I think if I read one more article about how to get more omega-3s into my diet by "eating oily fish such as salmon," my head will explode. Salmon may not be so great of a diet option as you may think. Here's why:
Salmon Problem One: If omega-3 is so essential, then the powers that be must have put it in more than just oily fish. Afterall, what do landlocked countries eat? Do they just not get any omega-3? Of course not. Omega-3 can be found in other sources, like flax seed, walnuts, free-range eggs and grass-fed livestock, to name a few.
Salmon Problem Two:
With the demand for salmon climbing, there is simply not enough wild salmon to supply all the hungry mouths. Enter: Salmon Farming. There is a hefty debate over whether salmon farming produces salmon fit to eat or not, and whether the contamination of the farms into the surrounding waters bring more harm than good. And, whether it is worth an increase in cancer risk to get more omega-3.
A study in Science magazine that tested 2 metric tons of farmed salmon found that the farmed salmon contains ten times the level of contaminants than wild salmon. And, those contaminants include PCBs and dioxins, which have been proven to have a negative impact on the fetus with issues ranging from lower IQ to endocrine problems.
The book Anti Cancer, A New Way of Life by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber does a marvelous job of explaining why omega 3 and 6 are important in balance, and why we are getting too much omega 6. (It is a great book with a lot of insight into how the medical and pharmaceutical industries work, as well as why cancer has become so rampant, and how to avoid it).
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| about.com food |
Salmon Problem One: If omega-3 is so essential, then the powers that be must have put it in more than just oily fish. Afterall, what do landlocked countries eat? Do they just not get any omega-3? Of course not. Omega-3 can be found in other sources, like flax seed, walnuts, free-range eggs and grass-fed livestock, to name a few.
Salmon Problem Two:
With the demand for salmon climbing, there is simply not enough wild salmon to supply all the hungry mouths. Enter: Salmon Farming. There is a hefty debate over whether salmon farming produces salmon fit to eat or not, and whether the contamination of the farms into the surrounding waters bring more harm than good. And, whether it is worth an increase in cancer risk to get more omega-3.
A study in Science magazine that tested 2 metric tons of farmed salmon found that the farmed salmon contains ten times the level of contaminants than wild salmon. And, those contaminants include PCBs and dioxins, which have been proven to have a negative impact on the fetus with issues ranging from lower IQ to endocrine problems.
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| Salmon farm |
So, should I eat salmon or not?
The recommendation is to eat farmed salmon no more than once a month in the US, and no more than once every FOUR months from European farms. And, Europe is where we in the UAE get our farmed salmon.
If I don't eat fish, where else can I get omega-3?
Those who recommend avoiding fish altogether due to mercury levels in the waters, let alone contaminants from farm fed fish, eat the following foods:
meat and dairy from grass-fed livestock (preferably raised without hormones or antibiotics)
free-range chickens and their eggs
flax seed
The incredibly important Omega 3 and Omega 6 balance
The issue with the omegas is the balance. The ideal balance for omega 6 to omega 3 has been said to be 3:1 or even 2:1. But, with today's diet and lifestyle the average person's omega 6 to 3 ratio is estimated at 20 or 25 to 1.
Read a more comprehensive article about non-fish sources of omega-3 and why the omega 6 to 3 balance is so imporant.
Further Reading:
For more information on the debate for and against eating farmed salmon you can read the transcript of the debate on the Salmon Scare on the PBS site.
You can access the full article on the salmon farming study in Science Magazine for free, but will have to register.
Read a quick overview of the health benefits of omega-3 on WebMD
As mentioned above, an easy to read article that can sum up the omega 3 to 6 balance and how to get non-fish sources of omega 3 is here.
"There is sufficiency in this world for man's need but not for man's greed." Gandhi
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