Sea Bass: Nutritional Value, Properties and Benefits
“Sea bass” is a common name for a variety of different species of marine fish. It’s one of the most appetizing marine fish on the market, as it has an excellent taste and a good consistency. In addition, its versatility makes it possible to prepare a wide variety of dishes, so it can be regularly added to your diet.
Along with bluefish, perch, skate, and cod, this species is part of the group of the lowest fat fish. For this reason, it’s a favorite when it comes to low-calorie diets. In addition, when it comes to enriching these diets with minerals and high-quality proteins, it’s a safe ingredient.
Do you want to know more about its nutritional properties and benefits? In this article, we’re going to share the most important facts about this food.
What is sea bass?
Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) belongs to the serranidae family, whose name comes from “lupa” which means wolf, since it’s a great marine predator. It’s highly appreciated in popular culture and, depending on the area, it’s also known as “lupi”, “roballiza”, “llobarro” or “llop.”
It has an elongated and robust silhouette that can measure between 10 centimeters and 1 meter. In addition, these fish can weigh up to 14 kilos. Females tend to be larger than males.
The color of its back is grayish, with bluish, greenish or blackish metallic reflections. However, it ‘s lighter on the flanks and belly, with silver highlights.
As for its habitat, it lives near the surface of salt water. It’s found in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. It prefers cliffs, rocky coasts, harbors, marshes, and river mouths.
The warm waters of the Mediterranean basin ensure the presence of sea bass on the market all year round. In fact, this fish is highly appreciated in gastronomy, as it has few bones and its flavor is fine and delicate. Its edible part is estimated at 66%.
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Nutritional value
Sea bass has a nutritional value similar to that of other lean fish. It’s one of the most consumed in several countries. In 2015, for instance, it accounted for 17% of the consumption of all animal protein. Let’s take a look at its nutritional composition based on 100 grams of the product.
- Calories: 84
- Protein: 18 grams
- Fat: 1.3 grams
- Iron: 1.1 milligrams
- Iodine: 7 micrograms
- Magnesium: 26 milligrams
- Potassium: 340 milligrams
- Phosphorus: 410 milligrams
- Niacin: 6.7 milligrams
- Vitamin B12: 4 micrograms
Sea bass meat provides just 1.3 grams of fat and has proteins of high biological value. It’s high in phosphorus and potassium. It’s also moderate in magnesium and iron.
The main vitamins it provides are niacin and B12 or cobalamin, whose content exceeds that of other fish species. The vitamin B12 content is even higher than that of other foods of animal origin, such as cheese, eggs, and red meat.
The properties and benefits of sea bass
The benefits of sea bass lie mainly in its nutritional value and the components that distinguish it. Below, we’ll take a look at them in detail.
Sea bass provides sufficient minerals in your diet
Sea bass provides several minerals that maintain the balance of many body functions. The most important are the following:
- Potassium: This is one of the electrolytes that help muscle contraction and maintain a constant heart rate. It also allows nutrients to enter and leave the cells. It even favors the expulsion of toxins from the body. Nerve function depends on adequate levels of potassium and other minerals.
- Iron: This is the raw material for making hemoglobin, a protein that forms part of red blood cells and transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells. It’s also part of myoglobin, which oxygenates muscles. This mineral is also used to produce hormones and connective tissue.
- Phosphorus: Like calcium, phosphorus forms bones and teeth. It’s also a key element for the body to produce protein for growth, repair, and maintenance of tissues. In addition, it’s also involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, becoming a form of energy storage.
- Magnesium: This mineral regulates the function of muscles and the nervous system. In turn, it’s involved in blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Among other things, it helps form protein, bones, and DNA.
It contains healthy fats
The fatty acids that make up the fat of sea bass are of the omega-3 type, which contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Eicosapentaenoic (known as EPA), docosahexaenoic (DHA), oleic and palmitic fatty acids predominate in its meat.
EPA and DHA help lower LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increase HDL or “good cholesterol.” Incidentally, they also take care of eye health and are capable of improving intellectual capacities.
Sea bass concentrates good proportions of vitamin B12 and niacin
Sea bass contains appreciable amounts of cobalamin or B12 and niacin or B3, belonging to the B complex vitamins. According to the Scientific Information Journal, niacin participates in the metabolic reactions of oxidation-reduction for the body to obtain energy. It’s also part of the growth processes and the production of steroid hormones.
Meanwhile, cobalamin helps the body to transform food into sugar to be used as a source of energy. It also helps heal nerve cells, regulate the formation of red blood cells and control the increase in the amino acid homocysteine, which measures the risk of heart disease.
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It’s low in calories
Sea bass belongs to the group of white fish known as “lean.” That is, it has a low total fat content. This makes it very easy to digest and with a minimum energy intake, so it can be a healthy part of weight loss diets.
General recommendations for the consumption of sea bass
Sea bass is a low-fat fish, with omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial for the cardiovascular system. It provides few calories, but enough protein, niacin, vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.
The simpler the preparation of consumption, the more the exquisiteness of its meat can be used, and its nutritional benefits can be maintained. Therefore, it’s recommended to prepare it cooked, steamed, grilled, or baked.
You can consume sea bass up to 3 to 4 times a week, in portions of between 125 and 150 grams. Thus, it can help provide many healthy nutrients for your body, and you can take advantage of the many health benefits this fish has to offer.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Lubina. Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Disponible en: https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/ministerio/servicios/informacion/lubina_tcm30-102841.pdf
- MedlinePlus. Potasio en la dieta. Disponible en: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/potassium.html#:~:text=El%20potasio%20es%20un%20mineral,expulsar%20los%20desechos%20de%20estas.
- MedlinePlus. Fósforo en la dieta. Disponible en: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/002424.htm#:~:text=La%20principal%20funci%C3%B3n%20del%20f%C3%B3sforo,reparaci%C3%B3n%20de%20c%C3%A9lulas%20y%20tejidos.
- Ana Fuentes López. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. DESARROLLO DE PRODUCTOS AHUMADOS A PARTIR DE LUBINA (Dicentrarchus labrax L.). Disponible en: https://riunet.upv.es/bitstream/handle/10251/7201/tesisUPV2755.pdf
- National Institutes of Health. Datos sobre el hierro. Disponible en: https://ods.od.nih.gov/pdf/factsheets/Iron-DatosEnEspanol.pdf
- Castro González, María Isabel Ácidos grasos omega 3: beneficios y fuentes Interciencia, vol. 27, núm. 3, marzo, 2002, pp. 128-136. Disponible en: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/339/33906605.pdf
- Fernández Falcón, Lizet de la C.; Figueras Savón, Aimé; Carnet García, Caridad; Valls Alvarez, Marta; Rodríguez Carballo, Ana C. Niacina. Aspectos esenciales Revista Información Científica, vol. 90, núm. 2, marzo-abril, 2015, pp. 401. Disponible en: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/5517/551757251020.pdf
