In the food culture of the mainland, "freshness" is very important. One of the most iconic ingredients is undoubtedly fish. Fish is not only delicious, but also healthy. Fish is high in protein, low in calories, and rich in DHA, which not only strengthens the brain, but also has cardiovascular benefits.
However, eating fish is also a science. Some people tend to eat fish in pursuit of precious, rare, and large fish, but they may eat the wrong fish. A few days ago, the latest research found that people who really know how to eat fish choose small fish to eat, which is both anti-cancer and prolongs life!
Fried saury Photo by Mao Yuanyuan of Health Times
People who really know how to eat fish pick small fish to eat, which is both anti-cancer and prolongs life!
Many people living in coastal and riverside areas generally have the tradition or habit of eating small fish, and more importantly, they usually eat the whole small fish. In May 2024, a new study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition in Japan found that regular consumption of whole small fish may help prolong life, significantly reduce all-cause mortality, and reduce the risk of cancer death.
The study included more than 80,000 participants between the ages of 35 and 69. During the subsequent average 9-year follow-up period, 2,482 people died, about 60% of whom were cancer-related. One of the most striking findings of the study was that women who habitually ate small fish had significantly lower all-cause mortality and cancer mortality. Compared to women who rarely eat small fish:
1. Women who ate small fish 1-3 times a month had a 32% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 28% lower risk of cancer death;
2. Women who ate small fish 4-8 times a month had a 28% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 29% lower risk of cancer death;
3. Women who ate small fish more than 12 times a month had a 31% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 36% lower risk of cancer death.
Ultimately, the study found that women who regularly ate small fish were less likely to die from any cause. Incorporating small fish into your daily diet may be a simple and effective strategy to reduce the risk of death in women. However, this association is not significant in men.
Researchers say that small fish can be eaten whole compared to larger fish, and the nutrients and physiologically active substances unique to small fish help maintain good health. In addition, small fish is one of the important sources of micronutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, vitamins and minerals.
Photo by Health Times Cao Zihao
There are many benefits to eating small fish, and the whole body is full of treasures
It can be seen from the study that eating small fish only 1-3 times a month can reduce the risk of death and have the effect of prolonging life, because the whole body of the fish is a treasure! You Huazhi, Department of Nutrition, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, said in an article in the Health Times in 2022 that the whole body of fish is a treasure, and the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" recommends that adults should eat fish twice a week or 300-500 grams.
Fish: Rich in high-quality protein, easy to digest and absorb, low in fat, and also contains minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iodine, zinc, selenium, and a variety of vitamins.
Fish skin: Rich in collagen and a variety of trace elements, fish skin can be eaten cold, crispy and delicious.
Fish head: Fish head contains a certain amount of EPA and DHA, which are Omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and strengthen the brain.
Fish maw: Some places also call fish maw "fish maw", which is high in protein and low in fat, and can be eaten if you like its taste.
Fish bone: rich in calcium and other trace elements, a very good natural source of calcium. For example, make some crispy fish bone snacks, or grind them into powder to make seasonings and increase umami.
Fish scales: contain choline, which can enhance memory; It also contains a variety of unsaturated fatty acids, which have a certain effect on the prevention of arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and heart disease. Some people say that it contains collagen and can be used for beauty, but in fact, the collagen content in fish scales is not very high, and collagen is not a high-quality protein, so it cannot be relied on for beauty.
Grilled small yellow croaker Mao Yuanyuan photo
Don't eat these 2 parts of the fish
1. Fish gall bladder – more toxic than arsenic
In June 2024, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine received a 30-year-old male student, Ah Ming (pseudonym), who was finally out of danger after 2 days of rescue due to raw swallowing fish gallbladder poisoning. Lu Yuanqiang, chief physician of the emergency department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, said that the symptoms caused by fish bile poisoning are critical, which can lead to liver and kidney damage, and then gradually develop acute liver necrosis, kidney failure, cerebral edema, myocardial damage and other serious symptoms, and eventually lead to death.
What makes Dr. Lu Yuanqiang the most sad is that although a patient with raw fish gallbladder poisoning was lucky enough to escape the catastrophe and be rescued, he was paralyzed and incontinent due to nerve damage, and regretted it for life.
Dr. Lu Yuanqiang reminded that fish gall bladder cannot be eaten, the most serious can be fatal, and there is currently no special antidote! For adults, only a few grams of bile can cause poisoning, and if it is a large fish of more than five or six catties, 1 fish gall bladder is enough to kill people. Because the composition of fish bile is very complex, the most toxic hydrocyanic acid can inhibit the activity of more than 40 enzymes in the human body, so that cells can not use oxygen, resulting in "intracellular asphyxia", which is more toxic than the same dose of arsenic.
Moreover, the toxins in the fish gall bladder will not be destroyed by heating, cooking or alcohol, and the fish gall bladder will be poisoned even if it is steamed and eaten.
Therefore, it is recommended that everyone must remove the fish gall bladder when eating large fish, and for some small fish, it is also recommended to remove the fish gall bladder as much as possible.
2. Black clothes - easy to enrich contaminants
Many people find that after the fish is cut open, there is a black membrane coating on both sides of the abdominal cavity. In fact, this layer of "black coat" is the protective film of the fish, which exists between the abdominal wall and the internal organs of the fish, and its main role is to lubricate and protect the internal organs.
Ruan Guangfeng, director of the Science and Technology Department of the Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center, once introduced in an article in the Health Times that the color of the inner membrane of the fish belly is determined by the pigment content of the fish, and the statement that the color of the black membrane alone is considered a toxic pollutant is without scientific basis. Its color is determined by the deposition of melanin in the fish's body.
However, although the black coat in the belly of the fish is not a sign of serious pollution, this membrane is mainly composed of fat cells, which is high in fat, low in nutritional value, and more likely to enrich some fat-soluble pollutants, which is not a healthy choice.
Source: People's Daily client, Health Times Weibo