Both farm and wild fish has is pros and cons when it comes to health and nutrition. Sorting out the confusion can be quite the challenge.
We put enough in our bodies without having to worry about whether or not the foods that are supposed to be good for us are contaminated or altered in some way. Still, that is the world we live in. When it comes to our foods we have very serious choices to make. Even something as simple as which fish is best for you, farm raised or caught, can be a very difficult conclusion to reach.
Fish is an amazing food for people who want to watch their weight or just eat healthy. This is an exceptional way to get protein and other essential nutrients in your daily diet. It is high in Omega 3’s and very low in “bad” fats.
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When you purchase your fish there are some things to consider. For instance, is wild fish more natural? Were there environmental issues where the fish was caught that you are unaware of? Is there any way to get these answers?
One thing you will have to be mindful of that will weigh heavy in the equation is what kind of fish it is. Farm raised trout are wonderful sources of protein, nutrients and calories that are almost equal to their wild counterparts. However the wild trout will have a bit more iron and calcium.
As far as contaminants, there have been a wealth of studies done and it was found overall that the PCB level was 10 times higher in the farm raised fish than in the wild fish. Neither is considered to be dangerous levels at this time.
Mercury on the other hand is another real concern for people who love to eat fish or do so for health reasons. Farm raised fish like tilapia, salmon and catfish have low mercury levels whereas wild caught fish like shark, tuna and tile fish are higher in mercury and far more concerning.
Keep an eye out that if you are concerned about antibiotics and the like you will want to but fish that are raised in the US. This is because there are laws prohibiting things like hormones, antibiotics and chemicals from being added to the fish or their habitats. Other countries do not have these consumer protections in place. In the US farm raised fish are just that, raised naturally on a fish farm. No chemicals, no tricky business, just good fish. The up side is that you know there are no environmental hazards unlike situations surrounding wild fish.
At the end of the day and after all of the research is done it is clear to see that farm raised fish is clearly the safest and the healthiest option. Many of the concerns of eating farm raised fish can be eliminated when you consider buying US raised fish only. This is because their environment, habitat, food sources and all that goes into raising them is under a microscope. The United States is one of the only countries with suck strict regulations of farm raising fish for consumption.
