Article Courtesy: realfarmacy.com | Originally published June 20, 2015 | Please click here for original article.
Tilapia , one of the cheapest and most popular fish in the United States, may actually lead to many serious health problems.
Their feed is not natural — in the wild, tilapia would eat algae and lake plants, but the farms fatten up the fish on GMO corn and soy pellets. The amount of healthful fish oils in these creatures is almost non-existent, negating the main reason why fish is so good for us. Almost all tilapia sold in the U.S. is hormone drug treated. Did you know that the low price of tilapia is achieved by converting the young females to males through the use of the hormone drug 17 alpha-methytestosterone? Having an all male population allows fish farmers to produce larger fish in a short period of time.
Additionally, Farmed fish consist of more fat and less Omega-3 fatty acids due to the smaller area in which they swim, and the constant availability of food. Unlike many other fish, farm-raised tilapia contains high levels of omega-6. Because it contains less than 0.5 grams of omega-3s per 100 grams of fish the imbalance of omegas has an inflammatory effect on the body.
According to one of the studies, Farm-raised tilapia contains significantly higher concentrations of PCBs, dioxin and other cancer-causing contaminants than salmon caught in the wild. Farmed fish contain higher concentrations of contaminants than wild fish largely because they are fed meal that consists of ground-up fish tainted with contaminants. Many researchers are convinced that eating farmed fish leads to an increased cancer risk due to high amounts of PCB’s the low-quality of nutrients.
Farm-bred fish also have lower levels of healthy nutrients- Many of us consume fish, hoping to reap the omega-3 fatty acid benefits that come with it. However, did you know that the omega-3-acids that are found in farm-raised fish are less usable to our bodies compared to wild bred fish. Farm-raised fish also has a lower protein content. Not only that, because farm-raised fish are kept in cages, they have the tendency to be fattier, and can have a higher concentration of omega-6 acids. The problem with getting too much omega-6 acids is that they may cause inflammation to the body due to imbalance.
Dioxin levels are 11 times higher in farm-bred fish compared to wild fish – Dioxin is actually a very toxic chemical that can contribute to cancer and other complications. The problem with dioxin is that once it enters our system, it can take a very long time until it is let out. The half life of dioxin is about 7 to 11 years.
If you do choose to eat tilapia, at least steer clear of the Wal-mart freezer section and find a local sustainable source that follows organic regulations (which includes non-GMO feed) and keeps the growing conditions sanitary and proper.
