SAN FRANCISCO — A recent analysis of 10 species of fish, commissioned by the non-profit group Positively Groundfish and performed by Exact Scientific Services Lab, revealed these fish have extremely high nutrient levels. These species have never before been tested for nutritional value. The findings identify more fish options for health-conscious Americans following the USDA and American Heart Association recommendation of eating at least two servings of seafood a week.
Three of the West Coast groundfish species show stand-out nutrition including:
- Pacific Dover Sole (Mictrostomus pacificus)– exceptionally high in protein, delivering 96.6% protein calories (of total calories), which is higher than other seafood and foods commonly considered as being high protein such as chicken breast, egg whites, steak or even protein powders. Pacific Dover Sole is also a great source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, as well as Selenium – it contains 6 times more Selenium than Alaska King Salmon.
- Sablefish/Black Cod (Anaplopoma fimbria) – contains very high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA+DHA), likely the highest amount of any fish. The analysis demonstrates that calorie for calorie, Black Cod offers more Omega-3 than Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines, or Anchovy. Black Cod contains 5 times more Omega-3 than Atlantic Cod.
- Pacific Rockfish, Canary (Sebastes pinniger)– is high in protein, delivering 92% protein calories (of total calories), and contains higher levels of Omega-3 than many other common lean white fish; for example, Canary Rockfish contains 3.5 times more Omega-3 than Tilapia or Yellowfin Tuna. Canary Rockfish is also high in potassium, containing more of it than bananas even.
Jana Hennig, Executive Director of Positively Groundfish, said, “Our findings demonstrate that these species – Pacific Dover Sole, Pacific Rockfish and Black Cod – pack a strong nutritional punch offering maximum nutritional benefits for minimal calories. They are very high in key essential nutrients we all need to be healthier.”
Besides their nutritional properties, all of these species are healthy for being wild-caught, which means they are naturally hormone-free, antibiotic-free, additive-free, and non-GMO. They are unadulterated, 100% nature-made, wild fish from the cold, deep waters off the West Coast.
“It was important to study these fish because we saw a significant scientific knowledge gap concerning their nutritional content,” said Christina DeWitt, a board advisor to Positively Groundfish, a Food Scientist, and the Director of the Seafood Research and Education Center at Oregon State University. “We want to continue to advance our understanding of the health benefits afforded by various fish species.”
These fish species also score high on taste
With these fish, eating healthier is not a trade-off for flavor or eating pleasure. All three species are white, mild, flakey fish that are versatile enough to be incorporated in a broad variety of cuisines and cooking methods.
For more information on macronutrient and micronutrient values of these species of groundfish, please visit https://www.positivelygroundfish.org/nutrientdata.
About Positively Groundfish
Positively Groundfish is a non-profit organization that was formed in 2018 as a broad collaboration of fishermen, seafood processors, environmental non-profits, and academia with the mission to support the long-term ecological and economic success of the West Coast groundfish fishery. Positively Groundfish is working to create a more sustainable food system as well as support West Coast fishing communities by cultivating market demand for underutilized sustainable species such as Pacific Rockfish, Pacific Dover Sole, and Sablefish (also known as Black Cod). For more details see the website: https://www.positivelygroundfish.org/
