Salmon Confirmed As A Top Choice For Omega-3s

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One of the most realistic ways for us to increase our food intake of omega-3 fatty acids is by including more omega-3 fish in our diet. At the WHF, we’ve always placed salmon high on our list of omega-3 fish options.

Working out of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, researchers have recently taken a very detailed look at the fat composition of four popular farmed fish: salmon, trout, tilapia, and catfish. Total omega-3s, total omega-6s, and the ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s were all examined in the study, along with the balance between saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat. Along with trout, salmon scored well in all categories of analysis: they provided substantial amounts of omega-3 fats and only moderate amounts of omega-6 fats (thus providing a great ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s), and they kept saturated fats low while providing significant amounts of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. In sharp contrast, tilapia and catfish contained too few omega-3s, too many omega-6s, an unhealthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, and too much saturated fat.

The combination of features in its fat composition enables salmon to provide unusual support to our immune and cardiovascular systems and to help reduce our risk of unwanted inflammation throughout the body. In our WHF profiles, we include salmon as a great addition to most any diet plan, but we do not profile either tilapia or catfish.

While we usually recommend the consumption of wild-caught Pacific salmon due to their lower risk of unwanted contaminants, we also recognize that organically farmed fish are becoming more and more available not only in the United States but throughout the world and represent a healthy option in terms of their fat composition. And it’s encouraging to see the fat composition of salmon holding up so favorably in a research study that looked so carefully at fat from so many different angles.

Reference

Weaver KL, Ivester P, Chilton JA et al. The Content of Favorable and Unfavorable Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Found in Commonly Eaten Fish. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2008. Vol. 108, Iss. 7; pp. 1178-1185.