You probably heard that cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackeral, tuna, and herring are good for your health because they are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. This also makes them great anti-inflammatory foods. So it was quite a shock to me when I found out that I was better off eating no salmon at all than consuming farm-raised salmon. It turns out that the farm-raised variety is actually an inflammatory food because it contains a smaller proportion of omega-3’s to omega-6’s, unlike its wild relative. So you simply don’t get the benefit of increasing your omega-3 fatty acids with farmed salmon. This is one time that it’s worth it to spend the extra money. I think the fish differ because of what they eat. And there you have it…the poor fish have the same problem that we do…dealing with unfortunate dietary choices and toxins in the environment!
Notes:
- When eating farm-raised salmon, peel off the skin before cooking to reduce the ontaminants from what the fish has consumed.
- To learn more about protecting yourself from mercury contamination in fish, check out the Natural Resources Defense Council
- For more resources about protecting the environment, click on the NRDC or Environmental Working Group links in my blogroll).
That’s interesting. Can you get wild at the regular grocery store or do you need to go to the health food store?
I have found wild salmon at most grocery stores.