| We always think of fish and seafood in terms of being good for the body, but is that always the case?
Are there health benefits of eating salmon as well? I think that depends how one looks at the big picture. Salmon is one of those fish that is farmed or wild, and the benefits of salmon are based directly on the type of salmon that is being consumed. So, what is the answer to that question? Farmed or wild salmon?
Although farmed salmon have more Omega-3 fatty acids that are known to be good for your heart, it also has higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals as well as contaminants that are known to cause memory impairment and behavioral changes in children. A recent study shows there are greater benefits of eating wild salmon from the Pacific than farmed salmon from the Atlantic. By weighing the positive and negative aspects of both types of salmon, the net result is that there are more benefits of salmon of the "wild" type.
Of course, on the other hand, if someone is in the middle-aged group and has already had a coronary, the risks of the pollutants are minimal in comparison to the benefits that can be derived from the Omega-3 fatty acids that are in more abundance in the farmed salmon. For this group the benefits of salmon are going to lie in the greater nutritional value in the farmed salmon rather than the increased chance of cancer causing chemicals that appear. One must weigh one against the other and decide which course is right in their individual case. Of course, even farmed salmon from certain areas have a lower level of contaminants, but that is something else an individual must research for himself. |
