When you think of fish, in terms of food, you immediately think "Healthy"... right? I know I do! Salmon, Tuna, Tilapia, Cod, Sea Bass, and various other types of fish are packed with omega 3 fatty acids, rich in various types of nutrients, high in protein and all the while being super low in calories and fat. So what exactly is the problem here? Well, depending on where your fish comes from, you might be getting a side of antibiotics or PCBs that you're unaware of.
What's the Difference?
If you were to hold a wild salmon next to a farmed-raised one, it would be extremely difficult to find any differences among the two. Just because the two may look exactly the same, there are huge differences between both between the two. You would have no clue just by looking at them. The big difference is the nutritional value due to how farm raised fish are fed and contained...
Farm Raised- Consists of raising fish commercially in tanks, enclosures and controlled pens across the country usually in lakes, ponds, rivers and oceans. Due to their compact living situations and feed, they tend to have more diseases, toxins, artificial dyes, antibiotics and contain more fat then compared to their wild caught versions. While you may get some Omega 3 fat from farm raised fish, the high amount of Omega 6 fatty acids (typically due from the farm raised fish diet high in processed corn, soy, etc) is not good and promotes a skewed fat ratio in humans. SEE "The Fat Ratio" below!
Wild Caught - These fish tend to be higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, lower in Omega 6 fatty acids, high protein and contain very low levels of disease as well as being free from antibiotics, pesticides & artificial dyes. Wild caught are obviously free to roam about the ocean and find their own food which results in them containing less fat than the farm raised versions. While mercury can be an issue with wild caught, it can be just as much of an issue with farm raised fish that are raised in the ocean. The only down side is that wild caught fish tend to cost 3-4 times more than farm raised fish.
Why is Wild Caught worth paying more? Why should I avoid Farm Raised?
Let's start with the Tilapia. It is a hearty, large growing fish, originally from the Middle East. It has a good, mild flavor and is very popular in restaurants. Many people turn to Tilapia as a dietary exchange for red meat and pork. But the truth be told, Tilapia is higher in saturated fat than an equal amount of pork or even a donut. Farm-raised tilapia, one of the most highly consumed fish in America, has very low levels of valuable omega-3 fatty acids and, worse yet, very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, according to research from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The research shows that the combination could very well be a hazardous food source for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases that are predominantly vulnerable to an "exaggerated inflammatory response." Inflammation is known to cause damage to blood vessels, the heart, lung and joint tissues, skin, and the digestive tract. Tilapia has higher levels of potentially detrimental omega-6 fatty acids than 80-percent-lean hamburger (ground chuck), donuts and even pork bacon. For individuals who are eating fish as a method to control inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, it is clear that tilapia is not a good choice. All other nutritional content aside, the inflammatory potential of hamburger and pork bacon is lower than the average serving of farmed tilapia.
As for Salmon, anything "wild caught" is the best way to go.
Farm raised salmon, like Tilapia, is one of the worst things that you can put into your body. Farmed salmon are raised in crowded mesh pens anchored in bays and inlets. To help prevent the spread of disease, the fish are fed food pellets that contain antibiotics. Farmed salmon are fed more antibiotics per pound than any other livestock in America. And please don't be fooled by the word "Atlantic." If it says fresh Atlantic Salmon, assume it is farmed raised. Also, the excrement produced at salmon farms taints the nearby ocean environment and other marine habitat. The excrement from one large fish farm equals the sewage of a city of 10,000 people. The salmon are swimming around in this sewage as well, ingesting its poisons with every cycle of respiration. The feed that is given to these fish are also laden with color enhancers and growth hormones. The color enhancers cause the fish's flesh to turn a reddish pink color which is an attempt to match the rich color of the wild Sockeye Salmon. It has been proven that consuming too much of these farm raised, color enhanced fish will cause a color change in human flesh as well, along with other detrimental side effects.
Farm raised or "Atlantic" salmon:
Wild caught salmon is the healthier choice over farmed salmon. The wild caught salmon is also far superior to farmed salmon, in taste, quality, texture and appearance. Wild salmon swim freely and feed freely in the remote, unspoiled waters of the Gulf of Alaska, and contain no antibiotics and no growth hormones. Wild salmon is also a healthy and natural source of omega- 3 fatty acids and high in antioxidants.
The FAT RATIO:
An ideal ratio of Omega 6: Omega 3 fats should ideally be 3:1 or even approach 2:1. Most people are closer to 15:1 or even 25:1. This is a HUGE concept to understand. Skewed essential fat ratios lead to systemic inflammation throughout the body. Every cell in the body is affected or involved with this Omega 6:Omega 3 ratio. How? Every cell has a fat or lipid bilayer around it composed of these fats and with a healthy ratio of the good fats (Omega 3s), every cell is going to work or carry out its function better. Poor ratios lead to a more "plastic" or less fluidity-like structure of the cell, thus compromising the cell's ability to carry out its specific function. Blood cells, skin cells, eye cells, hair cells, cartilage cells, etc...killer T cells and phagocyte cells that take care of invaders and squash things like cancer and pathogens...EVERY cell in the body has a function and will function better with healthy essential fat ratios and compositions. So how do we get to know our ratio and improve it, right? A blood test would be able to tell you your current 6:3 ratio. A diet lower in Omega 6s and higher in Omega 3s is going to help you improve that very important ratio.
This is why I truly believe that Omega 3 supplements are the most important supplements. I have researched brand after brand and feel like Nutri -West Complete Omega 3 Essentials are the best on the market. I take 4 capsules per day. There are other good ones out there. The point is, you need to be taking Omega 3 supplements (preferably from a wild caught fish source), eating more food with good Omega 3 content and trying to limit those foods with a high content of Omega 6.
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