Tasty salmon, whatever its origins, has PCBs

Linda Watts
July 26, 2010
Vancouver Courier

If there’s any one food that exemplifies British Columbia’s cuisine, it would have to be Pacific wild salmon. We have First Nations people to thank for introducing us, and the rest of the world, to this indigenous resource that turned out to be an exceptionally healthy food.

Salmon is a good source of protein, vitamin D, selenium and zinc. Compared to other animal-based protein foods, salmon is generally lower in saturated fats and high in omega-3 fats: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

EPA and DHA are believed to be critical to the neurological development of infants. Internationally, experts agree that women who eat healthy quantities of low contaminant-containing fish during their pregnancies have healthier babies.

Some research suggests that omega-3 fats prevent blood clot formation and irregular heartbeats, which often lead to heart attacks. But when these data are thoroughly examined, the relationship between omega-3s and cardiovascular health remains unclear.

Newer studies are linking omega-3 fats with the prevention of depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research is needed to better understand their role.

The inconsistent outcomes of studies regarding omega-3 fats may be about fish oils having different effects in people depending on their age and health status. Or, the benefits of fish are not about what they contain as much as it’s about the food that fish replaces in our diets.

While research findings on omega-3 fats aren’t entirely compelling, public health agencies like Health Canada recommend eating fish on a regular basis. Canada’s Food Guide encourages us to eat at least five ounces (150 grams) each week of salmon or other fish rich in omega-3s such as anchovies, Arctic char, herring, mackerel, sardines and trout.

Health Canada believes these fish are generally low in environmental contaminants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). But, sadly, all fish and seafood have PCBs and related toxic chemicals to some extent. Farmed salmon are even more concentrated in toxins because they’re fed fish meal and fish oils that contain PCBs. According to the Dietitians of Canada, the amount of contaminants in fish meal depends on its continent of origin: fish meal from Europe contains more PCBs than meal from South America. In Canada, farm-raised salmon are fed the latter.

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