It is supposed common knowledge by now that Omega-3 fish oil has a positive impact on our physical and emotional well being. In a recent Norwegian Study some problems concerning salmon grown on a vegetarian diet and the quality of their fatty acids was raised. It seems that more and more salmon is grown on a diet consisting of on a diet of vegetable fats. These are cheaper, more convenient and a good marketing argument then their natural counterparts. A salmon fish is not a vegetarian by nature, its a carnivore, a hunter. Still the health of the Salmon seems to be unaffected is you feed them vegetables. Salmon grown that way are ecological friendly, great for vegetarian humans who understand their need for Omega-3 fatty acids and more profitable for those that grow them. Looks like a triple or quadruple win, but is it?
The same Norwegian study puts great question marks at the quality of the Omega-3 oils in fish grown this way. They studied patients with bloodvessel problems that where given either Fish that was grown on a normal diet or the vegetarian variety.
Their results where not all conclusive and further research is necessary but it seemed that the health benefits of the alternatively grown fat fish was significantly lower than that of normal animals.
For the moment the conclusion can be that feeding salmon vegetable fats is beneficial for all involved, the salmon farm reduces cost, the fish itself doesn't seem to care and the producers of these special made food. But the consumer who thinks to buy a slice of healthy fish is the one who looses.
It's possible that he or she now buys a ineffective variety of health beneficial fish. Since further investigations are underway we need not jump to conclusions, but it sounds logical that when you feed a carnivore vegetables its meat changes. It is a nice thought experiment to imagine feeding a cow only fish and see what happens to the milk. HANS DEKKER
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