Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, and it supposed to be very good for you. Farm raised, wild caught, organic…these are all labels that can be found on salmon packaging, but how do you know which one to buy? Dr. David Carpenter from the Healthy Child Science Advisory Committee has a few clarifications and debunks some myths about salmon.
Originally posted on MSN Health on Feb 2, 2011
According to Dr. David Carpenter:
MYTH: Organic is best.
TRUTH: There’s no standard for organic fish, so go with wild. Organic implies antibiotics aren’t put in the water, but the salmon still get feed that has contaminants.
MYTH: Skip all farmed salmon.
TRUTH: If you can’t get wild, opt for farmed Canadian, which has fewer contaminants than farmed European.
MYTH: Mercury is the issue with farmed salmon.
TRUTH: Salmon has little mercury. Dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other toxins are the culprits.
MYTH: Wild salmon has more omega-3’s than farmed.
TRUTH: Farmed salmon has more. They’re fed fish oil. But the toxin risks outweigh the benefits of the fatty acids.
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The same should be considered when purchasing fish oils. Stick to companies like Pathway, Nordic Naturals, Carlson, and Xymogen for a high-quality supplement.
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