wonders of salmon

The medical benefits of omega-3 essential fatty acids in our diet is becoming much more widely recognized, particularly in the area of preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD).  Case in point:  in February 2007, the American Heart Association upgraded their guidelines on Preventing Cardiovascular Disease in Women, increasing the recommended intake of omega-3, “consider taking a capsule supplement of 850-1000 mg of EPA and DHA in women with heart disease, two to four grams (2000 - 4000 mg) for women with high triglycerides”, a substantial increase over their previous guidelines. In addition to the benefits in maintaining heart health, omega-3 has been linked to brain health, infant development and joint health.  The demand for high quality, human-grade omega-3 fish oil has escalated over the recent several years.  Alaska’s clean waters are home to five species of salmon, an oily cold water fish that is naturally rich in fish oil containing omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.

Alaska wild salmon are naturally abundant with returning populations setting all time records.  As a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fishery, Alaska has been formally recognized internationally as a sustainable salmon fishery. Alaska’s commercial salmon fishery is uniquely situated as a potential source of inherently “pure and clean” PUFAs that can be recovered from the fish byproducts generated by the many fish processors, large and small.  Particularly important is the Pink salmon, which provides the largest amount of wild salmon harvested and contain the second highest omega-3 content per pound (1300 mg per 100 g serving).

Suppliers from Norway, Europe and Asia have stepped up their production of fish oil to meet the increasing demand for fish oil.  Due to the issues surrounding harvest of contaminated fish stocks globally, the resulting fish oils must be distilled to separate the harmful and unwanted contaminants, often altering the quality of the end product, stripping away some of the beneficial long chain molecules from the PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids).  There are approximately 24 individual long chain fatty acid molecules in a typical fatty acid profile of salmon oil; EPA (C20:5) and DHA (C22:6) molecules account for only 24% of the total available fatty acids contained in salmon.