Wild vs. farmed salmon: Which will affect more on your health?

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Nowadays, everybody’s trying to include more salmon into their diet. This type of fish is extremely healthy because it contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Eating salmon 2 times per week may delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as reduce the risk of developing a heart condition. Although we can always take our protein from poultry and other meats, seafood features the healthiest and most nutritious fatty acid profile – high in omega-3s and low in saturated fat.

There are two main types of salmon fish we can purchase from the open market – farmed salmon and wild salmon. Now, a lot of people assume that wild salmon is healthier because it is more “natural”. To some extent, this allegation may be true. However, there are still many factors that will make you go for farmed salmon instead. There are companies out there that rear and harvest the fish in extremely safe conditions, and Loch Duart is one of them.


With almost 15 years of experience in aquaculture, Loch Duart takes great pride in its product. They’re selling farmed salmon to the people and they guarantee that the fish is packed with all kinds of nutrients and healthy fats one needs to stay healthy.


Nutritional aspects – wild-caught vs. farm-raised salmon


Can farmed salmon harvested from the Atlantic have more healthy fats than wild-caught fish? The simple answer: yes. However, the nutritional differences are not that considerable. The rainbow trout that is farm-raised for example, has the exact same of amount of calories, nutrients and proteins as the wild-caught type. Some noteworthy disparities:


Wild-caught trout may have increased amounts of iron and calcium


Farmed trout may have more selenium and vitamin A


As you can see, they’re nutritionally equivalent. We love to eat fish because of its increased amounts of low-chain omega-3s. That being said, farmed salmon has an advantage here. Believe it or not, the farmed salmon harvested today from the Atlantic has more omega-3s than wild salmon. Don’t let yourself fooled by the pink colors of the wild fish. It doesn’t mean it’s healthier or more natural. In some cases, the color is pale orange, or even dark red if we’re talking about Sockeye.



Farmed salmon is just as healthy as wild-caught salmon


When we hear the word “farmed salmon” we immediately think of fish that is mass-produced and harvested in all sorts of unsafe conditions. Many believe that farmed salmon is genetically modified. It’s not. There’s no evidence that people can purchase genetically-modified salmon. Although there are genetically-modified types of fish one can purchase to place in their tropical fish tanks, there’s literally no proof that farmed salmon falls into the same category.


There’s a lot of concern about the effects of farmed fish on sustainability. Though, they’re just as probable to happen to farmed as to wild fish. The ecosystem can be greatly affected when the fish is wild caught, especially because the process involves a lot of collateral damage. On the other hand, we have farmed salmon and fish farming which can threaten the local flora by polluting the water. As you can see, both harvesting methods have disadvantages. There’s no secure way of rearing and harvesting salmon without impacting the environment.


Should we buy farmed or wild salmon?


As much as we want to believe that wild-caught salmon is better because it can be found in nature, it’s really not the case. Farmed salmon is an excellent source of nutrients and healthy fats. As long as you purchase your fish from reputable companies, you have nothing to be afraid of.


There’s no denying that salmon is an extremely popular fish with a nutritional profile packed with healthy omega-3s. Between 1990 and 2010, the total production of farm-raised salmon went through a 600% increase. That’s because we went from eating 300,000 tons to 1.9 million tons per year. 70% of today’s salmon is farm-raised mostly because it’s impossible to meet the demand. Simply put, there’s not enough wild fish for everyone. Rather than take everything there from the oceans and leave nothing, some agree that farming is a better solution because it maintains the species alive. The population is concerned that farmed salmon falls into the category of processed foods. It doesn’t. It can be just as healthy and just as nutritious as wild-caught salmon.

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