Ultimate debate: Farmed v. Wild

Is farm-raised fish any less healthy than wild? While there is much debate about this very subject, the reality is that farm-raised fish, especially salmon provides you with power-packed nutritional benefits, much like wild fish for a fraction of the price.

In a 2006 Harvard School of Public Health study, printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association (10/06), it was shown that the consumption of fish, all fish, including farmed-fish, may reduce the risk of coronary death by 36% and total mortality by 17%. A similar report was released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

These studies all concluded that the benefits of eating fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and tuna, far outweigh the risks from contaminants in the water they are fished from, and that these “risks” are greatly exaggerated.

Fish is one of the most important foods you can eat for your health. Both wild and farm-raised fish provide you with the same lean healthy protein and essential fatty-acids, such as your omega-3 fats. Salmon happens to be a very common farm-raised fish, but, it is still one of the healthiest and richest-sources of omega-3 fats of all fish.

By the year 2040, because of high-volume fishing in the oceans, most wild-fish species will actually be extinct, and farm-raised fish will be our only source of these heart and brain-healthy omega-3 containing fish. These fish are essential, because we cannot make our own omega-3 fatty acids, and they are essential for maintaining cellular and structural health in addition to their heart health benefits. Therefore, a way in which to maintain a sustainable population of fish for our future and our children’s future is to have fish hatcheries, also known as fish-farms.

It is true that farmed fish may contain higher concentrations of PCB’s and dioxins than wild fish, but, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), still recommend for us to eat at least six ounces of a variety of fish each week, preferably fatty-fish, those that are high in omega-3’s!***

The confusion that arises from mass media about fish and nutritional health is just that: Confusion and panic. Do not be afraid to eat farmed fish, its health benefits are far greater than risks incurred from their consumption. The fact of the matter is, farmed fish is healthy for you, just like wild fish.


***Note: Women of childbearing age and children under 12 should not eat swordfish, shark, tile fish, or king mackerel, and should limit their intake of albacore (white meat) tuna to no more than six ounces a week to avoid mercury.