Wild vs. Farm Raised fish

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sheldonklein
sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
edited February 2015 in Food and Nutrition
My wife recently had a heart attack and has been advised by her cardiologist to eat wild, not farm raised, fatty fish at least twice a week. She is a vegetarian who didn't eat fish, other than canned tuna, even before she became a vegetarian, so this will be a challenge. My question focuses on the advice to eat only wild fish. Farm raised fish is generally milder in flavor, so I think it would be easier for her to learn to eat. I've read a few articles in the popular press about the concentration of toxins in farm raised fish, but is anyone aware of real science behind the advice to avoid farm raised fish? Note that I'm not asking about sustainability or other ethical issues -- those are worthy questions in their own right, but notwhat I am interested in now.

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  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
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    Bioaccumulation of any toxins occurs in types (farm raised or wild ) fish. This is one of the reason's doctors recommend pregnant women avoid certain fish because of mercury levels in wild caught fish. As a rule, if it's not peer-reviewed, I never trust the results of 'studies'. However, based upon my own experience with my wife since she was not a big fish eater before meeting me, I was able to get her to try and even like some types. Primarily it's the 'meater' fish such as halibut, tuna, and cod. Those often thick pieces, flake easily in smaller pieces and are good flavored with just salt/pepper or you can add a variety of spices to them. I avoid thinks like most flounders, talapia, and pollock because I just don't like the flavor and I use to work on fishing boats that processed those fish and always associate the smell/thoughts from those boats when trying to eat those fish.

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