Fish Faceoff: Wild Salmon vs. Farmed Salmon Search Advertisement Advertisement February 17, 2022 / Diet, Food & Fitness / Nutrition Fish Faceoff: Wild Salmon vs. Farmed Salmon Debating the health benefits and risks Image content: This image is available to view online. View image online ( https://assets.clevelandclinic.org/transform/b8223feb-3ee7-43ec-9be2-5d1225baf58c/salmonWildVsFarmed-636216088-770x533-1_jpg ) two raw salmon steaks How do you prefer your salmon — wild caught or from the farm? It’s a legitimate question because fish is not “just fish” when it comes to potential health benefits. Where it comes from makes a difference. Advertisement Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy We asked registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, for the nutritional breakdown of wild salmon and farmed salmon. Let’s go fishing with her for some facts. The different types of salmon Salmon is the most-eaten fish in the United States, largely due to its high levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids . As a whole, fish are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids — and salmon swims at the top of the list . The popularity of salmon has helped deplete the wild stock swimming in open waters, though. In response, farmed salmon has become more common as diner demand rises faster than high tide. Farmed salmon is typically Atlantic salmon. Wild-caught salmon, meanwhile, is usually one of five types of Pacific salmon: chinook (king), sockeye, coho, pink and chum. (Sockeye is the most common.) Now it’s true that both Atlantic and Pacific salmon are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, says Zumpano. But if you take a deeper dive into the dietary data, there’s a lot more to consider when making your choice at the seafood counter. Here’s a more detailed look. Nutritional content There are some key nutritional differences between wild and farmed salmon, accord Fish Faceoff: Wild Salmon vs. Farmed Salmon Search Advertisement Advertisement February 17, 2022 / Diet, Food & Fitness / Nutrition Fish Faceoff: Wild Salmon vs. Farmed Salmon Debating the health benefits and risks Image content: This image is available to view online. Advertisement Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy We asked registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, for the nutritional breakdown of wild salmon and farmed salmon. Let’s go fishing with her for some facts. The different types of salmon Salmon is the most-eaten fish in the United States, largely due to its high levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids . As a whole, fish are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids — and salmon swims at the top of the list . The popularity of salmon has helped deplete the wild stock swimming in open waters, though. In response, farmed salmon has become more common as diner demand rises faster than high tide. Farmed salmon is typically Atlantic salmon. Wild-caught salmon, meanwhile, is usually one of five types of Pacific salmon: chinook (king), sockeye, coho, pink and chum. (Sockeye is the most common.) Now it’s true that both Atlantic and Pacific salmon are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, says Zumpano. But if you take a deeper dive into the dietary data, there’s a lot more to consider when making your choice at the seafood counter. Here’s a more detailed look. Nutritional content There are some key nutritional differences between wild and farmed salmon, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central. (Comparisons are between wild sockeye salmon and farmed Atlantic salmon cooked in dry heat.) Advertisement A 3-ounce fillet of wild salmon has fewer calories and half the fat content of the same amount of farmed salmon. And although farmed salmon may have more omega-3 fatty acids, it also has more than double the saturated fat content — and that’s not fat you want, notes Zumpano. The bottom line : Wild salmon gets the edge for having fewer calories and less  saturated fat . Risky pollutants Persistent organic pollutants (POPs for short) sound dangerous. That’s because they are. POPs have been linked to several diseases, including  Type 2 diabetes  and obesity. Evidence suggests  obesity might be even more of a risk factor for diabetes when POPs are present in your body. And specific types of POPs increase the  risk of stroke in women . Why does this matter? Because levels of PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl, which is one type of POP) are 16 times higher in farmed fish than in wild fish. The bottom line : Wild salmon wins here, hands down. Cancer-causing chemicals In the wild vs. farmed debate, this is a tricky issue. But consumed in moderation, most studies conclude wild salmon is safer. Unsafe contaminants Studies  have found contaminants in farmed salmon are generally higher than in wild salmon. Contaminants sit below approved U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tolerance levels but exceed what’s considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “for frequent consumption.” Likewise,  other research suggests  that children, women of child-bearing age and women who are pregnant should choose wild salmon over farmed options — or select other sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The bottom line : Farmed salmon comes with uncertainty about antibiotic use. Wild salmon does not. So, what’s for dinner? The American Heart Association recommends eating two 3.5-ounce servings of fish a week to help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Both farmed and wild salmon have the nutrients that power that suggestion. But research consistently shows that there are more risks associated with farmed salmon than those pulled from oceans, lakes and rivers. The bottom line: Go wild if you have the option — and if you’re looking for a recipe, here are five to try .