Nutritionists say that shark fin is indeed a high-protein food. The edible part of each hundred grams of dried shark fin contains 83.5 grams of protein. However, its protein is an incomplete protein lacking tryptophan, which is difficult for the human body. Absorption, belongs to fibrous collagen. Collagen is a protein with poor nutritional value, not as high as the albumin in milk or the globulin in lean meat. Nutritionists have analyzed that if only analyzed in terms of protein, each 100 grams of dried shark fin contains 83.5 grams of protein, which is higher than the same weight of eggs (12.7 grams), lean pork (21.7 grams), peanuts (25 grams), and soybeans (35 grams). Out a lot. But how much does one hundred grams of dried shark fin cost? How much does the same weight of eggs, lean pork, peanuts, and soybeans cost? However, the protein in shark fin has about the same nutritional value as beef tendon, pig trotters, and pig skin. Shark fin is shark cartilage. Cartilage is not a rare thing. There is a lot of it at the bottom of pork ribs. Professor Su Yixiang, chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Nutrition Society, said that the nutritional value of shark fin is similar to that of fish jelly and aspic jelly.
Most shark fins nowadays are not safe, and the claim that they contain mercury is indeed true. Research by an environmental investigation team shows that shark fin soup contains high concentrations of the toxic substance mercury, which is harmful to the human higher nervous system. Two random toxicity tests conducted on shark fins sold in Bangkok showed that shark fins, a delicious and high-end nutritional product, were contaminated with mercury to a degree of up to 70%, and the mercury content that could be absorbed by the human body was 42 times higher than the normal allowable content. The source of mercury is untreated wastewater. Australia and New Zealand have also recently issued warnings to their citizens, specifically reminding pregnant women not to eat shark meat. Because excessive intake of mercury can cause great harm to pregnant women and their children, especially affecting the development of children's brains and nerve cells. Most of the mercury in shark fins comes from polluted seawater, and sharks are at the highest position in the food chain, so the mercury in their bodies can always accumulate.
Nowadays, people regard shark fin as a delicacy and nourishing food, and there is a "shark fin craze". According to statistics, 100 million sharks are killed every year. The purpose of this popular science wall chart display event, jointly organized by the Municipal Association for Science and Technology, the International Wildlife Association and the Guangzhou Aquarium, is to help citizens re-understand sharks and avoid eating shark fins.
The person in charge of the Guangzhou Aquarium introduced a study on shark fins by the Department of Ecology and Taxonomy of the University of Hong Kong. Studies have found that shark fins contain much higher levels of mercury or other heavy metals than other fish. This is because humans continue to discharge wastewater from industrial production processes into the ocean, resulting in high levels of mercury and other heavy metals in the seawater, which also affects marine life. Sharks are at the top of the marine food chain and tend to accumulate large amounts of pollution toxins in their bodies. In addition to causing male infertility, mercury can also damage the central nervous system and kidneys if the content in the human body is too high. Therefore, eating more shark meat and shark fins may be harmful to the human body.
Experts say that there is currently no definite scientific basis to prove that shark fins are effective for health. The deliciousness of shark fin soup mainly comes from its ingredients, not the shark fin itself.
Spot checks in the Hong Kong market showed that 8 out of 10 shark fins contained high levels of mercury, with the maximum content being four times the allowed amount. Cooking does not remove the toxicity of mercury or other heavy metals. After eating shark fin, mercury and other heavy metals enter the body and are difficult to be excreted, but accumulate in the body.