What are catfish side effects? Benefits? Is catfish vegan? Gluten free? Acidic or alkaline? Low fodmap? Good for you? Healthy? Sustainable? Here is all the info on catfish that every ethical consumer wants to know…
Food is something we consume every day and if you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on catfish benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about catfish benefits and side effects. This will include catfish benefits for your health and potential risks, catfish water footprint and catfish carbon footprint, catfish sustainability, if catfish is vegan or impacts animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if catfish is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be prepared to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about catfish benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Catfish Side Effects and Benefits
HEALTH
Catfish side effects may include:
- increased risk of memory loss from PBCs
- sickness from bacterial contamination
- seafood is the number one cause of food poisoning in the United States, which leads to many side effects and causes extreme discomfort
- high levels of mercury can lead to depression and anxiety
- increased risk of toxic chemicals known to cause cancer and brain degeneration
- toxic contaminants and heavy metals from polluted water habitats
- PBCs may cause liver damage, nervous system disorders, and fetal damage, dioxins, also linked to cancer and death
- radioactive substances like strontium 90
- other dangerous contaminants like cadmium, mercury poisoning, lead, chromium, and arsenic, which can cause health problems such as kidney damage, impaired mental development and cancer
- high levels of mercury can lead to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism
- mercury exposure can also lead to high blood pressure, an increased risk of heart attacks
- higher LDL (bad) cholesterol
Catfish benefits may include:
- muscle building (unfried, unbuttered, unbreaded)
- anemia prevention
Additionally, catfish is…
- Acidic pH level once digested
- Gluten Free
- A common Food Allergen: FISH
- Contain low levels of mercury
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ENVIRONMENT
Water footprint: unknown
Carbon footprint: high, 9.34 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of farmed, filleted, frozen catfish, a car driving equivalent of 21.5 miles or 34.5 kilometers
Destruction: high, catfish production is relatively destructive, negatively impacts marine ecosystems, discarded fishing nets pollute oceans, fishing damages coral, sponges and poses severe threat to marine habitats
Catfish is…
- Unsustainable
ANIMALS
Kills: catfish, a type of saltwater or freshwater fish
Harms: catfish, a type of saltwater or freshwater fish, farmed fish spend their entire lives (up to two years) confined in tightly packed spaces, most farmed fish are predators and eat smaller fish, billions of wild fish must be caught in order to feed them, it can take several pounds of ocean fish to produce just one pound of farmed fish
Indirectly kills or harms: sea-life, such as dolphins, sea turtles, protected fish, whales, seabirds etc. known as “bycatch”, unwanted marine life that unintentionally get caught, hooked and entangled in fishing nets
Catfish is…
- Not Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems
LABORERS
Health and safety: hazardous, fishing workers are at risk of accident, injury, and death, reports show 20% of workers and almost 50% of trafficked victims have been injured on the job, injuries include cuts, broken bone, lost fingers, hands and limbs, head injuries, electrocutions, workers get caught in machinery, get thrown overboard, deaths are reported, boat decks are slippery and in constant motion, there can be hazardous machinery present
Living conditions: poor, fishing boats often lack toilets, intensive labor, rapid exhaustion, workers are held at sea and work against their will, they load catch onto bigger, commercial fishing boats in exchange for food and supplies, seafood caught illegally from slave worker boats gets mixed in with legal, commercial fishing boats in order to remain undetected, boats filled with trafficked migrants do not dock, sometimes for years, keeping slave workers unseen, trapped at sea, continuing forced labor and abuse, fishing industries around the world are responsible for systematic, illegal, fishing practices, human rights abuse, fishing workers are vulnerable to human trafficking and slave labor, in countries like Thailand (the third largest seafood exporter in the world), Burma, Indonesia, and Fiji seafood slavery is a major issue for migrant workers originally from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, seafood consumed in the United States is mostly from foreign sources
Wages: low, recruiters promise well paying jobs to poor, unskilled and vulnerable laborers, recruiters trick migrants into thinking they must work to pay off their debts, referred to as “debt peonage”, and little to no compensation for their work is given for long periods and maybe even years and are paid below the minimum wage
Catfish has…
- Laborer issues and human rights concerns
Where does most catfish come from?
The world’s top catfish exporting country is Vietnam, followed by China, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, UK, USA, Portugal, Estonia.
About 80% of the seafood in the United States is imported.
Is catfish nutritious?
Catfish is high in protein, healthy fats, including vitamin B12, selenium, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids but contains purines, some mercury and antibiotics if farmed.
Is catfish alkaline or acidic?
Catfish is acidic. Fish is an acidic food group.
When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.
Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List
Is catfish gluten free?
Yes, catfish is gluten free. Catfish does not contain gluten when unseasoned and unbreaded. Catfish is a type of fish, making it a naturally gluten free food.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
Is catfish a common food allergen?
Yes, catfish is a common food allergen: fish. Many people experience allergic reactions to catfish.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
These foods account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States.
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
Is catfish high in mercury?
Catfish contains low levels of mercury, but contains mercury, nevertheless.
Mercury is metal that produces toxic effects to the body. If consumed in high quantities it poisons the kidneys and nervous system. Mercury occurs naturally at low levels in rock, water and soil…
However, human activity (most notably the burning of fossil fuels) has dangerously increased mercury levels to be around 450% higher than natural.
Which fish have mercury? Read more about Mercury Levels in Fish
Carbon footprint of catfish?
Catfish has a relatively high carbon footprint compared to other foods.
What is the carbon footprint of catfish?
It takes around 9.34 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of farmed, filleted, frozen catfish, a car driving equivalent of 21.5 miles or 34.5 kilometers.
When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…
- farm equipment
- animal feed production
- hothouses (greenhouses)
- food processing
- packaging
- transport
- refrigeration
- freezing
- package waste and more
But that’s not all!
It’s best to keep the following in mind when grocery shopping:
- shopping locally reduces transportation emissions
- food without packaging reduces waste as well as the carbon footprint
- refrigerated and frozen foods increase carbon emissions
- seasonal foods reduce carbon emissions from hothouses (greenhouses)
- growing plant-based foods at home is the most environmentally sustainable method with zero carbon footprint
Find out how much carbon your food emits with this: Carbon Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
Is catfish sustainable?
No, catfish production is relatively unsustainable.
Whether farmed or wild caught, the seafood industry is environmentally destructive due to its direct impact on decreasing marine populations, polluting waters and habitat destruction.
Wild-caught fish and seafood is destructive due to overfishing (when populations die at a greater rate than they are able to replenish). Degraded ecosystems occur as a result and creates an imbalance that impacts important food chains. Consequently, vulnerable aquatic species like sea turtles and coral suffer. Scientists predict oceans will be fishless by 2048. Such a major loss in biodiversity would be catastrophic, as oceans regulate temperature and contribute to half of our oxygen on Earth.
There’s also an alarming amount of plastic pollution in our oceans. Abandoned and lost fishing gear make up more than 85% of all plastic pollution. Nets, traps and hooks continue to kill marine life. According to Greenpeace, “Abandoned fishing nets kill and injure more than 100,000 whales, dolphins, seals and turtles each year”.
Fish farming, or aquafarming, is not a sustainable alternative. Not only do farmed fish need to be fed fish to eat (perpetuating a never-ending cycle of fishing) but waters become contaminated with antibiotics (to prevent disease that inevitably occurs with overcrowded fish confinements), pesticides, parasites and fish feces. The toxic water then spreads to waterways and oceans, polluting ecosystems and eventually killing off wild fish populations.
All of the aforementioned fishing practices occur in order to meet global demand. The obvious solution for protecting our Earth’s oceans and waterways, marine habitats, ecosystems and wildlife is for consumers to significantly reduce or eliminate their seafood demand entirely.
Is catfish vegan?
No, catfish is not vegan. Catfish is a type of fish, therefore making it an animal-derived food. A fish must be killed in order to produce catfish.
Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
Does catfish have human rights issues?
Yes. There are reports of serious worker mistreatment regarding the seafood industry. Catfish is a product that has human rights concerns.
There are high numbers of trafficked people promised work but then held at sea against their will. Boats filled with trafficked migrants do not dock, sometimes for years on end, keeping slave workers unseen and trapped at sea, continuing the forced labor. Recruiters trick migrants into thinking they must work to pay off their debts, referred to as “debt peonage”. There is little to no compensation for their work. Seafood caught illegally from slave worker boats gets mixed in with legal, commercial fishing boats in order to remain undetected.
Fishing workers everywhere are at risk of accident, injury, and death. Injuries include cuts, broken bones, lost fingers, hands and limbs, head injuries and electrocutions. Workers get caught in machinery, get thrown overboard and deaths are reported. Boats are in constant motion, decks are slippery and there can be hazardous machinery present.
Fishing industries around the world are responsible for systematic, illegal fishing practices and human rights abuse. Fishing workers are vulnerable to human trafficking and slave labor, especially in countries like Thailand (the third largest seafood exporter in the world), Burma, Indonesia and Fiji. Seafood slavery is a major issue for migrant workers originally from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
- Seafood consumed in the United States is mostly from foreign sources. Only 3% of fish and shellfish is caught or farmed in American territory!
- Many developed countries depend on imported seafood.
We improve lives around the world if we boycott problematic foods that are difficult for human rights authorities to regulate.
Conclusion: Catfish Pros And Cons
catfish pros include:
- some health benefits
- gluten free
catfish cons include:
- some health side effects
- unsustainable
- not vegan
- acidic pH level
- a common food allergen
- a high carbon footprint
- high chance of laborer exploitation (as with most seafood)
- mercury and toxin ingestion and contamination (as with most seafood)
This post was all about catfish side effects and benefits.
Sources:
Fish, catfish, channel, farmed, raw – FoodData Central
Catfish Grades and Standards | Agricultural Marketing Service
Surveys – Catfish Production – USDA NASS
World Wide Fund for Nature: Overfishing
Animal equality: 4 WAYS THE FISHING INDUSTRY IS DESTROYING THE PLANET
Human rights watch: Hidden Chains Rights Abuses and Forced Labor in Thailand’s Fishing Industry
International Labour Office: Caught at sea
