Nutrition experts constantly recommend fish as part of a healthy diet. It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids that are great for your heart and overall health. But now a recent study suggests that people could contract mad cow disease from eating farmed fish that were fed byproducts of cows. While no cases of the disease have been linked to eating farmed fish, three scientists published their concern in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease asking government regulators to ban cow meat or bone meal in fish food. And besides being fed cow byproducts, farmed fish often fed wild fish feed, which is a whole different problem–the amount of wild fish needed to feed farmed fish exceeds the number of fish that are produced.

We already know that some fish is healthier than others due to mercury or PCB content and some fish is better for the environment than others due to over-fishing and farming methods. With all the factors, choosing fish can be a nightmare and a new report reveals that even natural stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s sell loads of unsustainable fish species. The trouble is that aside from farmed salmon, which is associated with high environmental costs and an overuse of antibiotics, farmed fish usually gets good scores on both the health and eco level. So now what fish can you trust?

The best way to break down what fish is best, is to consult a seafood guide like the one put together by the Blue Ocean Institute. If the thought of what farmed fish eat freaks you out, try wild Alaska salmon for the biggest dose of omega-3s and the lowest adverse impact on your health and the environment.

Powered by Bookmarkify™