Farm-Raised Salmon High in Environmental Contaminants

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Farm-Raised Salmon High in Environmental Contaminants

PCB Levels Higher Than in Ocean-Caught Fish

It seems there are reports on new dietary revelations and recommendations in the news media on a weekly basis. Many times these reports and recommendations contradict what was previously known and/or being recommended. These conflicting dietary recommendations can confuse the most informed patient, as well as their health care practitioner.

The latest comes from a July 2003 report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG an environmental watchdog group) and states that farm-raised salmon can contain up to 16 times the amount of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in wild salmon. Six out of 10 salmon purchased in grocery stores are raised in controlled conditions on salmon farms,rather than being caught in the wild, says the Environmental Working Group. Their report also states that farm-raised fish are typically fed fish meal made from ground up ocean-caught fish contaminated with PCBs. Farmed salmon, with their higher fat content, concentrate these contaminants in their tissues.

Many doctors and their patients are concerned about this report, as well as others stating that farmed fish contain fewer omega-3 fatty acids, and that ocean-caught fish can have high levels of heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins, and other persistent environmental pollutants. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a recommendation that pregnant women, nursing women, and children should NOT eat any shark, swordfish, tilefish, or king mackerel due to their high mercury content.

However, research has shown beneficial effects of fish in the diet, as well as fish oil supplementation. What should you do? Supplementation with fish oil gives you the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but fish oil can also contain environmental pollutants if not properly processed. Supplementing with fish oil that has been molecularly distilled (a process that removes PCBs, heavy metals, pesticides, and other pollutants) provides essential omega-3 fatty acids without the environmental pollutants common to these species.

Alternative Medicine Review Fish Oil Monograph

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