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The Salmon Debate

Heart Associations in North America recommend eating two or more servings of fish per week. 

It is well known that salmon has many health benefits. 

Salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, helping protect against heart attacks and strokes. 

New research suggests that salmon may enhance brain function, help combat depression and reduce the inflammation from arthritis.

Salmon's good reputation was recently tarnished when a study published in the journal Science concluded that farmed Atlantic salmon has 10 times more contaminants than their wild Pacific relatives - leaving many people wondering whether salmon is more of a hazard than a help.

Having been linked to cancer and birth defects, PCBs have been banned from industrial use since the 1970s.  In the last 30 years, dietary exposure to PCBs has decreased by more than 90 percent.   However, PCBs still exist in the environment, finding their way into the fat stores of fish, beef, pork, whole milk and even some plant sources. This most recent study confirms what we've known for years: raw, farm-raised salmon are higher in PCBs because they have higher fat stores and are fed small, oily fish that come from PCB-contaminated areas.  However, when salmon is cooked using methods where the fat is drained off, there is little difference in contaminants between farm-raised and wild salmon. 

While Health Canada agrees that no amount of toxins in our food supply is desirable, levels at which a contaminant does NOT pose a risk to human health has been determined.  Health Canada, the FDA and the World Health Organization all agree that for people who consume 2-3 servings fish per week, the levels of contaminants in farm-raised salmon are well within what has been determined as safe for human consumption.  All in all, contaminant levels, as published in this recent study, were found to be well within acceptable levels. 

Scientists are in general agreement that the health benefits of eating fish outweigh any health risks.  However, if you wish to minimize your intake of dietary contaminants, please keep the following in mind:

If fish is labeled "Atlantic Salmon" it is farmed.

• Most canned salmon is wild unless the label says "Atlantic salmon."
• Take the skin off salmon and cut off all brown, fatty areas before cooking. 
  Note: the fish may fall apart and it's more difficult to turn it over this way.
• Trim the fat off all meat and fish before cooking; use cooking methods where the fat drips off, like baking broiling or grilling.
• Cut down on all sources of animal fats.
• Consider adding other sources of omega 3-fatty acids to your diet, like ground flaxseed, walnuts and soy-based products.

Anita Romaniw is a Community Nutritionist with the Fraser Health Authority, in British Columbia, Canada.  She can be reached at 1-604-864-3400.

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