Canyon Ranch (Massachusetts)
Here's an important question for the clerk at the seafood counter during your next trip to the grocery store: wild or farmed?

Eating several servings of fish a week is essential for optimal health, and salmon has long been hailed as one of the most healthful fish in the sea. But recent controversies about the health risks and environmental damage associated with farm-raised salmon - which makes up half of the salmon consumed globally over the past five years - are causing many people to wonder whether they should avoid the pink-fleshed fish.

Concerns stem from studies that show farm-raised salmon typically contains more cancer-causing contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxin, than wild salmon. Startlingly, farmed salmon can contain from two to 40 times more PCBs than any other protein source. Farmed fish also has lower levels of inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids than wild-caught fish.

In addition, salmon farming is environmentally destructive, since penned fish are prone to disease and parasites that they can spread to wild fish when they escape. And waste from salmon farms - including pesticides and antibiotics used to treat sick fish - is released directly into the ocean.

Go Alaskan
Many nutritionists recommend that you buy only wild-caught Pacific salmon from Alaska. Wild-caught Pacific salmon from Washington, Oregon and California is healthful, but the fishery is less sustainable than Alaska's due to historic over-fishing. (Non-Alaskan wild-caught Pacific salmon is definitely preferable to farmed fish, however.) Wild-caught Pacific salmon is clean and low in mercury, and while it's harder to get fresh and generally more expensive than farmed fish, the benefits are worth it. And, as with most best-quality foods, there's a big payoff in flavor, color and texture, as well.

Here are some pointers to getting the best nutrition from salmon.

- Get wild. Whenever possible, buy fresh-from-the-ocean, wild Pacific salmon. Retailers don't always label whether salmon is farmed or wild, but don't hesitate to ask.

- Go fishing. Seek out a fishmonger you can trust. Some reputable fish markets and grocery stores specially label wild salmon. If all else fails, look for a specialty or natural-foods store. They typically carry wild salmon.

- Cut the fat. If you're not sure if the salmon is farmed or wild, trim the fat off before cooking. Contaminants are often stored in the fish's fat.

- Cook to clean. Try broiling, baking or grilling the fish instead of frying since this cooks off the fat where PCBs are known to be in the highest concentration.

Of course, salmon isn't the only fish in the sea, and information about the safety and environmental impact of various types of seafood is always popping up in the news. You don't have to try to remember every warning and recommendation, though: Just go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's wonderful website - mbayaq.org - and click on the up-to-the-minute Seafood Watch. They do the research for you, so you can buy (and order your sushi) with confidence. You might also like to check out their live webcams while you're there and see what's up under the sea.

http://www.canyonranch.com/
(800)742-9000 (413)637-4100