Find omega-3 fatty acids in fish: Livestock vs wild

Find omega-3 fatty acids in fish: Livestock vs wild - Recently a subscriber Harvard Health Letter emailed a question: Is there a difference between farmed salmon and wild Caught in terms of omega-3 fatty acids?

I wondered about myself standing at the fish counter at my local grocery store. I often find that I can the Atlantic farmed salmon for about $ 6.99 a pound, while the wild salmon can be almost twice as expensive. 

Salmon and other fatty fish are the main food source of omega-3 fatty acids, fatty acids, which are known to reduce the risk of heart disease.

It is probably not spare your heart if you choose the cheaper farmed salmon, since both types appear to provide similar amounts of omega-3 per serving. But that is probably because farmed salmon tend to have more total fat - and therefore more omega-3 - that wild.

How the total fat content of salmon in place measures

As Dr. Bruce Bistrian, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, explained, fish are what they eat. "In nature, salmon eat the small fish that are rich in EPA and DHA. - The omega-3 long chain beneficial" farmed salmon eat pellets of high protein meal. 

Although the location and environmental changes can affect the diet of wild salmon, the flesh of farmed fish farmer reflect the choice of base. In particular, often young farmers salmon dumplings made from plant and animal sources, and then add the fish and more expensive fish oil enriched in later life pellet fish food.

A study measuring the fatty acids of 76 different fish species from six US regions showed large variations in the omega-3 fatty acid content in five different salmon species tested - especially the two varieties of farm. The omega-3 ranged from 717 milligrams (mg) to 100 mg per 1533 grams of fish (equal to 3.5 ounces party "standard"). 

Compared with wild varieties farmed fish tend to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, but also contained higher levels of saturated and polyunsaturated levels. But the amount of saturated fat is not alarming. For comparison, a portion is about 1.6 grams, which is about half that of the same amount of luncheon meat. 

The best choice for salmon - and the rest of your plate

Conclusion: Do not stress too much about his selection of salmon. Follow the recommendations of the American Heart Association eating two servings of fish per week, leaving the accessibility and availability guide their choices. 

As for me, I often opt for farmed salmon for dinner once a week or two, but I'll pass on wild salmon if it looks particularly good. When I canned tuna, I meet the variety "chunk light", which is less mercury than other varieties. (For more information on this, see one of my previous blogs). Other good choices include oily fish as sardines, herring, mackerel and bluefish.

And do not forget to keep the big picture in mind when choosing what to eat. Nutrition experts like Dr. Bistrian stress that much of the most compelling evidence on healthy food habits for the heart comes from studies of the Mediterranean diet, which includes fish and plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and olive oil, but minimal amounts of meat and dairy products. "If you eat more fish in the context of other changes in your diet, it is more likely that confers a benefit," says Dr. Bistrian.
By: Julie Corliss