Core Tip: Fish has always been a widely popular food due to its delicious taste and nutritional value. The benefits of eating fish are obvious, but improper consumption can also harm human health and even lead to fatal diseases. Let's quickly look at several common wrong ways of eating fish to prevent problems in advance.
As the saying goes, "Livestock meat is not as good as poultry meat, and poultry meat is not as good as fish meat." Fish has always been a widely popular food due to its delicious taste and nutritional value. When our ancestors created the character for "freshness" (鲜), they placed it under the "fish" (鱼) radical, considering fish the ultimate of "freshness." The ever-changing variety of ways to eat fish has made it even more sought after. The benefits of eating fish are obvious, but improper consumption can also harm human health and even lead to fatal diseases. Let's quickly look at several common wrong ways of eating fish to prevent problems in advance.
Killing and eating live fish leaves residual toxins that harm the body
Most people believe that the fresher the fish, the better, so they prefer to kill and eat it immediately, thinking this ensures the fish's freshness and nutrition. However, this is actually a misconception. Both farmed and wild fish contain certain toxic substances in their bodies.
When a fish is killed and eaten immediately, the toxic substances in its body often don't have enough time to be completely expelled, and the parasites and bacteria on the fish are not completely dead. These residual toxins can likely harm the body.
In addition, the fish protein from killing and eating live fish has not been completely broken down, so the nutritional value is not fully realized, and the texture is not the best either.
Recommendation:
After buying a live fish, you can keep it in clean water for a day or two before killing it. For a fish that has already been killed, it's best to soak it in clean water for about an hour to help evaporate any remaining toxins and reduce the harm of toxic substances to the body.
As for cooking, it's best to do it several hours after the fish has died. Because after a period of time, the connective tissue of the fish meat begins to soften gradually, and the meat becomes more flavorful and delicious. At this point, cooking it yields the best taste.
It is undeniable that fish is indeed a very healthy food, but only by eating it correctly can it truly benefit your health.
Eating raw fish slices can easily lead to "clonorchiasis"
Many people love the fresh tenderness of raw fish slices, but they don't realize that eating them raw is very harmful to the liver and can easily lead to clonorchiasis, and even induce liver cancer.
According to experts in nutrition and health, clonorchiasis is a parasitic disease that mainly affects the liver and gallbladder. Humans have a very high chance of being infected by eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish, shrimp, and snails that contain live metacercariae of Clonorchis sinensis. Currently, in Guangdong Province alone, there are millions of clonorchiasis patients in China, many of whom became ill precisely from eating raw fish and shrimp.
Eating fish and meat can help protect the brain
Its clinical symptoms are relatively common, such as fatigue, discomfort in the upper abdomen, indigestion, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dull pain in the liver area, hepatomegaly, dizziness, etc. In severe cases of late-stage infection, it can lead to liver cirrhosis with ascites, and even death.
Reminder:
Many people think that seasoning raw fish slices with sauces and vinegar can kill the Clonorchis sinensis and make them safe to eat. However, in fact, common seasonings such as soy sauce, vinegar, wasabi, and alcohol are difficult to kill them. Even if the fish slices are put in 90°C hot water, they cannot be killed if the cooking time is insufficient.
Therefore, it is best to eat raw fish slices in moderation. It is also worth noting that when Clonorchis sinensis parasites are in the human body, there are almost no symptoms at the beginning. Some people may not feel its existence for even a decade or more. But by the time it is discovered, it is often too late. It is recommended that people who regularly eat raw fish slices should go to the hospital for an examination to confirm if they are infected.
Improperly eating fish gallbladder for detoxification can lead to poisoning instead
Fish gallbladder is a traditional Chinese medicine, often used by TCM to treat eye redness and pain, sore throat, and sores.
Therefore, there is a folk saying that eating fish gallbladder can clear heat, detoxify, improve eyesight, and relieve coughing. So despite its bitter taste, some people are always eager to try it. Improperly eating fish gallbladder is extremely dangerous and can easily cause poisoning and even endanger life.
Experts point out that fish bile contains water-soluble toxins such as "cyprinol sulfate sodium," which are extremely toxic. These toxins are heat-resistant and cannot be destroyed by alcohol. Therefore, whether the fish gallbladder is cooked, swallowed raw, or taken with wine, poisoning can occur.
>Fish gallbladder poisoning has a rapid onset, a severe condition, and a high fatality rate. Those with mild poisoning may experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Severe cases may show symptoms such as enlarged liver, jaundice, tenderness in the liver area, oliguria or anuria, and tenderness upon kidney percussion. If not treated in time, it can lead to liver and kidney failure and death.The degree of poisoning in a patient is generally related to the amount of bile in the fish gallbladder. Therefore, swallowing the gallbladder of a larger fish is more likely to cause poisoning.
Reminder:
Individuals must never eat fish gallbladder on their own. Patients who have a need for it should take it under the guidance of a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.
Eating fish on an empty stomach can lead to "gout"
In today's increasingly prevalent trend of dieting, many people like to eat only vegetables and not rice. Eating fish on an empty stomach is also a common occurrence, but this can very likely trigger a gout attack. Gout is a disease caused by purine metabolism disorders, leading to an increase in blood uric acid and causing tissue damage.
The vast majority of fish are rich in purines. If a large amount of purine-rich fish is consumed on an empty stomach without enough carbohydrates to break it down, the body's acid-base balance will be disrupted, which can easily induce gout or worsen the condition of gout patients.
Recommendation:
Before eating fish, one can first eat some low-fat foods containing carbohydrates, such as coarse grain porridge, buckwheat flour, or taro, to "line the stomach." Dishes containing starch can also be eaten during the meal, such as steamed sweet potatoes, sweet corn, or potatoes, to balance the body's acid-base level, reduce the harm of purines, and play a role in protecting health.