Because the body converts all dietary sources of vitamin A into retinol, 1 mcg of physiologically available retinol is equivalent to the following amounts from dietary sources: 1 mcg of retinol, 12 mcg of beta-carotene, and 24 mcg of alpha-carotene or beta-cryptoxanthin.
The body needs more omega-3 than omega-6 to reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation. Since olive oil is higher in omega-3 than other oils, sardines in olive oil contain more omega-3 than sardines in water; however, the sardines in water are still the better option with lower amounts of cholesterol and fat.
Nutritional Content. The sardine is a rich source of nutrients. One can of sardines contains 351 mg of calcium, 2.7 mg of iron, 451 mg of phosphorus, 365 mg of potassium, 49 mcg of selenium and 178 IU of vitamin D. The fish is low in calories relative to the abundant nutrition it contains; one can provides 191 calories. can of sardines contains 840 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. A dose of approximately 500 mg daily confers beneficial effects. According to the American Heart Association, consuming sardines reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.