--- title: This Week in Health: How Farmers Turn Salmon Pink description: This week's health news explored why farmed salmon is so pink, why dog walkers get more exercise and how to eat more vegetables. canonical: https://time.com/4817867/farmed-salmon-obesity-french-fries/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-15T16:15:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:07:43.226Z article:section: Health og:title: This Week in Health: How Farmers Turn Salmon Pink og:description: Here's the latest on farmed salmon, veggie-rebranding and dog walking og:url: https://time.com/4817867/farmed-salmon-obesity-french-fries/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt302fe7244c69fab3/698781512dce0139609ddc71/time-50-healthiest-foods-salmon.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: healthiest foods, health food, diet, nutrition, time.com stock, salmon, fish, protein og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Week in Health: How Farmers Turn Salmon Pink twitter:description: Here's the latest on farmed salmon, veggie-rebranding and dog walking twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt302fe7244c69fab3/698781512dce0139609ddc71/time-50-healthiest-foods-salmon.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Week in Health: How Farmers Turn Salmon Pink > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=fc15e4ba-84ae-4315-8067-81ed38c4fdec&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Should I Eat Salmon? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Eat Salmon?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/OIB4mfT2.m3u8) (1:55)  _Published 2015-08-26. This food from the sea is a no-brainer for all five of our experts._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jun 15, 2017 4:15 PM UTC by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jun 15, 2017 4:15 PM UTC This week revealed a little-known secret about the vibrant pink color of farm-raised salmon: it comes from a [pigmenting chemical](http://time.com/4790794/farmed-salmon-pink/) farmers feed their fish. Here’s what else caught our attention in health this week. (Sign up for the [TIME Health newsletter](http://time.com/newsletter-health) for more.) ## [How farmers turn their salmon pink](http://time.com/4790794/farmed-salmon-pink/)  Fresh and healthy Norwegian salmon cut., Getty Images Farm-raised salmon would naturally be white, but farmers add a coloring chemical to their feed to turn it reddish-pink. That’s because consumers will pay up to $1 more per pound for darker colored salmon compared to salmon with lighter hues. ## [How to get a no-sun tan](http://time.com/4815353/safer-no-sun-tan/) No, it doesn’t involve staining your skin orange. This tanning process, newly discovered by scientists, triggers the natural burnishing process inside your skin that occurs when you tan—but without the sun. ## [It’s official: Dog owners walk way more than you](http://time.com/4819108/dog-owners-exercise/)  Getty Images Barking news: dog owners walk an extra 23 minutes a day, according to a new study. They took an extra 2,760 steps compared to people without a canine companion. ## [The easiest way to eat more vegetables](http://time.com/4813320/how-to-eat-more-vegetables-food/) Researchers found an ingenious way to get people to eat more vegetables just by calling them something seductive. People were more likely to buy beets, for example, if they were labeled “dynamite chili and tangy lime-seasoned beets.” ## [Almost 30% of people in the world are obese or overweight](http://time.com/4813075/obesity-overweight-weight-loss/)  Molly Cranna for TIME Obesity rates in 70 countries have doubled since 1980\. The rates of death from weight-related health problems are also shockingly high, according to the latest numbers. ## [Teens are getting more depressed but using fewer drugs](http://time.com/4811761/teens-depression-drug-abuse/) A new report compiles information on mental health and substance use among teen and adults in the U.S., and the picture is mixed. ## [Eating french fries is linked to a higher risk of death](http://time.com/4811136/fried-potatoes-mortality-study/)  Molly Cranna for TIME A new study finds that eating fried potatoes at least twice a week is associated with an increased risk of death. That’s a bummer, but unfried potatoes, like those baked and mashed, did not appear to have the same risk. ## [Most premature babies do well in school later on](http://time.com/4814507/premature-babies-school/) There’s good news for extremely premature babies. Most preemies are ready to begin kindergarten on time and perform as well as full-termers in primary and middle school, new research finds. ## Transcript Should you eat salmon? This food from the sea is a no brainer for all five of our experts. [ MUSIC ] A three ounce serving of wild salmon has about 156 calories, plus 23 grams of protein and about 6 grams of healthy fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are salmon's claim to fame, providing anywhere between two to three grams per three ounce serving says Julia Renee Zumpano. Omega 3 fatty acids can help reduce blood triglycerides, blood pressure, and reduce swelling. Wild salmon is better than farmed says, Dr. David Katz. Farm salmon may contain more saturated fat, calories, pollutants, and antibiotics than wild salmon. Additionally, farm salmon might not provide as many omega- 3s says Peter D. Nichols. The long- chain omega- 3 content is about half of what it used to be in farm fish. Although this is still generally 10 to 100 fold higher than most other food groups, he says. Not all farm salmon is bad, though, says Tim Fitzgerald. Although most generic farm salmon, often labeled Atlantic in stores, still comes with a variety of environmental concerns. Salmon from fish farms shouldn't always be avoided. Sustainably farm salmon brands like Atlantic Sapphire, Kuterra, and Verlasso are some of Fitzgerald's favorites, but for the overall most sustainable bet choose wild Alaska Salmon says Kimberly Warner. It's more expensive but you can get an especially good deal during the summer salmon season, but don't forget not every fish worth eating comes on ice. Virtually all canned salmon is wild caught in Alaska, Fitzgerald says, so you can get all of the environmental and health benefits of fresh salmon for just a few dollars. 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