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Health Benefits Of Salmon Essay

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The Health benefits of Salmon

American ideals about diets and body images are constantly changing. It seems as though we are always searching for a “perfect” food, one which will keep us slim while providing the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients necessary for survival. In recent years, the focus has shifted from concerns about fat and carbohydrates to overall health and wellbeing. There has been an increasing emphasis placed on ‘organic’ foods – foods grown without pesticides, chemicals, and inorganic fertilizers. Cancer has become a huge concern, as it is being linked to many of the chemicals and pesticides used in food production. The ‘perfect’ food has become one which is capable of blocking the growth of cancer …show more content…

Additionally, symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have been known to decrease in children who consume the fish. The risk of asthma in children is reduced as well. Finally, there is a decreased risk of strokes and stress-induced aggression in people who consume salmon.

In addition to containing high levels of vitamins and minerals, salmon is also low in fat and cholesterol. ‘An average portion of salmon provides over half of the daily allowance of protein, and between four and ten grams of fat’. Not all varieties offer the same benefits, however. Farmed salmon, while often easier to obtain, is the less healthy choice. While they are being raised, farmed salmon are fed a combination of fish protein, antibiotics, pesticides, vaccines, chemicals, and other drugs. These present a risk not only to wild salmon living near the farms, but to humans and the environment as well. Farmed salmon contain more of the ‘bad’ fats than wild salmon, and fewer ‘good’ fats. Wild salmon, while often more difficult to locate than farmed, are the healthier choice and the one preferred by the majority of chefs and consumers throughout the country. The flesh is darker in color and firmer, direct results of an active, migratory lifestyle. Wild salmon are ‘harvested’ only after their feeding and spawning cycles have concluded, but despite this fact their species have become severely endangered.

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