Stop The Fish Confusion (1)

Eating plenty of omega-3-rich fish is good for you. It can lower your blood pressure, keep your arteries healthy, lower your risk of heart attack, and cut your chances of dementia. That's why it's recommend adding clean, natural, wild-caught fish to your meals.

But, when you're standing in front of the fish counter, it's easy to get confused. Suddenly you're confronted with labeling that says it's "farm-raised."

Now, that may sound like a good thing – that it's perhaps even healthier than wild-caught fish that's been swimming around in the polluted waters of our oceans and lakes.

But, this is a common mistake.

You see, while all fish is exposed to some pollutants, farm-raised fish are much more likely to contain certain chemicals that are especially harmful to your health.

Here's what you should know about fish – and how to make the healthiest choices for you and your family.

Eating fish that's farm-raised is much like eating commercial meat. These fish are packed together in tanks, pens and enclosures. So, parasites, viruses and disease are all big concerns. And, you know what this means, right? 

The fish farmers have to keep them healthy with the liberal use of antibiotics, fungicides and pesticides. Many popular types of fish are farm-raised. Salmon, tilapia, catfish and cod are just a few. But farm-raised salmon might just be the unhealthiest of all. More than half of them die before they even get to harvest. And those that do survive contain enormous amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs – up to 16 times more than wild-caught.

The problem with PCBs is that they build up in the fatty tissue of the fish. That's where all the healthy omega-3 oils are.

So, when you eat a piece of farm-raised salmon, you're getting a substantial dose of these chemicals right along with your omega-3s, and they start building up in the fatty tissue of your body. That's where they can do some serious damage.

High levels of PCBs are linked to liver cancer, thyroid problems, a weakened immune response and hormone imbalances. 

There is also evidence they increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. 

Now, I don't want to scare you away from eating fish. There are too many great health benefits that you can get from it. But, I do want you to eat clean fish and help lower the toxic load in your body.

To be cont'd. 

Have a great day.