The Nutritional Value and Benefits of Eel, and Who Should or Should Not Eat Eel Blood

Eel, also known as yellow eel, is a very popular food with a delicious taste and high economic and nutritional value. Everyone knows eel has many benefits, so what are the nutritional value and benefits of eel? Can eel blood be eaten? Who should not eat yellow eel?

I. A Brief Introduction to Eel

The scientific name of the eel is yellow eel (Monopterus albus), commonly known as field eel or field moray, and also called long fish, blood fish, luo fish, scaleless gentleman, and so on. It is a freshwater bottom-dwelling carnivorous fish of the family Synbranchidae, order Synbranchiformes, class Actinopterygii, and can be farmed for food, with economic value. It is distributed in the southeastern half of mainland China, Taiwan, China, Japan, Myanmar and the low-latitude or warmer freshwater basins of Southeast Asia. It mainly inhabits streams, rice paddies, ponds or swamps, feeding on crustaceans, worms, fish and so on, and is a nocturnal animal.

II. The Nutritional Value and Benefits of Eel

1. The nutritional value of eel

Eel has a very high nutritional value. Every 100 g of eel meat contains 18 g of protein, 1.4 g of fat, 42 mg of calcium, 206 mg of phosphorus and 2.5 mg of iron; it also contains thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (B2), nicotinic acid (vitamin PP), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and many other vitamins. The specific nutritional composition is shown in the table below:

2. The benefits of eel

(1) Eel helps nourish qi and blood: According to traditional Chinese medicine, eel meat is sweet in taste and warm in nature; it enters the liver, spleen and kidney meridians, and also contains a relatively large amount of the mineral iron, with the benefits of tonifying the middle and replenishing blood, strengthening tendons and bones, and dispelling wind-dampness.

(2) Eel helps protect the liver and improve eyesight: Eel contains a relatively large amount of vitamin A, which plays an important role in the liver and retina of the human body, and eel is warm in nature and enters the liver meridian, so regularly eating eel meat helps protect the liver and improve eyesight.

(3) Eel helps promote physical recovery: Every 100 g of eel meat contains 18 g of protein, and it contains a large amount of protein, making it very suitable for eating during weak periods such as after illness or after childbirth, and it helps promote physical recovery.

(4) Eel helps beautify and nourish the skin: Eel contains vitamin A and vitamin E, which are powerful antioxidants, so it has a very good skin-beautifying effect.

III. What Season Is Best for Eating Eel?

As the saying goes, “yellow eel at Minor Heat is as good as ginseng.” Generally, the best time to eat eel is during the Minor Heat period, when yellow eel is plump and beautiful, not only tender and delicious but also rich in nutrients, with the strongest nourishing effect.

IV. Who Should and Should Not Eat Yellow Eel

1. Who should not eat yellow eel

(1) People with itchy skin diseases should not eat yellow eel;

(2) People with chronic or old illnesses, such as bronchial asthma, lymphatic tuberculosis, cancer, lupus erythematosus, etc., should eat yellow eel with caution;

(3) People with deficiency heat during illness, or those just recovering from heat syndromes, dysentery, or abdominal bloating should not eat yellow eel.

2. Who is suitable to eat yellow eel

(1) People who are physically weak, have insufficient qi and blood, or are malnourished;

(2) People with rectal prolapse, uterine prolapse, women's strain injuries, or internal hemorrhoid bleeding may also eat more;

(3) People with wind-dampness arthralgia, soreness and weakness of the limbs, diabetes, high blood lipids, coronary heart disease, or arteriosclerosis may all eat more.

V. Can Eel Blood Be Eaten?

Eel blood cannot be eaten raw.

The blood serum of eel is toxic, and eating it raw carries a risk of poisoning, so eel blood must be thoroughly cooked before it can be eaten. When handling eel, also be careful to avoid contact between the body and the blood, especially when there are wounds. Pin the eel's head with a nail, split it open from head to tail with a small knife, remove the internal organs and spine, and then cut the eel into slices.

There is also a folk belief that eel blood can treat facial paralysis, but in fact this claim has no basis; it is purely because the dried eel blood tightens the skin. Therefore, do not believe some folk remedies.