I think I can safely say that we all love sushi or have at least tried it as some point in our lives. But just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s healthy. If everyone jumps off a bridge, does that make it okay? Nope! Same with sushi.
Hey all. Today is a great day for anything. The weather’s warm, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I think the stars and planets are aligning correctly (astrologically speaking)! I walked around a bit through town to soak in the everything. That’s when I saw this long line for a popular sushi place downtown.
I’ve never personally enjoyed sushi, except for the ones made with cooked meat. Something about eating raw fish irked me. Seems kinda dangerous – and experts actually agree!
The Dangers in Eating Raw Fish
Just because the raw fish is dressed up all pretty in a rice roll with seasonings and side dips doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat. It’s still raw fish! It’s the same as taking raw steak or other meat and rolling an egg or bun around it, sprinkling it with spices, and then eating it. Eating raw fish has almost the same (if not more) health risks as eating raw meat.
Tapeworms contaminate both raw fish and raw meat. They actually found a Japanese species of tapeworms infesting salmon in the states near Alaska – these kinds of tapeworms usually stay in Asia, but have found their way into our ecosystem. That means tapeworms are becoming more prevalent among fish (as if they weren’t common enough already).
Tapeworm infections are scary as heck too! They don’t go away on their own and the tapeworms can migrate from your gastrointestinal tract to the rest of your body via your bloodstream. They can start eating your organs, including your brain, and your body’s immune system can’t really stop them because they’re too big. If you’re lucky and they stay in your gut, you’ll still end up with some kind of vitamin deficiency because the parasite will be soaking it all up before your intestines can absorb them from the food you eat.
But then again, maybe you might actually eat sushi to get tapeworms on purpose? It’s obviously unhealthy, but the tapeworm diet was (is) a popular fad among people trying to shortcut their weight loss. They let the tapeworm cut their carbs for them while they eat loads of food. Don’t try this by the way – I’m just putting it out there. Some people are pathetic.
Another common parasite you can get from sushi recently made the news. It’s called anisakis simplex. Luckily this one dies on its own because humans aren’t its natural host. But when it dies it leaves a swollen mass anchored somewhere in your GI tract, which can cause pain and other unpleasant symptoms. The infection usually lasts a month and common symptoms range from vomiting and nausea to bleeding from your bowel.
About 40 percent of fish are infected with anisakis and spaghetti worms. So the odds are pretty good that any fish you catch comes with parasites.
But not only that, fish can also have bacterial or viral infections. Salmonella can infect fish too. So yeah, eating raw fish isn’t the safest thing to do.
How Can You Eat Sushi Safely?
There are actually some ways you can maybe lower your dangers of eating sushi made with raw fish. I’d like not to advocate for eating raw fish, but people are going to do it anyway, so they might as well do it safer.
According to experts, freezing raw fish at around -35 degrees Fahrenheit can kill parasites. And you have to keep the raw fish at that temperature for at least 15 hours. But flukes might survive a bit longer. Some sushi restaurants freeze their raw fish, while others don’t. Believe it or not, only in the past few years have some city ordinances and states required that restaurants freeze their raw meat and fish.
But freezing doesn’t kill bacteria like salmonella. So you’re not safe there. But salmonella infections are rare among fish – so you’re not likely to catch it unless the raw fish was contaminated when shipping and handling.
What this means is that you’re basically taking your chances when eating sushi made with raw fish. But by choosing sushi restaurants that freeze their raw fish before preparing them, then you lower your risks of getting a parasite. Since freezing doesn’t kill bacteria, you can help kill any on the sushi you’re about to eat by dipping it in vinegar, which can kill bacteria. However, the sushi might taste yucky after that.
It’s your choice to keep eating sushi or not – I personally say: stay away.
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