Fall is a good time for the weak to nourish themselves, 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 with a high rate of absorption by the human body. Fish is rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, and contains certain amounts of minerals like 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.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that eating fish should be tailored to one's condition. Only by eating "fish"对症 (duì zhèng - according to the condition) can its edible and medicinal value be fully realized. Below is a list of the medicinal properties and therapeutic effects of common fish for reference when choosing what to eat.
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, unblocking meridians to promote lactation, and clearing heat to detoxify. It is mainly used for edema and ascites, insufficient lactation in postpartum women, gastroptosis, and prolapse of the anus.
Hairtail: It can nourish the five organs, expel wind, and kill parasites. It is particularly suitable for those with a weak spleen and stomach, indigestion, or dry skin. It can be used as an adjuvant 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, transforming dampness to promote urination, expelling wind, and relieving vexation. Consumption can treat symptoms such as qi deficiency and fatigue, cold pain in the stomach, beriberi, dampness bi, malaria, and headache. The trace elements zinc, selenium, and iron in black carp also have anti-cancer effects.
Common 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 unblocking meridians to promote lactation. It is mainly used for edema, blocked lactation, and insufficient fetal growth.
Grass Carp: Also known as grass carp, it comes in blue and white varieties. It is sweet in taste and warm in nature, with the 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 fatigue and wind-deficiency headaches. Steaming and eating the 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 shrink 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 people 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, thus aggravating the bleeding symptoms of patients with bleeding disorders;
Cirrhosis patients, as the body has difficulty producing coagulation factors in cirrhosis, coupled with low platelet count, which can easily cause bleeding. If they then eat fish rich in EPA, such as sardines, black carp, and tuna, the condition will worsen dramatically, making a bad situation even worse;
Tuberculosis patients 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.