Why You Should Never Eat Tilapia and Other Farmed Fish

We are usually told that fish is good for us – it’s a low fat, high protein food, and it contains an abundance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that our body needs. This might be true, but it all depends on the source of the fish on your plate.

Tilapia is one of America’s most popular fish. According to the National Fisheries Institute, this freshwater fish has become the fourth most eaten seafood in the US.

It turns out tilapia is always farm-raised, and often imported from China. Eating it might cause you more harm than good. And the same goes for many other farmed fish, such as salmon, cod, sea bass, and catfish.

The Dangers of Farmed Fish

Farmed tilapia has a high inflammatory potential, which could lead to heart disease, asthma, and joint problems. In fact, researchers from Wake Forest University have found that tilapia has higher inflammatory potential than that of a hamburger or pork bacon.

Farmed tilapia contains far less omega-3 fatty acids than some other fish varieties. Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory, and works in conjugation with omega-6 fatty acids. The ratio between the two is very important, and when it’s out of balance, an inflammation can develop.

Generally speaking, farmed fish contain high concentrations of antibiotics and pesticides. The fish live in crowded pools and are given antibiotics to survive. To combat sea lice, strong pesticides are sprayed on them.

The conditions are supposed to be particularly bad in China. The Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture reported on alarming conditions in many Chinese seafood farms. There have also been rumors that fish are fed chicken and pig feces, but this has not been confirmed.

Nonetheless, if your farmed fish comes from China, it will likely contain high levels of chemicals and antibacterial drugs (nitrofurans). This has also been discovered by Seafood Watch when testing different fish samples.

There are many other chemicals that can be found in farmed fish, including dibutylin and dioxins.Dibutylin is known to impair

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