Fresh vs. Farmed Fish. What’s the deal?
After all my digging and questioning of is wild caught fish better than farm raised? I can say without a doubt that yes in fact wild caught fish is better than farm raised.
A dear friend of mine recently texted me, “is wild caught fish really that much better than farmed?”. I enthusiastically responded “YES!”. But, I realized, I’m not actually sure on the science. Obviously, like many of you, I’ve always heard this, and try to buy wild caught as much as a I can, but I decided to dig a bit more to find out what the actual deal is. There is so much that goes into what we hear and what is advertised to us, that we might not be getting our information from the right sources.
Farm raised is just that. Fish that are not raised in the wild, live in tanks, and are fed feed.
Wild fish are not raised in captivity.
Nutrition: Colorado State University says that wild caught fish “tend to be lower in saturated fat”, while farmed fish can be “higher in omega-3 fatty acids, presumably due to the farms’ fortified feed.” Wild fish get more exercise and according to Cleveland Clinic because of this, when comparing wild versus caught fish (a 3 oz filet say), the wild fish will have fewer calories and about half of the saturated fat. Exercise and movement is important for all of us, including the fish we choose to eat.
Remember here: Saturated fat is the kind that liquifies when hot, and hardens when cooled (think like a butter texture). Too much saturated fat (this also includes coconut oil folks) can cause the bad kind of cholesterol (LDL) to build up in your arteries. This can lead to heart disease, so always try to limit your intake. Saturated fat can be hidden in all kinds of places so make sure to read your nutrition labels!
Pollution: Farmed fish can be higher in contaminants and “tend to have a higher instance of disease due to farming conditions” says Colorado State University. We can blame pollution however, for the reason that mercury is found in both farmed and wild caught fish. That said there are types of pollutants called “persistent organic pollutants” or POPs that have “been linked to…Type 2 diabetes and obesity” (Cleveland Clinic). One particular kind of POP (polychlorinated biphenyl) is 16x higher in farm raised fish than wild caught. That is insane. So when you’re looking at pollutants in your food, you definitely want to stick to wild caught fish.
Chemicals :Wild caught fish get exposure to dangerous chemicals from the sometimes polluted habitats (yes our water). Farmed fish and salmon in this particular case are being given feed which can have harmful chemicals. We also can’t be sure of antibiotics use in farmed fish, but you know without a doubt that your wild fish is just fine on that front.
So once again what’s the bottom line? Go with wild caught fish. Farmed fish is still a good option, and is cheaper if budget is a concern. But be careful of the quantity of fish you eat. There are other foods you can eat to get your omega 3s (think flaxseed , English walnut, hemp seed, and chia)
If you do have a diet that includes fish, make sure you’re limiting your mercury exposure as well. Here are fish, according to the FDA with the lowest mercury content:
Anchovies
Atlantic mackerel
catfish,
clams
crab,
crawfish
flounder
haddock
mullet
oysters
plaice
pollock
salmon
sardines
scallops
shad
shrimp
dole
squid
tilapia
trout
whiting
I like to think that the best kind of consumers we can be are well informed consumers. Even if you know that farm raised fish is better for your family due to different competing factors (budget, and accessibility, or really any other reason), when armed with the right information, you can do what’s best for you!
