Plant Oils Healthy Alternative to Contaminated Fish Oil, Cancer Study Finds
The widely-reported US study into the cancer risk of eating highly-contaminated, Scottish farmed salmon claims that plant oils are a healthier alternative. Salmon has been heavily promoted as beneficial to health because of its omega-3 fat content. One of the study’s authors specifically identifies flaxseed is a good alternative to fish omega-3 fats. This confirms recent research by the health charity, Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation, whose report, Fishing for Facts, finds that plant oils provide the safest and healthiest source of essential omega-3 fats. The report establishes that: [list] [*]fish oils are half as effective as plant oils in reducing heart attacks in high-risk patients;[/*] [*]not just salmon but most fish and fish oils contain deadly poisons;[/*] [*]farmed salmon have a greater toxic load than wild salmon; [/*] [*]farmed salmon can contain less omega-3 fat than wild salmon.[/*] [/list] One of the most disturbing findings of the Fishing for Facts report is the contamination of most fish and fish oil supplements with toxic chemicals, including high levels of dangerous PCBs and dioxins and detectable levels of mercury, especially dangerous to foetuses. Laura Scott, VVF Senior Nutritionist, says: “This latest study from the US confirms our own findings. Unfortunately, consumers are still being sold a lie by being encouraged to continue eating salmon for the omega-3 fats it contains. Most salmon is intensively farmed and the omega-3 fat content drops markedly as a result. All fish, whether farmed or wild, contain toxins. “Consequently, people who want a safer, healthier and more effective alternative to oily fish are advised to switch to plant oils. This is confirmed by David Carpenter, one of the authors of the US study, who states, “Those striving for a healthy heart have other options. Flaxseed oil, for example, is rich in omega-3′. It is also comparatively uncontaminated”. A welter of recent research has established that the most effective way to reduce the risk of developing degenerative diseases is by adopting a more plant-centred diet, low in saturated fat and high in essential plant fats from seeds, nuts and their oils such as flaxseed (linseed), walnuts, soyabeans and rapeseed oil”. “For the sake of our health”, concludes Laura Scott, “The Food Standards Agency should stop its blind allegiance to the fishing industry and its promotion of a failed and potentially damaging public health strategy. The answer lies in the soil!” For further information, or copies of the Fishing for Facts report, contact: Laura Scott (MSc Nutrition) or Tony Wardle on 0117 970 5190.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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