MORE on OMEGA 3's in Yukon Salmon - actual research!

[StephN]

March 12, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jon Rowley 206-963-5959 rowley@nwlink.com

NUTRITION DISCOVERY:


KWIK’PAK FISHERIES L.L.C. ANNOUNCES OMEGA-3 LEVELS IN YUKON SALMON CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER FISH IN USDA DATA BASE

EMMONAK, ALASKA: Beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids, which come from fish oils, have been much in the news in recent years for their numerous and significant health benefits. Kwik’pak Fisheries L.L.C. of Emmonak and Anchorage, Alaska is excited to announce that wild Yukon River king and chum (also known as keta) salmon harvested in Alaska’s Yukon River Delta have “shockingly high” levels of this important nutrient, reported to be severely lacking in average American diets. Recent tests by Bodycote Testing Group of Portland OR measured an average of 4.15% omega-3 for chums and 4.38 % for kings, twice, and in many cases three or four times, the levels of any other fish in the USDA data base.


“We’ve known our salmon have the highest oil content because of the length of the Yukon River”, says Jack Schultheis, Kwik’pak General Manager, “but we have only just recently had them tested for omega-3s. Everyone we have shown the results to are astonished.”


When Seattle nutritionist and Registered Dietician Dr. Evette Hackman R.D., reviewed the Yukon fall chum lab results for Kwik’pak Fisheries, the omega-3 levels were so high, she contacted Bodycote Testing Group to make sure there hadn’t been a mistake. “I was shocked”, reports Dr. Hackman. After trying the fish, only recently introduced to “Lower 48” markets, she said, “We don’t usually think of chum salmon as being a good source of omega-3s but when you look at the red color and cook and taste this fish, it is no surprise. It’s wonderful when something so good for you can be so delicious.”


When Dr. Hackman shared the test results with Dr. Joyce Nettleton, nutrition consultant to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Nettleton wrote, “I was quite surprised by the very high total fat and omega-3 values in these fish. These are astonishingly high values.”


These are the salmon that have sustained the Yup’ik Eskimo people who harvest them for 10,000 years. An important subsistence food, salmon are dried, gently smoked and stored for winter use. When subsistence needs and escapement goals are met, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game opens the Yukon Delta commercial fishery for Yup’ik fishing families in June, enabling salmon lovers in the “Lower 48” to access these flavorful and healthful fish. Even kids who don’t like fish like Yukon salmon. And what could be better for them.


According to Dr. Hackman, “One 3½ ounce serving of Yukon River chum or king salmon per week would equal, from an omega-3 standpoint, three servings of other salmon. But omega-3 factors are only part of the story. I would rather see people eat more fish, not less. The nutrient composition is good and people do not usually fry salmon. It tends to be grilled or baked and that leads to less unhealthy fats. There are many other reasons to eat more fish.”


Boston Seafood International Seafood Show (March 15-17) attendees are urged to visit the Kwik’pak Fisheries booth #1755 to taste the Yukon king and chum salmon and to meet some of the Yup’ik fishermen and women who harvest them.


Community-owned Kwik’pak Fisheries L.L.C. was founded in 2002 to provide economic security to the remote Yukon Delta villages of Alakanuk, Emmonak, Grayling, Kotlik, Nunam Iqua and Mountain Village. Kwik’pak Fisheries is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and is the only seafood company member of the Fair Trade Federation.


For further information on beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, contact:
Dr. Evette Hackman, 206-522-6581, ehackman@spu.com


For further information on Yukon salmon or Kwik’pak Fisheries L.L.C.,contact:
Jon Rowley 206-963-5959, rowley@nwlink.com, www.kwikpakfisheries.com

SOME HEALTH BENEFITS OF BENEFICIAL OMEGA-3 FATTYACIDS (DHA + EPA):

Many recent studies show associations between eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids and lowering the risk or severity of many diseases. These include lowering the risk of heart disease and heart attack, lowering high blood pressure, improving the pattern of blood lipids, decreasing blood clotting factors and increasing beneficial relaxation in larger arteries and blood vessels. Several studies have shown reduced risk of cancer especially breast, prostate and colon cancer. Other associations include lowering the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma, improving fetal and infant brain development, lowering the risk for depression and improving treatment for manic depression and schizophrenia.

Evette M. Hackman, PhD, RD
Emerita Professor
Seattle Pacific University
Food and Nutritional Sciences

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