Wild salmon for supper: learn how to buy and prepare this delicious superfood that keeps you healthy and young.(FOOD: EAT SMART)(Recipe)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Overhead, the sky is a crystalline expanse of blue punctuated by drifting billows of clouds. Towering pines look down on a raging torrent of river that wildly sweeps and eddies. Knee-deep in that torrent stands the majestic brown bear, his paws grasping a twisting, gleaming prize--a plump, delicious king salmon.

This is the Copper River in Alaska, home to some of the most acclaimed salmon in the world--and rightly so. It turns out that that bear absolutely has the right idea, for a wild-caught salmon offers myriad benefits.

It All Starts with Omega-3s

Sure, salmon has an impressive array of nutrients, including a major dose of protein and generous helpings of niacin and vitamin B12, both of which contribute substantially to heart health. But it's the omega-3 essential fatty acids that make salmon one of the brightest of superstars in the food firmament. Note the designation "essential"--these are compounds that the body must have, but cannot manufacture for itself; it is therefore imperative that they be obtained in sufficient amounts from a food source. And salmon is the ultimate source--chock-full of omega-3s, readily available, and incredibly delicious.

Omega-3s can do all of the following and more: help maintain the integrity of the immune and circulatory systems; reduce the risk of unwanted inflammation; help lower blood pressure and prevent strokes and heart attacks; help prevent erratic heart rhythms; make blood less likely to clot inside arteries; improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol; protect against deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; reduce the risk of macular degeneration and dry eye syndrome; and protect against a wide array of cancers--prostate, breast, colon, and pancreatic, to name just a few.

And that's only the beginning. You know that old saying about fish being brain food? Many studies are now indicating a direct correlation between substantial consumption of fish rich in omega-3s, particularly DHA, and better brain function in older people. Indeed, regular and generous helpings of salmon and other cold-water fatty fish may guard against cognitive decline and Alzheimer's as we age by preventing plaque formation in the brain--a baby boomer's dream come true.