega-3 found in fish, being the main type. Omega-3 fats are essential for healthy brain development both in the womb they also play a role in maintaining normal brain function in adults.
Oil-rich fish is a key source of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. Tinned fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel are all great places to add omega-3 to your diet. But the benefits of omega-3s go way beyond the brain. The omega-3 DHA also contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.
Heart
When it comes to the heart, omega-3s have even more benefits. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart*, helping to maintain normal blood pressure** and even helping to keep blood triglyceride levels normal***. Tryglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood that is thought to contribute to heart disease at high levels.
Bones
Vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium and calcium contributes to the maintenance of normal bone and teeth. Usually, your body makes vitamin D when sun shines on your skin but in Ireland we get so little sunlight that many people are deficient in vitamin D. You need at least 5 micrograms of vitamin D every day and oil-rich fish is a great place to get it. 100g of tuna has 3.6mcg of vitamin D, 100g of sardines have 5.6 mcg and 100g of red salmon has a whopping 17mcg. The great advantage of tinned fish is that the bones are easy to digest – this means you can get calcium from tinned salmon and sardines as well as vitamin D. Tinned sardines are very rich in calcium which means you can get 2/3 of your daily calcium in one serving. Vitamin D and calcium together help to reduce the loss of bone mineral in post-menopausal women making tinned fish a great food to include in your daily diet.****
*The benefit is obtained with a daily intake of 250mg of EPA and DHA. A
**The benefit is obtained with a daily intake of 3g of EPA and DHA
***The benefit is obtained with a daily intake of 2g of DHA
****Women aged over 50 and the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of at least 1200mg of calcium and 20micrograms of vitamin D from all sources.
100g tin of mackerel has 3900mg of Omega-3.
100g tin of red salmon has 1500mg.
100g tin sardines has 1200mg of omega-3.
(Source: McCance and Widdowson (2002). The Composition of Foods Sixth Summary Edition).
