grass-fed, free-range livestock

T

tai4ji2x

New Member
okay, so supposedly wild and free-range animals (and their eggs and milk) that aren't primarily grain-fed have a much better EFA profile, with an n6:n3 ratio approaching 3:1 in some cases. first of all, where can you purchase these products? i haven't looked for the special eggs/dairy yet, but i did look the other day in the butcher section of my nearby bread&circuses ("whole foods" market chain in the US). yet everything there is "grain-fed". ugh.

which brings up another thing - does farmed salmon have a much lower n-3 content? i think most fish actually get ther EFA's from algae sources (or other sealife which consumes such algae). so if they're not fed the proper diet, i would assume their EFA ratio is skewed as well? does anyone have any light to shed on this matter?
 
Specialty stores, like Fresh Fields/Whole Foods, are more likely to carry free-range beef, chicken, etc., as well as high omega eggs. Be prepared to pay extra.

And yes, many farm-raised fish have lower omegas than ocean-caught; it depends on their feed.

Reputable producers will label their packaging to let you know if they have increased omegas from food supplements (to the animals.)
 
The EPA content of farm raised salmon is usually higher than free Atlantic Salomon but the AA (arichidonic acid) is also 4 times higher which i Guess sought of negates the benefits.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Keebler Elf @ Feb. 11 2003,8:05)]The EPA content of farm raised salmon is usually higher than free Atlantic Salomon but the AA (arichidonic acid) is also 4 times higher which i Guess sought of negates the benefits.
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To my knowledge farmed salmon has very little o3, due to having a completely different diet from their natural one, may I ask were you got this information Keebler?
 
I never have found much research on farmed fish, but the little I have found like this
Procedings of the Nutrition Society

and another that isnt available on pubmed

George R, Bhopal R. Fat composition of free living and farmed sea species: implications for human diet and sea-farming techniques. British Food Journal 1995; 97: 19-22.

That show that farmed fish have higher fat content, but wild have a higher ratio of n3 to n6 fats.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Aaron_F @ Feb. 12 2003,1:14)]Higher ratio of n3 to n6, which means higher amounts of n3 than n6 when compared to farmed fishies.
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Ok. That's what I read too and I believe the difference is significant. Better off eating sardines, they have a lot of O3 and have the lowest levels of mercury out of most fish.
 
Teh source for my comments were Sears and his source was the USDA food guide.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Farm raised salmon
Posted 06/20/2000
Asked By: MAJ

Dear Dr. Sears,

In the latest Prevention magazine, there is a short article stating that these salmon contain even more beneficial omega-3s than their wild cousins. It's the specially formulated feed that does it, according to the National Fisheries Institute. Please comment on this, and perhaps check on the truth of this statement as compared to your view on farm-raised salmon. Thank you.

MAJ



Dear MAJ:

According to the USDA Handbook, farmed Atlantic salmon has more EPA than wild salmon, but the levels of arachidonic acid are also four times higher. This is due to feeding soy oil to the farmed salmon. As a result, the ratio of EPA/AA is much higher in wild salmon compared to farmed salmon. Since reducing the intake of AA is one key component of the Zone Diet, I always recommend wild salmon compared to farm raised salmon. They also taste better.

Dr. Barry Sears
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