We all know that salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, and the health benefits of these fatty acids are innumerable. However, you will be surprised to discover that farmed salmon, which is widespread, has more in common with junk food than with healthy foods. We have summarized in the preamble the opinion of the famous Dr. Mercola which we were inspired to realize this article, studies and supporting evidence!
Farmed salmon, toxic to humans?
According to Kurt Oddekalv, a Norwegian environmental activist, salmon farming is an absolute disaster, both in terms of the environment and human health. At the bottom of the salmon farms scattered in the Norwegian fjords is a layer of waste about fifteen meters deep, infested with bacteria, drugs and toxic pesticides.
According to Kurt Oddekalv, farmed salmon is a direct toxic threat to human health, while fish is supposed to be a healthy food. Food analyzes have shown that farmed salmon is one of the most toxic foods in the world.
In a global study of farmed salmon conducted by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, United States, and published in the January 2004 issue of Science, 13 persistent organic pollutants were found in this fish. The results showed that farmed salmon do not have the same nutritional profile at all as wild salmon.
The nutritional value of farmed salmon is very different from that of wild salmon
Following the use of toxic pesticides, farmed salmon undergo mutations not very visible but equally disturbing. The flesh of farmed salmon is surprisingly brittle and breaks easily when folded, which is not the case with wild salmon meat. The nutritional content, in turn is extremely different. Wild salmon contain about 5 to 7% fat, while farmed salmon can contain between 14.5 and 34%.
The high fat content in the flesh of farmed salmon is a direct result of the high-fat processed foods it receives in fish farming. Worse still, farmed salmon are not only fatter, but they contain a drastically unbalanced ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), half a strip of wild Atlantic salmon contains approximately 3996 mg omega-3 and 341 mg omega-6 farmed Atlantic salmon contains just a little more omega-3, or 4961 mg, but a surprising amount of 1944 mg omega-6, more than 5.5 times that of wild salmon.
The human body needs both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, the ratio between the two is important and should ideally be 4/1. But given the prevalence of processed foods in the modern lifestyle, most people receive an excessive amount of omega-6 fatty acid, which causes an unhealthy imbalance, since excess omega-6 fatty acid promotes inflammation and inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma.
Salmon farming is not a green solution
Aquaculture has often presented itself as a sustainable alternative to overfishing, but in reality, fish farms pose more problems than they solve.
A salmon farm can hold up to 2 million salmon in a very small area. Because of overcrowding, fish farms cause diseases that spread rapidly among stressed fish.
According to Kurt Oddekalv, despite diseases that affect farmed salmon, such as sea lice, pancreas disease, and infectious salmon anemia virus, they continue to be sold relentlessly without the knowledge of consumers.
In breeding, there are a number of pesticides with neurotoxic effects used to fight against several diseases. In fact, workers in these types of farms must wear protective clothing and gloves before handling the pesticides, knowing that these chemicals are put directly into the water.
Farmed salmon is very toxic
According to the US study already mentioned, the pollutants present in foods eaten by salmon include dioxins, PCBs (known organic pollutants), chlorinated pesticides and a number of drugs and chemicals. These toxins are consumed by salmon and accumulate in their fat. The results of the study that tested 700 salmon samples from around the world showed that PCB concentrations in farmed salmon were on average eight times higher than in wild salmon.
The authors of the study concluded that consumption of farmed Atlantic salmon can pose health risks and do not provide the same beneficial effects of fish consumption. It is therefore important to choose your salmon and make sure you consume only wild salmon to enjoy all its benefits.
