Salted Fish Can Be Source of Calcium

The process of making dried fish will not remove the calcium content in fish. Therefore, salted fish can be one of the good sources of calcium for bones. Calcium levels found in fresh fish is relatively nothing was missing, when the fish is marinated.

"Even with the same weight, salted fish have higher levels of calcium than fresh fish. This is because the anchovies have less water content," said Chairman of the Sub Macro Community Nutrition Ministry of Health Mohammad Nasir in a talk show titled Balanced Nutrition for Health and Intelligence Children in Jakarta, Wednesday (06/02/2013).

Because salted fish has a high calcium content, it does not mean the same as the total nutrient content of fresh fish. The process of washing and warming is destroying the vitamins and minerals it contains. 

At the same time, nutritionists UI College of Public Health, Fatmah, said, "probably good salted fish to be a source of calcium, but to get the vitamins and minerals, you still need other sources, such as vegetables and fresh fruits."

Fatmah added, in addition to complementary nutrients from other foods, variations in nutrient sources is also needed. According to him, eating salted fish can be a source of variation in calcium. However, there are many food sources of calcium are others, such as milk, cereal, or green vegetables, such as spinach and kale.

Besides that, you should not consume too much salt fish. Some studies indicate that anchovies can be one of the factors triggering cancer. This is due to the salt fish contain substances called nitrosamines which are carcinogenic.