Do you eat a lot of salmon? Whether you’re a sushi lover or just a plain broiled salmon girl, you might have wondered whether you’re eating farmed or wild salmon, and which is better anyway?
Salmon is a delicious way to get all the Omega 3 Fatty Acids that you need. It’s also relatively low in mercury when compared to tuna and many other popular sushi options. However, unless specified to the contrary, it’s almost certain that you’ll be eating farmed salmon, because wild salmon is very expensive and also seasonal.
According to the Audubon Society, 50% of the world’s salmon is now farmed, rather than wild-caught. There are 3 main problems with farmed salmon:
1. It could contain ten times the amount of PCB’s (according to the EWG, farmed salmon contains 16 times more PCB’s than wild,) and pesticides than wild salmon – this is most likely due to their feed. Although there is not yet any conclusive evidence about the toxicity of farmed salmon, I like to minimize my exposure to toxic chemicals whenever I 
can.
2. Salmon farming along the Atlantic coast is causing the population of wild Atlantic salmon to dramatically decline.
3. Farmed salmon are fed formulated protein pellets to make them fattier. One might think this fat will give you more Omega 3 fatty acids, but it’s not the case – studies have found that farmed salmon have fewer Omega 3’s than per ounce than wild salmon.
I think the taste of wild Salmon is so much more delicious, so for the most part, I wait until mid-Summer, when it’s in season and eat it as a treat (it’s so expensive!). If you do eat farmed salmon, the EWG suggests no more than one serving a month!
You can also try to purchase flash frozen wild-caught salmon or even canned wild Salmon. I sometimes mix canned wild salmon with tuna, so as to cut down on the mercury.
If you are on the lookout for wild salmon during the Summer months, look for Alaskan over North Western. wild Alaskan salmon is more likely to be the real thing. Sometimes “wild” salmon can be labeled as such when it perhaps was spawned in a farm and spent only a little time in the wild.
You’ll probably get a much higher level of good Omega’s in your bloodstream from eating food with Omega’s, rather than taking supplements. Flax Seeds and walnuts contain the highest food levels of Omega 3’s – so load up your oatmeal or salad with these wonderful foods. If want a supplement too, I highly recommend Nordic Naturals.
