Tilapia worse for you than bacon? Give me a break!

I have to wonder if researchers at Wake Forest University are second-thinking the wisdom of their statement that "the inflammatory potential of hamburger or pork bacon is lower than the average serving of farmed tilapia."

On the one hand, it certainly got the attention of the press. Hundreds of blogs and news outlets immediately ran with the obvious headline: Tilapia worse than bacon!  Then, all the health experts had to go on record, saying how ridiculous it was to suggest that bacon is a better choice than tilapia.

In the end, the whole circus ended up distracting from what were actually some interesting and useful observations about fish and nutrition.

In a nutshell, the researchers were simply pointing out that all fish are not nutritionally equivalent and that the American Heart Association's blanket recommendation to eat more fish in order to reduce risk of heart disease may be overly general. 

We hear a lot about fish being a good source of omega-3 fats, which are anti-inflammatory and are thought to be a hedge against heart disease.  But we usually don't hear much about the omega-6 content of fish. Omega-6 fats are pro-inflammatory and are generally thought of as "bad." 

(In truth, it's not quite right to think of omega-6 fats as unhealthy; they are essential for good health. But we need a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Most of us eat way too much omega-6 and too little omega-3, and that creates problems.)

In any case, the main point made by the researchers was that when you evaluate both the omega-3 and omega-6 content of fish, you can see that the health benefits of eating "fish" vary dramatically according to what fish you are eating.

For one thing, some fish, such as salmon, bronzini, and farmed trout, are very rich in omega-3, where are others, such as tuna, grouper, and snapper, contain much less. More importantly, though, certain fish, especially farmed catfish, tilapia, and salmon have very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, including a particularly inflammatory omega-6 called arachidonic acid. (This is likely due to the vegetable-oil enriched diet fed to farmed fish.)

Three of the most commonly eaten fish (tuna, farmed tilapia, and farmed catfish) actually contain more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids.  And (drumroll, please) some of the tilapia sampled for this particular study contained more arachidonic acid (and less omega-3) than bacon or hamburger.  Which is how we ended up with the statement, "the inflammatory potential of hamburger or pork bacon is lower than the average serving of farmed tilapia."

In fact, I would agree with that statement. I've made similar points regarding farmed fish, especially salmon, in my book (The Inflammation Free Diet Plan) and previously on this blog.  However, I think I'd stop short of promoting bacon as a healthier choice. Although it may be lower in arachidonic acid, it's a whole lot higher in fat and calories. Excess calories can easily lead to fat storage which leads directly to inflammation.

So let's keep this all in perspective here. 

1. Bacon, while perhaps not directly inflammatory, is high in fat and calories (not to mention sodium) and should probably be enjoyed in moderation. 

2. Fish is a great source of high quality protein and can be a good source of beneficial omega-3 fats.

3. If you're eating a lot of farmed tilapia and catfish (especially if you're doing so in an attempt to reduce your risk of heart disease) there are other fish that are probably better choices, such as wild salmon, farmed trout, haddock, cod, halibut, and flounder.

Whether or not you decide to eschew tilapia, you can use the IF Rating system here on NutritionData.com for a more comprehensive view of the inflammatory potential of your diet--one that takes into account not only fatty acids but also antioxidants, glycemic impact, and other factors.