As the saying goes, "Give up the pig, give up the cow, but never give up the chicken head." Many people consider chicken heads, duck heads, and the like to be delicacies. But have you ever heard of this old saying? "A ten-year-old chicken head is as poisonous as arsenic."
From a nutritional standpoint, chicken and duck heads do not contain better nutrients than other parts of the body, and the brain marrow in chicken and duck brains contains more cholesterol. Secondly, in the process of pecking, chickens ingest a considerable amount of substances containing harmful heavy metals. These heavy metals are mainly stored in the chicken's brain tissue. The older the chicken, the more it accumulates, and the stronger its toxicity becomes. This is the origin of the saying, "A ten-year-old chicken head is as poisonous as arsenic." Of course, chickens and ducks raised nowadays are not that old, but it is still wise to be cautious when eating their heads.
What about fish heads? Modern scientific research has found that fish contain two types of unsaturated fatty acids, DHA and EPA. These two unsaturated fatty acids are very beneficial for clearing and softening blood vessels, lowering blood lipids, and for brain health and anti-aging. The content of DHA and EPA in fish oil is higher than in fish meat, and fish oil is relatively concentrated in the fish head. In this sense, eating more fish heads is indeed beneficial to human health.
Under normal circumstances, there are no toxins in fish heads, and eating them is safe. However, due to the deterioration of the overall environment in recent years, leading to the pollution of water bodies and the ecological food chain, coupled with some farmers adding chemicals to feed, the amount of harmful substances in fish can increase and be difficult to expel, potentially accumulating in the fish head. To ensure food safety, consumers should try to purchase fresh fish and other aquatic products from regular, supervised markets.
In addition, fish heads contain a large number of parasites, so they must be thoroughly cooked before eating, especially when eating hot pot.