Salmon is an important source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and many doctors recommend eating it often. But there are also many concerns about the levels of toxins found in salmon, particularly farmed salmon. When it comes to eating fish, which is better, farmed or wild?

It is generally well known that fatty fish such as salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids, an important nutrient that helps to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death. For this reason, the American Heart Association recommends that people eat 2 servings of fish a week, especially fatty fish such as salmon. However, concerns abound about the level of contaminants in salmon, such as methylmercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are generally higher in farmed salmon. In light of these concerns, is it better to choose wild salmon rather than farmed?

High profile reports in 2003 and 2004 from the Environmental Working Group and the Journal Science (respectively) raised concerns about the level of contaminants found in farmed salmon. These reports suggested that farmed salmon in the US had much higher levels of PCBs and other toxins than wild salmon, leading to a decrease in imports of farmed Atlantic salmon to the US.

However, Eric Rimm, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, says that the health benefits of eating farmed salmon far outweigh the risks, according to an article at CNN Health. Farmed fish may contain high levels of PCBs than wild fish, but it is not the main source for the PCBs and other chemicals we ingest, which come from many sources including animal products such as beef or chicken. Salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and with heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States, the benefits of eating salmon are greater than the risks.

The reason that farmed salmon contain more toxins than wild salmon is because they are fed large numbers of smaller fish, retaining any toxins in this fish feed. But many fish-feed makers have become better at regulating themselves in recent years, leading to a decrease in the contaminants in the food that farmed salmon are fed.

The high cost of buying genuine wild salmon means that eating farmed salmon is a more affordable option for many families.

Those who are still concerned about the contaminants in farmed salmon may wish to do some research as to where they salmon they are buying comes from, and whether there are any known problems in that area. The PCBs found in farmed salmon are concentrated in the fat, so removing excess fat and skin from the fish can reduce the amount of toxins you ingest.

Alternatively, you may choose to stick to eating wild salmon, or alternate eating salmon with smaller fish such as sardines, mackerel, and anchovies, which are also good sources of omega-3s but contain fewer contaminants than salmon. These smaller fish do not live as long as salmon and don’t pick up as many chemicals over the course of their lives. Eating canned salmon is also a good choice, as most canned salmon is made from wild salmon, for an affordable price.

Diversifying your fish intake may in fact be the best way of protecting yourself from the risks of ingesting too many chemicals from any one kind of fish, and has the added benefit of creating a more interesting, varied diet.