Tilapia is a white fish, easily available at an affordable cost. According to www.ers.usda.gov data, Americans ate 475 million pounds of tilapia last year.
Depending on your taste buds, If you don’t like fishy seafood, tilapia is very mild, and it usually assumes the flavor of the sauce you cook it in.
Tilapia is an excellent source of protein, in 100 gm it has 26 gm protein & only 128 calories. It has other nutrients like vitamin& minerals like B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, selenium.
Tilapia does not have omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other fish like salmon. The comparison goes in such a way in 100gm of tilapia about 200 milligrams of omega 3 is present as in salmon it has 2000 milligrams.
Is Tilapia good for you? Too much eating Tilapia could be bad for you. Here are some reasons why you should not consume Tilapia.
1. Tilapia is Farmed Raised
Most tilapia comes from the farm. Tilapia is one of the hardest types of fish. They can eat almost anything.. Farmers feed tilapia things like pig and chicken poop (1). The diet consists of corn & soy. Which helps to put on weight easily.
Humans should not eat much corn & soy. When we eat farmed tilapia, there is inflammation and other health problems.
2. Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio
Tilapia contains more omega 6 fatty acids than it does omega 3. Omega-6 fatty acids are highly controversial can be harmful and increase inflammation if eaten in excess.
Health issues which are dangerous for people who have heart disease, arthritis, asthma, allergy and immune disease (2).
3. Tilapia can increase the risk of cancer
Tilapias are often farmed, they may have up to 10 times more carcinogens than other types of fish. This is directly linked to what the farmers feed tilapia.
Dioxin is one of the dangerous compounds found in tilapia. It takes the body several years to flush out this toxin. This means that dioxin has a long time to do damage to your body (3).
Bottom Line
Frozen tilapia is available in U.S supermarket and is imported from Asia. It is the cheapest way to buy tilapia.
Buying fresh tilapia means you will get higher quality & less damage.
There is no completion to eat tilapia, eating seafood like salmon is a much better option. It helps in boosting your brain, fighting inflammation, you also get the required nutrients, protein, and omega 3 in your balanced diet.
Eating tilapia for better health, it’s better to choose high-quality fish or a cod liver oil supplement.
Eating tilapia won’t kill you, but will not give you a better health.
Raheela Hasan is a health and nutrition specialist with a rich experience of over six years in clinical nutrition and natural healing. Her venture ‘FITRITION’ is the culmination of all her experience, learning and is committed to optimum nutrition solutions.
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