It has been claimed that the inflammation potential of tilapia is higher than a hamburger or bacon. If the popular fish, tilapia is on your menu, don’t panic but do pay attention.
The July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association published research indicating that not all fish was equally healthy and that tilapia and catfish could actually have an inflammatory effect.
The American Heart Association recommends 2 servings a week of fatty fish, approximately 8 oz total. Fatty fish choices include salmon, sardines, lake trout, herring, mackerel, and albacore tuna. (I might note here that mackerel and albacore tuna are among the fish highest in mercury – so I recommend chunk light tuna instead.)
These oily fish contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect. This is a good thing since so many of the chronic conditions besieging us these days are inflammatory.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, “Which is Healthier – Beef or Salmon”, what animals eat effects their nutritional value. The omega 6 fatty acid levels in tilapia are high because of what they were fed.
Most tilapia and catfish are farmed. Tilapia in particular grows rapidly on formulated feeds that contain lower protein levels, higher carbohydrate levels and a wider range of fat sources than other farmed fish.
Omega-6 fats are thought to be inflammatory, although there is controversy about the validity of the studies and about whether omega-6 intake matters or not.
I’ve actually written an ebook on the differences between omega-3 and -6 fats, and so far the theory and research looks promising to me. I often recommend grass fed meats and wild fish because of the improved ratio’s of these two fatty acids.
Meanwhile, is tilapia really worse for you than hamburgers and bacon? It is hard to say. It seems unlikely with conventionally fed and processed meats (especially considering the nitrites in the bacon). However, naturally fed beef, pork or fish all seem like better bets.
Keep in mind that nutritional research is complex. There are many factors that influence how nutrients respond in our body. Who knows, there could be other nutrients in fish that mitigate the effects of the omega-6 fats. Or maybe not.
If you eat a lot of farmed tilapia or catfish, I do think it is wise to eat less until we learn more.
New note 9/22/08: Here is another valuable insight on Tilapia from the Endocrine Today Blog. He makes a good point about the low fat content of Tilapia. We are probably better off limiting other sources of omega-6 fats (like processed snacks) and fast foods, and including generally healthy foods like fish in our diet. I still would like to see them use better feed when raising Tilapia.
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Eat well!
Hi Kathy!
I have been enjoying your newsletter for quite some time and I read about your blog in the latest, so I had to come take a peek.
Thank you for such an informative blog about Tilapia. I am not fond of fish, but the mild flavor of Tilapia had made me a convert however, I had not heard about these concerns about inflammation. Thank you for keeping us up to date with such valuable information!
Hi….first time blogger! That’s not the best news about Tilapia I have ever read, but I also wanted to comment on the mercury in seafood issue. To be blunt, safe seafood is available though. For the first time there is a company that doesn’t rely on only the age or location of the fish caught to claim that it is lower in mercury than FDA action levels. Safe Harbor guarantees that the fish it certifies is lower than FDA action levels because it tests every large fin fish released under the Safe Harbor brand. For the first time I am 100% confident about the safety of the seafood I eat and buy for my family. All their mercury certification levels are available online, along with details about their testing process and where their product is available at http://www.safeharborfoods.com
Check them out and enjoy the health benefits of seafood without worry!
I do have a concern about the fish that comes from china. How do you feel about it? My husband loves fish, but I had looked it up last year, china, fish..and it was disgusting! So of course when he buys fish, I don’t want to eat it when its labelled from china…what do you think?
Hi Barb,
Good question. I have not heard much about fish from China, so I can’t really answer your question with confidence. I have read about the shrimp farming practices in Asian countries, including China – according to Jane Goodall in her book Harvest for Hope (a good book), they use shrimp ponds that are highly polluted. It is best to get shrimp from American sources, whether farmed or wild.
I don’t know about fish itself, but China has had a number of problems in controling the quality of its products – so it sure seems worth questioning.
You looked it up and have concerns – that sounds reasonable to me!
I’ve been especially lucky – my son-in-law brought us back some halibut that he caught in Alaska. We we’ve been enjoying that for awhile now.
Kathy
It has been so difficult for us because we live in Germany and are in the army. We have to buy the frozen seafood from the grocery store and its from CHINA. i was always skeptical about it but i bought it anyways because we need the protein, right!? We don’t have many options here. Shopping on the economy is really expensive, especially when it comes to meat. We have bought chicken a few times and it is amazing because Germany doesn’t genetically modify anything over here (LOVE THAT!) I just wish the rest of the world was just as cautious! SIGH. in a perfect world…anyways my point is, we are leaving and heading back to the states next month and I CANNOT wait to start fishing in the wild! Not only is it better for you, but it saves you so much money!!!
I admit in my family, no matter what the fish – its wild caught. If I cant find wild caught…we jsut dont buy it or eat it. Oh, we dont buy any food from China either, fish or not.