Health warning: Why you should think twice about eating escolar
Fish likely make up a large part of our diet. Many species are indeed healthy and recommended by dietitians. Unfortunately, we often choose ones best avoided, such as escolar.
4 August 2024 12:03
Escolar refers to several species. Most often, this term refers to butterfish, escolar, and oilfish. It's worth noting that, for example, the sale of this fish is prohibited in Italy.
Escolar contains a lot of tasty and fatty meat. As we read on dietetycy.org, for two species, over 90% of the fats they contain are wax esters that the human body does not digest. Worse still, for this reason, eating such fish can cause unpleasant side effects. Dietitians strongly advise against consuming this fish, especially for pregnant women, children, and the elderly.
Limit its consumption. It can cause unpleasant ailments
When buying escolar in Canadian stores, we most often get butterfish and escolar. Due to the high content of the aforementioned wax esters, frequent consumption of these fish can impact our health. In what way? It all starts with digestive problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, and headaches. Heart problems and skin changes can also occur.
Moreover, the first worrying symptoms may appear about 2 hours and 30 minutes after eating the unhealthy fish. They usually subside within 24 hours.
Is escolar all bad?
Dietitians advise limiting the consumption of escolar. But do these species really contain no nutrients? Not at all. Escolar contains a lot of niacin, a vitamin from the B group. It's worth knowing that niacin is essential for our brain and nervous system to function properly.
