Not All Fat Is Bad

It is no secret that fat has a bad rap, but it is time that we recognise and embrace the fact that not all fats are made equal.

Fatty fish, such as salmon, is a cornerstone of many diets including the Mediterranean diet and CSIRO’s Total Wellbeing Diet and this is for a key reason—Omega 3 and 6 are two polyunsaturated fatty acids that play a role in the functioning of healthy bodies. Polyunsaturated fats are vital for healthy cell growth and brain function and importantly, you can only get them from your diet. The human brain is 60 per cent structural fat and in order to function properly it needs the right kind of fat to make sure that signals are passed quickly and easily between the membranes of the brain cells. For this reason, polyunsaturated fats are considered to be healthy fats.

–The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends eating at least two portions of oily fish per week, which is rich in the Omega-3s Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). –

EPA produce chemicals called eicosanoids, which help reduce inflammation and can also reduce symptoms of depression, while DHA is extremely important for normal brain development and function. Omega-3 is also known to improve your heart health, support mental health and brain function, fight inflammation, slow the onset of dementia and improve memory in older people, promote bone health, and reduce the symptoms of asthma especially in early life. Just like humans, fish are unable to naturallyproduce DHA, instead they get it from eating microalgae which accumulates in the food chain. A great deal of research is being undertaken into the viability of engineering canola that is high in Omega-3 and Omega-6. CSIRO has undertaken research and has shown that it is possible to produce canola oils containing the same long chain Omega-3 oils found in fish oil, and at levels that are commercially viable. However, due to Tasmania’s status as genetic modified organism-free, this canola cannot be applied to our salmon industry. Instead, Huon Salmon get Omega-3 from the addition of fish meal sourced from sustainable fisheries and through the addition of offcuts of fish that is intended for human consumption. Compared to other types of seafood containing beneficial Omega-3’s, salmon is well above the average recommended intake (2,170mg per 100g compared with oysters at 150mg per 100g). Just two portions of salmon a week will provide your recommended weekly intake of Omega-3.

–Eat two portions a week –

–Omega-3 is beneficial for children –