Why pursue bird's nest, abalone, ginseng and shark's fin to supplement nutrition?

In traditional Chinese cuisine, bird's nest, shark's fin, sea cucumber and abalone are known as the four great delicacies and are treasures at banquets. Some high-end restaurants have also launched banquets featuring bird's nest, shark's fin, sea cucumber and abalone to show their extraordinary quality. However, from a nutritional perspective, these high-end foods may not have great nutritional value.

Complete and incomplete proteins

The nutrients needed by the human body are nothing more than protein, fat, sugar (carbohydrates), minerals, vitamins and water. In recent years, dietary fiber, which has been promoted by nutritionists, is known as the seventh nutrient.

Protein is an active substance that constitutes cells and even life. It is divided into complete protein and incomplete protein. Any protein that contains the eight essential amino acids (threonine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, lysine and methionine) is called a complete protein, the best protein, also known as high-quality protein; if a certain protein lacks one or another of the eight essential amino acids, it is called an incomplete protein, and its nutritional value is slightly inferior.

Judging by this standard, most of the protein contained in the four delicious foods of bird's nest, abalone, sea cucumber and shark's fin is not high-quality protein.

The high-quality protein in bird's nest is not outstanding

The protein contained in bird's nest does not include the above eight essential amino acids for the human body, and is mainly composed of arginine, cystine, histidine, etc. These are not essential amino acids for the human body, and at best they are incomplete proteins, so why should we value them so much!

In fact, ordinary foods such as eggs and milk contain more high-quality protein than bird's nests. What's more, the nitrite contained in bird's nests far exceeds the prescribed limit of 30 mg/kg. The Zhejiang Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce once conducted a sampling survey and testing on the so-called "blood bird's nest" sold on the market and found that the nitrite content in some batches of products exceeded 10,000 mg/kg, exceeding the standard by more than 300 times. The harm caused to the human body can be imagined. Therefore, consumers should keep their eyes open and beware of inferior products and fakes.

Shark fin is mainly composed of collagen

The protein contained in shark fin is mainly collagen, which is an incomplete protein. The human body has a limited need for collagen, and some people may not lack this protein. Eating it is useless and the absorption is limited.

Nutritionists point out that the most unsuitable seafood is shark fins from the "king of the ocean", because sharks eat a variety of foods and have a long growth period, which means they are rich in heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium, with a particularly high content of mercury (commonly known as quicksilver). As we all know, mercury is a chemical that is toxic to the human body and can damage the kidneys and central nervous system, vision, hearing and smell, and can also cause male infertility. From a nutritional point of view, ordinary foods rich in collagen, such as pig's trotters, chicken feet, and pork skin jelly, can completely replace them. From the perspective of protecting marine fishery resources and maintaining ecological balance, it is not appropriate to catch sharks indiscriminately to satisfy your appetite.

Abalone is high in globulin

Most of the proteins contained in animal foods have a high albumin content and a low globulin content, but abalone has a high globulin content. The normal ratio of albumin to globulin in human blood should be 1.5 to 1:1. The body can self-regulate the required ratio of albumin to globulin through the balance system, so there is no need to supplement globulin. In terms of nutritional value, meat, fish, eggs, seafood and shellfish are protein-rich foods and can completely replace abalone.

Sea cucumbers are not easy to digest

The main nutritional component of sea cucumber is protein, and it also contains minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It has low fat and cholesterol content and is a high-protein, low-fat, low-cholesterol food. However, sea cucumber is not easy to digest. In terms of nutritional value, foods such as eggs, milk, and soy products are also rich in protein and are cheap and easy to obtain, which is not inferior to sea cucumbers.

In short, for ordinary people, there is no need to deliberately pursue bird's nest, abalone, ginseng, and shark's fin to supplement nutrition. Ordinary animal foods, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, etc., are better than these four, and are economical and affordable. Why not do it!