A Fish Story : SuperFoodsRx

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Wild Salmon

A Fish Story

Table of Contents

1.	Overview
2.	The Critical Balance of EFA's
3.	Benefits of Omega-3 Acids
4.	How Much Omega-3 Should You Eat
5.	Wild Salmon to the Rescue
6.	A Fish Story
7.	Shopping Tips

Wild salmon, and all fish for that matter, used to carry a reliable nutritional benefit. The fish, in their natural habitat, love to eat zooplankton (tiny single-celled organisms), which are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. People who ate the fish thus delivered this healthy fat to their eagerly awaiting cells. Sadly, as the oceans have become over fished and polluted. This picture has changed. For one thing, U.S. Atlantic salmon are virtually extinct. (Most Atlantic salmon sold in the United States is farm raised.) Even worse from a health standpoint, some cold-water fish are contaminated with mercury. These include swordfish. shark, tilefish, and king mackerel. Avoid eating these fish.
Today, farmed fish have come to dominate many sectors of the market. You’ve no doubt noticed a wide variation in the price of salmon, from very inexpensive farmed salmon to very expensive, fresh Alaskan salmon. Many environmental groups are opposed to farm-raised salmon and there is some controversy about their omega-3 content, as they’re not always fed the marine diet that produces high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. In my opinion, the best salmon is U.S. Pacific wild Alaska salmon, whether it’s fresh, frozen, or canned. The Marine Stewardship Council certifies Alaska salmon as a “Best Environmental Choice.”
Other heart-healthy, environmentally safe seafood choices include the following: Arctic char, catfish (U.S. farmed), clams (farmed), crab (Dungeness), crayfish, halibut (Alaskan), herring, mahi mahi, mussels (farmed), sablefish, sardines, scallops (farmed), striped bass, and tilapia (farmed).

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