Tilapia is NO Longer Recommended!

Something Fishy about Tilapia?

 

Everyone is always telling us to eat more fish. But not everyone finds that easy to do. So for many, farm-raised tilapia seems like a great solution. It’s mild-tasting, widely available, has low mercury levels, and is relatively inexpensive.It almost tastes breaded. We once thought tilapia was a  way to add more healthy fish to the diet.But now, according to a study out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, farm-raised tilapia may not be the healthiest choice, and for people with certain medical conditions, they say it could even be dangerous.

The Wrong Kinds of Omegas?
Most people have heard by now that Omega-3’s are really good for you, but it can be hard to get enough of the best kinds, EPA and DHA. (Especially with all the misleading Omega-3 claims out there). Fish is generally considered a good source of EPA and DHA, but not all fish is created equal. It’s the oily fish, like salmon and sardines, that contain lots of beneficial Omega 3’s. (Note: For more specifics, the American Heart Association has a list of some common fish and their Omega 3 and mercury levels).

So when the researchers looked at farm-raised tilapia, what did they find? Only modest levels of omega-3 fatty acids (less than half a gram per 100 grams of fish) and very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid.

Dangerous for Those With Inflammatory Diseases?
The researchers argued that these levels could be dangerous for people with heart disease, arthritis, asthma, allergic and auto-immune diseases, and others who are vulnerable to an exaggerated inflammatory response. In fact, they discovered that farm-raised tilapia had “higher levels of potentially detrimental long-chain omega-6 fatty acids than 80-percent-lean hamburger, doughnuts and even pork bacon.”

Cheap and Popular
If it’s true that tilapia is a bad choice for those battling inflammatory diseases like heart disease, there’s trouble ahead: tilapia is growing more and more popular, particularly in the United States. Because it’s farmed using cheap corn-based feed, and because the fish are easy to raise, the price is lower than many other fish and more lower-income families are able to buy it.

Said one of the article’s authors: “Cardiologists are telling their patients to go home and eat fish, and if the patients are poor, they’re eating tilapia. And that could translate into a dangerous situation.”

Not All Agree
Apparently there is still some controversy about the issue. The researchers admitted that scientists don’t all agree about “the importance of arachidonic acid or omega-6:omega-3 ratios vs. the concentration of long-chain omega-3 alone with regard to their effects in human biology.”  In the meantime, I would not risk it.  There is still mahi mahi and flounder!