What Are The Benefits Of Eating Farmed Fish?

American consumption of fish jumped from 12.5 to 16.5 lbs. per year between 1980 and 2006, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. To meet the increased demand for fish in the face of diminishing numbers of fish available for catching, farmed fish now supply almost 50 percent of the world's demand for fish, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported in 2006. While farmed fish have a reputation as being of lesser quality than wild fish, farmed fish do have benefits.

Availability

One of the biggest benefits of farmed fish is that they're available year-round and often at lower cost than wild fish. In the United States alone, 75 percent of salmon comes from fish farms, according to the University of Tennessee. Since over one billion people in the world rely on fish as a protein source, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, farmed fish helps meet a need that wild fish cannot meet.

Protein

Farmed fish, like wild fish, contains a large amount of protein. Compared to other protein sources such as beef, dairy or pork, farmed fish also contains low levels of saturated fat, the fat most often associated with a rise in cholesterol levels.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Farmed fish may contain lower percentages of omega-3 fatty acids than wild fish, but they still provide omega-3 fatty acids nonetheless. The health benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids in farmed fish outweigh the potential risk from contamination with methylmercury and other toxins, according to Purdue University nutritionist and toxicologist Charles Santerre. A study conducted by researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School published in the October 2006 issue of "JAMA" reached the same conclusion. Like wild fish, the omega-3 fatty acids in farmed fish can help you lower your cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Acceptable Level of Contaminants

While farmed salmon may contain more toxins such as polychlorinated biphenyls, more commonly known as PCBs, compared to wild salmon, the benefits of both wild and farmed salmon still outweigh the risk, Eric Rimm, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health told CNN Health. Salmon, whether wild or farmed, is one of the safest fish to eat, according to Santerre.