Tilapia is an incredibly popular fish, one that’s farmed in mass quantities and is less expensive than many other options. This makes it sound like an amazing way to improve your health. Still, we must ask, is tilapia good for you?
After all, there are plenty of controversies surrounding tilapia too, including some claims that tilapia is genetically engineered. Then there’s the omega 3 fatty acid content. Omega 3s are important, there’s no denying that, but tilapia doesn’t contain as many of these powerful fats as you might think.
These issues are an important reminder that fish isn’t all equal. While some, like salmon, are famed for their health benefits, others come with more issues – like the way tuna is high in mercury. Understanding the differences is crucial for getting the most benefits from fish while keeping your risk low.
With that in mind, let’s take a close look at tilapia and what this fish means for your health.
Is Tilapia Good For You?
- What Is Tilapia?
- Is Tilapia A Good Source Of Omega 3?
- Benefits Of Tilapia
- Is Tilapia A High Mercury Fish?
- The Problems With Tilapia
- Tilapia Versus Salmon
- Should You Eat Tilapia?
What Is Tilapia?
Tilapia is hardly the most exciting type of fish. It has firm white flesh and a mild flavor, but also happens to be versatile and inexpensive. The versatility and price help explain why tilapia is such a popular choice throughout the nation.
While tilapia is native to Africa and the Middle East, it isn’t just found there. These days, fisheries throughout the world raise tilapia, making it an easy type of fish to find in many countries. It’s often much less expensive than wild caught fish too.
The wide reach of tilapia is related to how easy the fish is to raise. Not only does tilapia grow relatively fast, but it also thrives in a range of environmental conditions and doesn’t cost that much to feed.
Is Tilapia A Real Fish?
Asking whether tilapia is real might seem like a strange question. Yet, it’s a relevant one, as tilapia has been selectively bred by farmers for quite some time. The process helps to control flavor, appearance, and growth.
However, selective breeding isn’t an unusual process. Farmers selectively breed crops as well. This is why many modern grains, fruits, and vegetables look very different than their historical predecessors.
Even the GIFT strain of tilapia, which stands for Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia, was developed through selective breeding, rather than any type of genetic modification. For that matter, while genetically engineered salmon does exist, similar approval has not been given for any type of tilapia.
These patterns mean that tilapia is a real and safe type of fish, even if there has been some selective breeding.
Is Tilapia A Good Source Of Omega 3?
Omega 3 fatty acids are often the main reason for eating fish. There has been no end of studies looking at the benefits of omega 3s, including how they can improve heart health, decrease cholesterol, lower inflammation, and more.
Many people talk about the benefits of fish and the benefits of omega 3s in the same breath, so it’s easy to assume that all fish is an excellent source of omega 3s.
That’s not the case at all. Instead, oily fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and trout are exceptional sources of omega 3. Lean fish like tilapia? Not so much.
You end up with around 200 mg of omega 3 fatty acids in a 3-ounce serving of tilapia. In contrast, the same serving size of farmed Atlantic salmon contains close to 2,000 mg of omega 3s.
That’s a huge difference.
Benefits Of Tilapia
If tilapia is low on the omega 3 fatty acid scale, is it even worth eating? Well, it could be, as the fish still has plenty of other interesting features, ones that could help to promote your health, starting with the protein content.
A Source Of Lean Protein
The importance of protein is undisputed. This macronutrient is used throughout your body, helping to build muscles, regulate tissues and organs, support your cells, and more.
Most of us already get adequate protein through our diets. Even so, increasing protein intake can be helpful.
For one thing, higher protein diets tend to promote weight loss. This happens because protein is filling. So, when you’re eating plenty of protein, your intake of other foods might decrease. You may find that you crave fewer unhealthy snacks as well.
Plus, tilapia is a very healthy choice for protein, as it’s low in fat and saturated fat. You could easily improve your health by simply eating tilapia as your protein of choice for one or two meals each week, instead of red meat.
Doing so is powerful. After all, countless research studies have linked regular fish consumption to improved health. Fish might even help you to live longer. That’s a stark contrast to red meat, which has been associated with no end of issues.
Finally, all types of fish provide quality protein. This means they give you all the amino acids that your body needs.
Offers Plenty Of Nutrients
Then there’s the nutrient content. Like other fish, tilapia is rich in nutrients, with niacin, phosphorous, selenium, potassium, and vitamin B12 being some of the most important ones. Vitamin B12 is particularly interesting, as most other sources of vitamin B12 come from animals instead.
Selenium is noteworthy too. This trace element is important for your immune system, metabolism, and your thyroid. It could also help to reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men. A 3.5 ounce serving of tilapia gives you more than 75% of your daily selenium intake, making it an impressive choice indeed.
Low In Saturated Fat
Saturated fat remains highly controversial. It’s linked to plenty of health problems, including an increased risk of heart disease.
Cutting down your saturated fat intake may decrease your risk of heart disease and make you healthier all around. Tilapia is one way to do this, as the fish contains very little saturated fat – less than a gram per 100 grams of cooked tilapia. This is a similar amount of saturated fat as in chicken breast.
In contrast, even lean cuts of red meat often contain more than 4 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams. Salmon contains more saturated fat than tilapia as well, particularly if you focus on farmed salmon.
A Relatively Inexpensive Fish
Tilapia has another useful feature too – it’s less expensive than many other types of fish. This is partly because it can be intensely farmed.
The low price could make all the difference to families with limited resources. After all, it doesn’t really matter whether salmon is healthier than tilapia if tilapia is all that you can afford.
Is Tilapia A High Mercury Fish?
Mercury accumulates in the flesh of fish. Small amounts won’t do you any harm, but consuming a lot of mercury regularly can cause severe and permanent damage.
Mercury poisoning is particularly significant for young children, as they’re still developing. Pregnant women also need to pay close attention to their mercury intake so that their fetus is protected.
Thankfully, tilapia is a fast growing and short lived fish, so it has lower levels of mercury than many other species. Even people in high risk groups can often safely consume two servings of tilapia a week.
The Problems With Tilapia
The Ratio Of Omega 6 To Omega 3
The benefits of omega 3 fatty acids don’t just come from those fats themselves, but also from the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids. If the ratio is strongly skewed in the favor of omega 6, then you start to see some problems, including increased inflammation.
While omega 6 fatty acids are healthy in their own right, most of us are consuming too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3. Tilapia actually makes this issue worse, not better, as it contains more omega 6 fatty acids than omega 3.
That said, tilapia doesn’t contain a large amount of omega fatty acids, of either type, so it won’t cause dramatic problems on its own.
May Be Contaminated
Fish can easily become contaminated with chemicals from the water they swim in, including dioxins – and tilapia is no exception. These chemicals can cause significant health problems, particularly if you’re eating contaminated fish regularly.
Contamination isn’t something that you can easily spot either. The best way to avoid it is to choose your fish carefully, focusing on companies that fish in clean waters.
Concerns About Farming Practices
We can’t talk about tilapia without highlighting the farming practices as well. After all, these practices are relevant to the health of the fish that you’re eating – and are even more meaningful ethically.
One problem is that fish can escape from farms. They then act an invasive species, competing against natural species and potentially causing ecosystem damage. Because tilapia is a very successful species of fish, the harm they cause can be considerable.
There’s also an issue of space. Raising tilapia in cramped quarters often leads to overcrowding and disease in the fish, which isn’t good for your health at all.
The physical environment that the fish is raised in also influences the risk of contamination. Pollution in the water, for example, increases the risk of contaminants in your fish.
These issues could be reason enough to avoid tilapia entirely and perhaps focus on fish that are caught in the wild instead.
However, some farming operations are much better than others. If you’re worried about sustainability, environmental impact, or contamination, pay close attention to where your fish is sourced from and the approaches used to keep the fish (and you) healthy.
The Ocean Wise Seafood Program provides interesting information about farming locations and methods that can help you to make wise decisions. You may be able to find other lists that highlight high-quality suppliers.
Is Tilapia May Be Fed Animal Waste
Some of tilapia’s poor reputation comes from the idea that the fish are fed animal feces. This idea comes from the fact that tilapia will eat feces. But, they’ll only do so if other feed isn’t available (they don’t prefer feces, they just would rather eat that than starve).
Reports show that some farms have been inhumane to their fish, starving them to the point where the tilapia do eat feces. However, the practice is most common in China and may have become less common since reports on the topic were released.
The easiest way to stay safe is to focus on tilapia raised in the United States, rather than fish imported from Asia.
Tilapia Versus Salmon
Tilapia and salmon are both popular types of fish. They’re similar in some ways, offering some omega 3 fatty acids, plenty of protein, and a variety of nutrients.
Both types of fish contain similar amounts of protein and calories. The difference lies in their fat content. Salmon is much fattier than tilapia, giving you roughly three times the amount of fat as you get with tilapia.
The fat difference is also why salmon is much higher in omega 3 fatty acids than tilapia.
There are plenty of non-nutritional differences as well, including the fact that tilapia tends to be farmed and has been selectively bred to create varieties with more meat. In contrast, salmon is sometimes farmed and is sometimes caught in the wild.
Then there’s the price. Salmon tends to be more expensive than tilapia, especially if you’re looking at wild-caught salmon.
Salmon is generally seen as the healthier choice, but even so, tilapia does have its benefits. You don’t need to choose one or the other anyway. You could easily eat salmon some days and tilapia other days.
Should You Eat Tilapia?
Tilapia may seem like a poor choice for health, as the fish is low in omega 3 and has an unappealing omega 3 to omega 6 ratio. There are also the farming practices to think about.
Yet, tilapia has plenty of good things going for it, including being a lean source of protein, offering plenty of nutrients, and being low in mercury. Besides, you’re still getting more omega 3 with tilapia than you do with red meat or chicken.
As for the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, well, that’s not ideal but we are talking about a low fat fish – so the omega 6 content is still pretty low. Ingredients like canola oil are much more significant for omega 6.
The low amount of fat in tilapia may also be helpful for anyone following a low fat diet. This helps to keep the calorie content down too, which is very relevant if you’re trying to lose weight.
A useful approach is to have one serving of tilapia each week and one serving of an oilier fish, like salmon or perhaps sardines. This way you’re still getting a decent amount of omega 3, without consuming too much fat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Tilapia Taste Like?
Tilapia tends to be a mild fish with a slightly sweet flavor. The flavor is so subtle that some people claim that tilapia doesn’t taste like much at all. However, while the flavor is always mild, it does vary based on the water quality and what the tilapia eats throughout its life.
The mild flavor isn’t necessarily a problem anyway. It means that tilapia can be used in many meals and is perfect for people who don’t much like the taste of fish.
Can You Eat Tilapia Raw?
Tilapia can indeed be eaten raw and is sometimes used instead of red snapper when preparing sushi. The mild flavor and sweetness persist even when the fish is raw, making it an inoffensive choice.
However, it’s crucial to look for high quality fish and to be wise. And, no matter how cautious you are, there’s always some risk of food poisoning with raw fish. This means that pregnant women and anyone with a compromised immune system should be particularly cautious.
How Long Does Tilapia Last In The Fridge?
Fish never lasts long in the fridge, but tilapia is a little more forgiving than most. You can actually keep it in the fridge for up to four days. For the best outcomes, the tilapia should be tightly wrapped or kept in an airtight container.
Once the fish has been cooked, it should be eaten within a day or two. As always, the sooner you eat tilapia, the better, as the quality decreases over time.
How Do I Tell If Tilapia Is Bad?
First, if your tilapia has a slimy texture, then it’s starting to spoil. The same is true for tilapia with any discoloration or bruising. There’s also the smell, which has an ammonia-like quality.
These signs are the most dramatic in raw fish. They’re more difficult to spot in cooked fish, but you should still notice a slight ‘off’ odor.
It’s best to be ultra cautious with fish, so you should get rid of it even if just one of these signs is present.
Is Tilapia A Bottom Feeder?
Tilapia is often lumped in with the bottom feeders, but it isn’t actually a bottom feeder at all. Instead, tilapia naturally forages in the middle of the water body. The fish only move to the bottom if they have no other options.
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