Nowadays, tilapia is one of the most consumed fish. As it is one of the most available and affordable fish in America, it is a common component of the American diet.

However, on the market, there is a farmed tilapia, which is unhealthier than wild-caught fish due to the farming conditions and healthy industrial processes. Not only is it lacking the necessary nutrients, but it is also detrimental to our health. Health experts even claim that eating bacon is much healthier than eating tilapia.

In addition, tilapia is fed with foods rich in soy pellets and GMO corn that still remain in their bodies when we buy them from the supermarkets. Nevertheless, wild-caught fish that eat healthy algae and plants offer numerous health benefits.

4 Reasons Tilapia Farming Is Detrimental To Your Health

The consumption of farm-raised tilapia can:

1. Increase exposure to pesticides and antibiotics

Due to the bad, crowded farming conditions, fish are prone to disease, and fish meat on the farms is treated with pesticides and antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics, which farmers use to fatten and keep the fish alive, end up in the human body.

Furthermore, pig and chicken feces are the main components that go in the fish feed. Farm-raised fish are treated with antibiotics to prevent sea lice. These pesticides are deadly in that they can kill wild salmon, which are incidentally exposed to the pesticides.

2. Increase the risk of inflammation

If you consume tilapia, you may experience different inflammation-related conditions, such as asthma, arthritis, heart disease, and other serious health issues. In other words, consuming tilapia fish significantly increases the risk of developing inflammatory diseases.

3. Increase the risk of cancer

As tilapia is a farm-bred fish, it contains ten times more carcinogens than the other fish. Namely, dioxin, a harmful chemical found in tilapia, can cause damage to the human body, impair the function of the immune system, and contribute to cancer.

4. Increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Tilapia contains arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, which has been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Halibut, sardines, and mackerel consumption reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, whereas the consumption of tilapia slightly increases it.

Fish can be very healthy food if you opt for wild-caught fish, like sockeye salmon, which has numerous health benefits. It is rich in fatty acids, which enhance skin, brain, joint, and muscle health.