Tilapia Nutrition, Tilapia Omega 3, Tilapia Omega 6

Download our free anti inflammatory diet guide for lists of fish containing high levels of omega 3 and other resources to support an anti inflammatory diet.

What’s In Your Fish?

Some, like Farm Raised Tilapia, may not contain the nutrition you expect when you order fish

Fish and other marine species are your best sources to get the beneficial Omega 3s, EPA & DHA, in your diet.  Many of us order fish when dining out or at the grocery store for both its taste and for its health-promoting omega 3s.  However, not all fish are created equal.  Omega 3 levels in fish vary by species, and by what the fish eats.  What may be surprising (and alarming) is that in some fish, including one of the most highly consumed fish in America, farm raised tilapia, omega 3 levels are very low and tilapia omega 6 levels are high, including a particularly inflammation-promoting long-chain omega 6 known as Arachidonic Acid (AA) which orchestrates much of our body's inflammatory response.

We've created a handy Guide to Omega 3 Levels of Fish to help you know which fish contain the highest levels of omega 3, and to learn about farm raised catfish and tilapia nutrition, which may not be what you expect. 

Tilapia Nutrition: Why the Tilapia Omega 3 Dilemma? 

Because You Are What You Eat…and So Is Your Fish

In the 1970s, the demand for fish began to outstrip what we could reasonably catch. Public awareness of the health benefits exacerbated the shortage, and (forgive the pun!) spawned a tremendous expansion in aquaculture and fish farming.

Dr. Chilton’s laboratory has spent the last few years monitoring the explosion in aquaculture, as it is currently practiced, and evaluating its impact on fat ratios -- which has been a disaster.

Tilapia is one of the most widely farmed fish on the planet. It’s inexpensive, and it doesn’t smell or taste strongly “fishy,” which is why the market for it is one of the fastest growing. Experts expect that it will surpass farm-raised Atlantic salmon as the most eaten farmed fish in the United States within a few years. Consumption of tilapia is projected to increase from 1.5 million tons in 2003 to 2.5 million tons by 2010. While not as popular, consumption of farmed catfish has also dramatically increased, from 0.3 million metric tons in 1994 to 0.7 million metric tons in 2003.  But what about tilapia nutrition?

Tilapia Nutrition: Tilapia Omega 3 and Tilapia Omega 6 Levels

But Dr. Chilton’s laboratory has recently shown that certain aspects of tilapia nutrition, including tilapia omega 3 and omega 6 ratios (along with farmed catfish omega 3 and omega 6 ratios) would generally be considered by the scientific community and doctors as detrimental. This paper was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2008.

First, tilapia and catfish have much higher saturated and monounsaturated fat to polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios than other farmed or wild fish. Ratios this high in diets have been shown to be directly associated with increases in cholesterol and atherogenesis (the development of arterial plaques) in both humans and non-human primates.

Perhaps a more important factor in tilapia nutrition is that the concentrations of long chain omega 6s, and more specifically, the long-chain omega 6 called Arachidonic Acid, are high. In fact, these fish contain some of the highest levels of AA found in the human food chain. Long-chain omega 6 fatty acids alter gene expression in such a way that it upends blood lipids (cholesterol, LDL and HDL, and triglycerides) and induces whole body inflammation by producing several families of messengers that markedly exacerbate inflammation and inflammatory disease.

By replacing beneficial long-chain omega 3s with long-chain omega 6s in these fish, we wreak havoc in our bodies—all the while believing that we have done something very beneficial for ourselves by eating the fish.

Tilapia Nutrition: What the Fish Are Eating Reduces Tilapia Omega 3s

The problem with tilapia nutrition is what the fish are eating. Tilapia omega 3 Levels are so low because Tilapia are incredibly hardy, which means that you can feed them just about anything as a fat source. What we’re feeding them is corn oil, or soy, or whatever the cheapest commodity is at the time, packed with short-chain omega 6 fats that they convert to the dangerous long-chain omega-6 fats (AA). Normally herbivore fish eat algae, which contain medium-chain omega 3 fats that they convert to the very beneficial long chain omega 3s including EPA and DHA. Carnivorous fish then eat those fish as their source of omega 3 fats. Humans eat both types of fish. 

Consumer Confusion over Tilapia Nutrition/Tilapia Omega 3 Levels

All this is taking place unbeknownst to most consumers. Without knowing which fish to avoid, the general population is likely to purchase the fish (a) that is most readily available at the supermarket, or (b) that costs the least. Farmed tilapia, unfortunately, dominates both categories. Since 2000, shipments of frozen tilapia fillets from China to the United States (representing 66 percent of imports) have risen from 4 million to 140 million pounds. These Chinese tilapia fillets averaged $1.38 per pound in 2006, about even with the previous 2 years. Of course, convenience and price are important drivers in the marketplace, but the drastically different nutritional profiles are creating an absolute disaster for our health, especially when we subscribe to the widely held belief that eating any fish is beneficial.