Diet Information

Contrary to popular opinion, most of the salmon found in supermarkets and restaurants is not a healthy food because instead of growing up in the wild, it’s been raised on a fish farm. As a result, farmed salmon is like an evil twin of its wild and healthy counterpart.

Much like people, salmon need a healthy diet and adequate exercise, and those are basically the factors that make the difference between salmon that do, or don’t promote wellness. In their natural state, wild salmon eat algae, which is rich in healthy omega-3 fats, or “good” fats. When we eat the fish, we, in turn, consume those healthy fats. And, wild salmon also swim around a lot so they’re lean. In contrast, farm-raised salmon usually don’t get much exercise because they’re generally raised in cramped cages in the water, and their diet is higher in calories but less nutritious than it would be in a natural habitat.

Pound for pound, both wild and farm-raised salmon contain similar quantities of healthy fats but that’s where the parity ends. The farm-raised fish contain significantly more unhealthy, saturated fat, so much so that the bad fat outweighs the value of the good.

According to the USDA Nutrient Database, this is how the two types of fish compare:

Farm-Raised vs. Wild Salmon, 8-ounce Serving

Calories: 466 farm-raised; 413 wild
Total Fat: 28 grams farm-raised; 18.5 grams wild
Saturated Fat: 5.72 grams farm-raised; 2.84 grams wild
Protein: 50 grams farm-raised; 57.6 grams wild

Does Farmed Salmon Really Kill?

Chronic inflammation, which doesn’t necessarily have any recognizable symptoms but underlies heart disease, stroke and every other debilitating and deadly disease of the 21st century, has become a major problem in America. Too many unhealthy, pro-inflammatory fats in our diet trigger and perpetuate this inflammation.

If an occasional piece of farmed salmon was the only unhealthy thing in your diet, it wouldn’t make much difference. However, given that most of the food we eat is pro- rather than anti-inflammatory, farmed salmon just adds insult to injury.

In terms of science, Floyd Chilton, Ph.D., and director of the NIH-sponsored Wake Forest and Harvard Center for Botanical Lipids in Winston Salem, NC, has analyzed foods extensively regarding their impact on inflammation. “I don’t think I’m overstating the problem when I say that inflammatory diseases affect as many as half of the people in this country,” he told me in an interview. To remedy the situation, which he calls a “silent plague,” he recommends an anti-inflammatory eating plan described in detail, along with recipes, in his book, Inflammation Nation.

Chilton gives first place — as the worst, most pro-inflammatory food — to farmed salmon. In contrast, wild salmon is at the top of his list as a healthy, anti-inflammatory food, especially wild Chinook and sockeye, with wild pink, Coho and chum salmon scoring just a hairline lower.

So, is it a stretch to say that farmed salmon kills? As long as the typical American diet remains the way it is and heart disease continues to be our number-one killer, I don’t think so.

About The Author

Vera Tweed is a veteran health journalist and the editor of http://www.HealthyTricks.com, an online newsletter that makes healthy living more convenient, enjoyable and attainable.

Share This

From the Wikipedia:
“Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish. Unlike most ocean fish species, which have white flesh, the flesh of tuna is pink because the tuna’s blood has a higher oxygen carrying ability than other fish species”. Interesting.

Before you proceed, be warned that this post is not for the weak of heart.

Tuna has always been a favorite protein source for bodybuilders, dieters, and other athletes. Reasonably cheap, fast, portable, comes in convenient can sizes, low in fat and a great source of protein and omega-3 essential fats.

A regular can of tuna can contain up to about 30g protein, 1g carbs, 0 fats per 100gm. This means that consuming just 1 can of tuna a day can bump up your protein intake by 30g. You may also want to look for tuna in brine or spring water (the brand TC Boy has this). Stay away from tuna in oil or the fancy tuna such as chili tuna, tuna in mayo, curry tuna, tuna in crappy tasting sauce, etc as they not only contain less fish meat in a can, but are normally full of fat and added sugar (which is fine if you want to have a sandwich or something, but NOT FINE if you plan to consume 1 - 2 cans a day).

Though I hate tuna, I must admit that it is an easy way of increasing your daily protein intake without any messy cooking, extensive preparation, and wasting any brain cells. But like anything else - you WILL get a little sick of it after awhile. You’ll get sick of the texture. Sick of the pale, pink flesh. Sick of the taste. Sick of the smell.

To add variety, you may want to alternate consuming tuna with something else every now and then (try eggs/chicken breasts/beef) to avoid getting sick of it. As for me, I’m just sometimes too lazy to bother to prepare my meals - so I end up just popping a can or two of tuna and bringing it to work. If you’re wondering how I’m able to eat all that tuna even though I’m sick of it? It’s easy.

Just scoop >> chew well >> sip some water >> SWALLOW. Repeat until there’s none left.

Either that, or you could be like Arnold Schwarzenegger and actually blend tuna in a blender (with other ingredients for improved taste) and drink it like a protein shake. Unfortunately, that goes over my limit. No way can i ever drink liquid fish. He could - he’s not human.

Now, for those of you considering to make tuna a regular part of your diet - here’s a useful tip that could save you from getting into a stinking mess. If you’re like me and pack meals at home and take them to work - be sure to squeeze out as much water as you can from the tuna and ensure that the container you pack it in is tight and will not let water seep through from the inside, or better still - put the whole container in a plastic bag. I’ve had incidents where I would just chuck one of my food containers (filled to the brim with tuna) only to discover at work that my laptop bag stinks of tuna as the juices have oozed onto the fabric. And thats one stench thats gonna stay there to haunt you for the months to come.

Josh Stone, also known as DM, is the author behind the site http://www.dailymuscle.com which offers the author’s personal views on real-life fitness, bodybuilding, sports nutrition, cardio, fat loss, training information, and on all things that surrounds fitness.

Share This