You've Been Eating Gray Salmon with Synthetic Pink Pigments

Would you ever eat salmon that’s gray? If you consume farm-raised salmon, you’ve likely been eating gray salmon that’s dyed pink.

Salmon is one of the healthiest foods you could eat—if it’s the right kind. There is a big difference between farm-raised salmon and wild-caught salmon.

To make farm-raised salmon pink, they use synthetic astaxanthin. Natural astaxanthin has profound health benefits, but there aren’t any credible studies that show the synthetic version is safe for human consumption.

However, there has been a lot of research on synthetic antioxidants and the potential increased risk of cancer. Because the version of astaxanthin used in farm-raised salmon is a synthetic antioxidant, you should be aware there are no safety studies on it.

Other foods, like egg yolks and chicken, can also be dyed to achieve a color that people will pay more for. This is just another reason why you should consume wild-caught salmon, pasture-raised organic eggs, and organic chicken.

Benefits of natural astaxanthin:
• It’s 50 times stronger than synthetic astaxanthin in its ability to counter oxidation
• It’s 20 times stronger than synthetic astaxanthin in its ability to handle free radicals
• It has benefits for your eyes, brain, heart, and immune system
• It can provide UV protection
• It has anti-inflammatory properties
• It comes as a complex with at least five other carotenoids