What kinds of fish are commonly eaten in daily life? How can they be distinguished?

Fish is rich in nutrients and delicious, and is deeply loved by ordinary people. The nutritional value of different fish is not the same. Below, we introduce one by one the common kinds of fish eaten in daily life. How can they be distinguished?

1. Crucian carp: It has functions such as boosting qi and strengthening the spleen, promoting urination and reducing swelling, clearing heat and detoxifying, and dredging collaterals and promoting lactation. Stewing fresh crucian carp together with pig trotters and eating it with the soup can treat insufficient milk in postpartum women. Crucian carp oil is beneficial to cardiovascular function, and can also lower blood viscosity and promote blood circulation.

2. Common carp: It has functions such as strengthening the spleen and improving appetite, promoting urination and reducing swelling, relieving cough and calming asthma, stabilizing pregnancy and promoting lactation, and clearing heat and detoxifying. A large common carp, with scales left on and intestines removed, stewed until cooked and taken in portions, treats jaundice. Making soup with live common carp and pig trotters and eating it treats insufficient milk in pregnant women. Common carp boiled into soup with a little Sichuan fritillary powder and taken treats cough and asthma.

3. Silver carp: It has functions such as warming the middle and boosting qi, warming the stomach, and moisturizing the skin. It is a health food for warming the middle and supplementing qi.

4. Black carp: It has functions such as supplementing qi and nourishing the stomach, resolving dampness and promoting urination, and dispelling wind and relieving restlessness. The trace elements it contains, such as zinc and selenium, help fight cancer.

5. Snakehead: It has functions such as strengthening the spleen and promoting urination, removing blood stasis and generating new tissue, clearing heat and dispelling wind, and tonifying the liver and kidneys. Cooking snakehead with ginger and red dates and eating it has a supportive effect on treating pulmonary tuberculosis. Stewing snakehead with brown sugar and eating it can treat nephritis. Postpartum women eating steamed snakehead can promote lactation and replenish blood.

6. Cuttlefish: It has functions such as nourishing the liver and kidneys, supplementing qi and blood, and clearing the stomach and removing heat. It is a health food for women, with functions such as nourishing blood, improving eyesight, promoting menstruation, stabilizing pregnancy, aiding labor, stopping bleeding, and promoting lactation.

7. Grass carp: It has functions such as warming the stomach and harmonizing the middle, calming the liver, and dispelling wind. It is a health food for warming the middle and tonifying deficiency.

8. Hairtail: It has functions such as warming the stomach, tonifying deficiency, moisturizing the skin, dispelling wind, killing parasites, and tonifying the five viscera. It can be used as supportive treatment for persistent hepatitis and chronic hepatitis. Patients with hepatitis can steam fresh hairtail until cooked and then take the upper layer of oil and eat it; taking it over a long period can improve symptoms.

Eating fish regularly brings nine major benefits to the body:

Protecting eyesight: Degeneration of the central retina is a common cause of vision decline in older adults. A large-scale study in France found that fish rich in omega—3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Reducing heart disease risk: In the United States, heart disease is still the leading cause of death among adults. However, through observation, the Harvard School of Public Health found that consuming about 2 grams of omega—3 fatty acids per week by eating fish once or twice can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death by 36% and lower the likelihood of death by 17%.

Boosting brainpower: “If you are about to face an important task or exam, it is recommended that you eat more fish.” A study published in the American journal Public Library of Science—Comprehensive pointed out that when fish oil rich in omega—3 fatty acids was provided as a dietary supplement to a group of young people aged 18~25, after 6 months their brainpower steadily improved. As for the reason, the researchers believe that omega—3 fatty acids can affect the storage function of memory.

Promoting development: A diet rich in omega—3 fatty acids is especially important for pregnant women, as it can promote the development of the fetal brain and nervous system. In 2007, research published in the British medical journal The Lancet found that eating 3~4 servings of seafood including fish per week (about 340 grams) can significantly improve infants' intellectual level, language expression ability, and motor ability after birth.

Extending lifespan: A new study based on 16 years of observation found that eating fish can indeed help people live longer. The researchers found that intake of beneficial fatty acids from fish meat can reduce the mortality rate by 27%, and people who persist in eating fish will live two years longer than those who do not.

Preventing asthma: Eating more fish in childhood can effectively prevent asthma. A study in the Netherlands of 7,210 children showed that children who began eating fish within 6~12 months had a 36% lower risk of developing asthma by age 4. The researchers infer that this may be related to the anti-inflammatory effect of eating more fish.

Protecting the skin: Fish oil has many benefits for the skin, as it can regulate oil secretion and help with moisturizing. In addition, research shows that eating more fish can protect the skin from ultraviolet damage and help protect skin collagen, thereby preventing skin laxity, wrinkles, or sagging.

Increasing sperm count: Dietary habits are very important for friends who want to conceive. The fertility center of Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States found that men who like to eat salmon, black carp, and tuna had 34% more sperm than others.

Preventing rheumatoid arthritis: A study by Karolinska Institute in Sweden of 32,000 women showed that consuming 210 milligrams of omega—3 fatty acids per day, equivalent to eating more than 1 fatty fish or 4 lean fish per week, can reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by 52%.