Eating fish is beneficial in autumn, but four types of people should be cautious.
Autumn is a good time for the weak to nourish their bodies, and fish is an excellent aquatic food for this purpose. Not only is it delicious, but it is also extremely nutritious. Its protein content is twice that of pork, and it is a high-quality protein that is easily absorbed by the body. Fish is rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, and certain minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron.
Although the fat content in fish is low, its fatty acids have been proven to have effects of lowering blood sugar, protecting the heart, and preventing cancer. The vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in fish can effectively prevent osteoporosis.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, eating fish should be targeted to one's condition. Only by对症 "eating fish" can its edible and medicinal value be fully realized. The following lists the medicinal properties and therapeutic effects of common fish for reference when selecting them for consumption.
Carp: Also known as crucian carp, it is sweet in taste and warm in nature. Its effects include promoting urination to reduce edema, replenishing qi to strengthen the spleen, promoting blood circulation to induce lactation, and clearing heat to detoxify. It is mainly used for conditions such as edema and ascites, insufficient lactation in postpartum women, gastric ptosis, and prolapse.
Hairtail: It can nourish the five organs, expel wind, and kill parasites. It is especially suitable for those with a weak spleen and stomach, indigestion, or dry skin. It can be used as an adjunctive therapy for persistent and chronic hepatitis. Regular consumption of hairtail can also moisturize the skin, keeping it moist and elastic.
Black carp: It has the effects of replenishing qi to nourish the stomach, resolving dampness to promote urination, expelling wind to relieve vexation. Consumption can treat symptoms such as qi deficiency and fatigue, cold pain in the stomach, beriberi, dampness bi, malaria, and headaches. The trace elements such as zinc, selenium, and iron in black carp also have anti-cancer effects.
Carp: Sweet in taste and warm in nature. It has the effects of promoting urination to reduce edema, replenishing qi to strengthen the spleen, and promoting blood circulation to induce lactation. It is mainly used for edema, obstructed lactation, and insufficient fetal growth.
Grass carp: Also known as grass carp, it has two varieties, green and white. It is sweet in taste and warm in nature, with effects of pacifying the liver, expelling wind, activating collaterals, and interrupting malaria. The ancients believed that grass carp meat is thick and tender, and is good for treating deficiency labor and wind-deficiency headache. Steaming and eating its head is especially beneficial.
Loach: Sweet in taste and neutral in nature, it has the effects of warming the middle to replenish qi, clearing heat to promote urination, and detoxifying to stop hemorrhoids. Loach meat is tender and highly nutritious, and its mucus has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. It can be used to treat damp-heat jaundice, difficult urination, and night sweats after illness.
It should be noted that patients with the following diseases should not eat too much fish. These diseases are:
Gout patients, because fish contains purine substances, and gout is caused by a disorder of purine metabolism in the human body;
Patients with bleeding disorders, such as those with thrombocytopenia, hemophilia, vitamin K deficiency, and other bleeding disorders, should eat less or no fish, because the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in fish can inhibit platelet aggregation, thereby aggravating the bleeding symptoms of patients with bleeding disorders;
Patients with cirrhosis, as the body has difficulty producing clotting factors in cirrhosis, and coupled with low platelet count, it is prone to bleeding. If they eat fish rich in eicosapentaenoic acid, such as sardines, black carp, and tuna, it will cause the condition to deteriorate sharply, like adding fuel to the fire;
Tuberculosis patients who are taking isoniazid may have allergic reactions if they eat certain fish. Mild symptoms include nausea, headache, skin flushing, and conjunctival congestion. Severe symptoms may include palpitations, numbness and swelling of the lips and face, rash, diarrhea, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, elevated blood pressure, and even hypertensive crisis and cerebral hemorrhage.