The outpatient clinic often sees patients with the "three highs" (high blood pressure, high blood lipids, high blood sugar) and the elderly asking if they can drink fish head soup for nourishment. From a nutritional perspective, the nutritional value of fish head soup is limited, and it is not advisable for people with the "three highs" to consume it frequently.
The broth of fish head soup is milky-white, rich, mellow, and exceptionally delicious, making it appear very nutritious. Therefore, many people believe that the dissolved substances in the white broth are all nutrients like protein and calcium. This is actually a misconception. Broths from meat (fish, meat) are rich in fat but lack other nutrients. A bowl of fish soup contains only about 2% of the protein from the fish, but it concentrates 40% of the fat from the fish.
The process of forming this milky-white, thick broth is actually an emulsification of fat. Cooking experience tells us that to make a milky-white broth, you must use fresh animal ingredients rich in protein and fat, and you must pan-fry the fish head before simmering it, and then cook it over high heat to keep the broth boiling.
During the simmering process, the fat from the cooking oil and the raw ingredients, some water-soluble proteins from the muscle tissue, and lecithin from the bones are dissolved. Part of the collagen in the skin is hydrolyzed into gelatin molecules. As the broth continues to boil, the fat tissue is broken down into tiny particles. The lecithin, gelatin molecules, and some proteins with emulsifying properties act as emulsifiers, forming a water-in-oil emulsion. This makes the broth thick and white, eventually becoming a "cream soup." Therefore, a "cream soup" is "emulsified fat," and a fish soup without fat generally will not be milky-white.
Long-term consumption of fish soup can easily lead to excessive fat intake. For someone who is hungry, a meat broth is the most comforting food, but for the elderly and people with the "three highs" who need a scientific intake of protein, vitamins, and dietary fiber, drinking fish soup frequently can lead to excessive fat and energy intake. Excess calories and fat can directly lead to overweight, obesity, and promote the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. At the same time, the feeling of fullness from fish soup can affect the consumption of other foods, leading to nutritional imbalance.