What do worms look like in herring and can they be in salted fish?

Fish is a common source of human infection with worms. In Russia, it is herring that is the source of human infection with fish parasites. There are many types of helminths living in herring, but not all of them are dangerous to humans. However, there are worms that can lead to death.

Let's look at what diseases are caused by worms in herring. Let's find out whether you can eat salted or smoked herring. What measures should you take to protect yourself from infection with dangerous parasites when eating herring?

Is it possible to eat herring with worms?

If salted herring contains worms, this does not mean that it should be thrown into the trash. The prevalence of parasitic worms in marine fish caught in Dutch, Norwegian and Swiss waters can reach 100%. Domestic stores and markets receive fresh and frozen fish that have undergone double veterinary control (by the exporter and importer).

Herring is considered suitable for sale in frozen and chilled form, provided that there are no live worms in it. Having identified sexually mature individuals in the belly and larvae in the muscles, the veterinary service sends the products for industrial processing (smoking, canned food, minced meat).

You can eat salted herring, which contains live worms, without fear, by throwing away all its insides, including caviar and milt. Soaking the carcass in a vinegar solution (1 tablespoon of vinegar per 8 tablespoons of water) will help kill the larvae in the muscles of the fish. Preparing dishes from chilled and frozen herring involves heat treatment of the fish (boiling, frying) for 20-40 minutes.

Treatment of helminthiasis

Now you know why worms in herring are dangerous. Is it possible to eat (a photo of parasites is presented in this article) such a product? We also answered this question above.

If the unpleasant diagnosis is confirmed, then treatment should be started immediately. As a rule, it includes taking antihelminthic drugs. In some cases, surgery may be required.

After completing the course of treatment, the patient is placed under constant clinical observation for a period of one year. In this case, every 4-6 months it is necessary to carry out the FGDS procedure.

What parasites affect herring

The percentage of fish infected with helminths (extensiveness of infection), the number of helminths in fish (intensity of infection) and finally the species diversity of the parasitic fauna can vary even within the same species of fish, while herring is a genus, not a species.

These indicators are influenced by:

• type and subspecies of fish (there are 5 species of herring and many subspecies (only the Atlantic herring has 5), as well as stocks that have their own characteristics);
• age of the fish;
• fish habitat;
• season.

Thus, a study conducted in 1956 by Russian parasitologist S.S. Shulman, showed the presence of 17 species of parasites in the White Sea herring (one of the stocks of Pacific herring, a subspecies of Atlantic herring).

In a scientific article by N.L. Aseeva and A.N. Smirnov, published in 2014, presents the results of a study of herring in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. In 353 fish specimens, 20 species of parasites were found, among them:

• nematodes (roundworms) 4 species;
• cestodes (tapeworms) 2 types;
• trematodes (digenetic flukes) 5 species;
• acanthocephalans (spiny-headed worms) 5 species;
• coccidia (subclass of protozoa) 1 species;
• Myxosporidium (class of microscopic invertebrates) 3 species.

In total, 27 species of parasites have been identified in Pacific herring.

Thus, sea fish free from parasites is just a myth, spread among the people either out of ignorance or deliberately by unscrupulous traders.

The species diversity of herring parasites can be considered small: for comparison, exactly 100 species of parasites were found in pollock, and representatives of only one subfamily of cyprinids, the Cheholniformes, are carriers of 71 species of parasites. However, the extent of infection among herring (i.e., the percentage of infected fish) is much more important, since the presence of at least one species of parasites dangerous to humans is more important than the infestation of hundreds of species that are not dangerous.

In herring, only roundworms of the family Anisakidae (causative agents of anisakiasis) and spiny-headed worms of the genus Corynosoma (causative agents of corynosomiasis) are dangerous to humans. The trematodes and cestodes (tapeworms) living in it, even if eaten, will not be able to infect a person and will die in his gastrointestinal tract.

Unfortunately, despite such a small number of parasite species dangerous to humans, it is anisakids that live in herring most often.

So, according to the study of A.A. Smirnov, from 40% (in the Tauiskaya Bay) to 76% (in the main part of the water area) of the herring in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is infected with the larvae of these deadly worms.

Research by I.G. Rybnikova and V.I. Martyshko showed that in a number of bays of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the infestation of herring by anisakids is even higher: in Piltun Bay 83%, in Nyisky Bay 84%. The extent of infection in Lake Tunaicha on Sakhalin Island is extremely high - 95%.

The highest percentage of infection was revealed by a study by N.P. Sedova and O.D. Bokhina. Among 100 specimens of Atlantic herring purchased in Balashov (Saratov region), all 100 were infected with anisakids.

As for the corynosomes (acanthocephalans of the genus Corynosoma), they, according to the already mentioned research by S.S. Shulman are relatively rare. Herring from two bays of the White Sea, Chernorechenskaya Bay and Gridinskaya Bay, were studied. In the first bay, 13% of the fish were infected with corynosomes, in the second, not a single fish from the sample.

How to detect dangerous parasites in herring

We must not forget that anisakids are a family of nematodes, not a species. Among members of this family, people can become infected with at least five species of anisakid:

• Anisakis simplex herring (or herring) worm;
• Pseudoterranova decipiens cod worm;
• Contracaecum osculatum;
• Hysterothylacium aduncum (synonym Contracaecum aduncum);
• Porrocaecum reticulatum.

All of the above anisakid species (or at least the first four) are found in herring and vary markedly in appearance and habitat.

Herring worms (A. simplex) are slightly transparent gray-white worms, twisted into spirals, covered with a translucent, sometimes slightly yellowish film. The diameter of such cysts ranges from 1.5 to 6 mm, and the length of the larva twisted in it when straightened reaches from 15 to 40 mm. As a rule, the larvae are immobile.

Occasionally, herring worms can be caught in a free state, if by the time of their death (or simply detection) they do not have time to form a cyst.

Most often, A. simplex is encapsulated in the body cavities of fish on the liver, gonads, mesentery and pyloric appendages (blind appendages of the intestine). In addition, these parasites can attach to the calf, muscles and even inside the muscles, which is clearly visible in the photo below.

P. decipiens, or cod worms, in the vast majority of cases live in the herring in a straightened state, without forming any capsules, however, encapsulated specimens are also found. Their body length ranges from 10 to 60 mm, width from 0.3 to 1.2 mm. Color varies from white to reddish brown.

Cod worms in herring are localized not only in the muscles, intestines, pyloric appendages, on the surface of the liver and mesentery, but also in the stomach and on its surface.

The nematodes C. osculatum, judging by references in the scientific literature, are found only in herring inhabiting the Baltic Sea. The larvae of these small worms can be brownish or yellowish in color and range in length from 0.24 to 24 mm. Like A. simplex, C. osculatum are found in flat, round capsules, although they are shaped like a comma or an S rather than a spiral.

The larvae of these parasites are found in the serous membrane covering the abdominal organs of fish, very often in the liver (including deep in the parenchyma), less often in the muscles.

The larvae of the nematode H. aduncum are extremely similar to the larvae of C. osculatum (body length from 3 to 30 mm with a width from 0.3 to 0.9 mm). Herring caught in one of the Norwegian fjords of the North Sea was infected with these helminths. No other herring populations have been reported to be infected.

Most often, this type of helminth is localized between the pyloric appendages, on the intestinal walls, and on the surface of the liver and stomach of fish.

As for P. reticulatum, it is unknown whether the larvae of these nematodes can live specifically in herring, however, the scientific literature speaks of parasitism of P. reticulatum in fish of the herring family. Other well-known representatives of this family are sprats, sardines and sprat, so in any case it would not hurt a potential buyer to know what helminths of this species look like.

The larvae of P. reticulatum do not exceed 20 mm in length and 0.20.5 mm in width. These worms are found in herring both in encapsulated and free states. Inside fish, they are able to live on the surface of internal organs, in the body cavity, in the pyloric appendages and stomach, and rarely in the muscles.

Since anisakidosis is a fairly new problem in parasitology, it is currently unknown whether other anisakid species can be infected. If nematodes significantly different from those described above are detected, you should not take the risk of eating fish infected with them without thorough heat treatment. Otherwise, you may become the discoverer of another dangerous helminth species for humans.

Do not forget: until 1955, it was believed that only marine mammals, fish and birds could get anisakiasis, until a resident of the Netherlands, after eating lightly salted herring, proved the danger of this helminthiasis for people.

As already mentioned, anisakids are not the only parasites in herring that are dangerous to humans. They are accompanied by acanthocephalans of the genus Corynosoma. Corinosome larvae (pictured below the paragraph) resemble tiny, less than 1 cm long, white tadpoles that penetrate the muscles and insides of fish.

Bibliography

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brucellosis. Parasites. Link
• Corbel MJ Parasitic diseases // World Health Organization. Link
• Young EJ Best matches for intestinal parasites // Clinical Infectious Diseases. — 1995. Vol. 21. - P. 283-290. Link
• Yushchuk N.D., Vengerov Yu.A. Infectious diseases: textbook. — 2nd edition. - M.: Medicine, 2003. - 544 p.
• Prevalence of parasitic diseases among the population, 2009 / Kokolova L. M., Reshetnikov A. D., Platonov T. A., Verkhovtseva L. A.
• Helminths of domestic carnivores of the Voronezh region, 2011 / Nikulin P. I., Romashov B. V.

An article for patients with a doctor-diagnosed disease. Does not replace a doctor's appointment and cannot be used for self-diagnosis.

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From: Lyudmila S. ()

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How to rid your body of life-threatening parasites before it’s too late!

A parasitologist explains what effective methods exist to combat helminths.

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What to do with helminth-infected fish

Marine fish are infected with parasitic worms to such an extent that the sale of infected fish is officially permitted if a veterinary and sanitary examination has determined the death of the larvae. Anisakids die from cold under the following conditions:

• in 10 minutes at 18 C;
• for 4-5 days at 20 C;
• for 14 days at 30 C.

Conscientious producers comply with this temperature regime when freezing fish, so it is almost impossible to become infected with worms after eating herring from a specialized fish store or a reputable supermarket.

After defrosting, such fish can be salted or marinated and consumed even without heat treatment.

A herring bought at the market of a provincial town, secondhand or caught with one’s own hands, is a completely different matter. It is unacceptable to salt or pickle it for immediate consumption, since anisakids can survive in pickled or salted herring prepared in a standard way for up to two months. This is confirmed by the video below.

Although salting standards for the destruction of anisakis have not been developed, they can be used to neutralize fish from Siberian flukes: for fish up to 25 cm in length, strong salting is required for 21 days, for fish over 25 cm, 40 days.

If it is not possible to freeze herring at the above temperature, and there are no plans to salt it, the only option is to thermally treat the fish, i.e. boil or fry. Herring with worms becomes disinfected after just 10 minutes of cooking at a temperature of 60 C and above.

Are helminths dangerous in smoked fish? Perhaps, since anisakids can easily tolerate temperatures up to 45 C, while cold smoking occurs at temperatures up to 25 C. If you buy hot smoked herring, it is advisable to ask the merchant if he has documents confirming the passage of veterinary and sanitary control. In the absence of such, it is better not to risk your health.

As domestic and foreign studies show, herring with parasites is not the exception, but rather the rule: in some waters, up to 95-100% of the herring population is infected with anisakiids that are dangerous to humans.

Once in the human body, anisakids can cause stomach ulcers and even perforation of the intestines with the development of peritonitis, which can be fatal. Salted and pickled herring, as well as cold smoked fish, are no less dangerous than raw herring. Only heat-treated herring is guaranteed to be safe.

general information

When buying tasty and fatty salted fish, few people think about the fact that worms in herring are a fairly common occurrence. After all, such a product must undergo a series of thorough checks before hitting store shelves. Unfortunately, such verification is not always carried out by control authorities.

It is no secret that fish is very beneficial for the human body, as it is rich in minerals and vitamins. But in some cases, this product can easily become a source of serious danger. Experts say that worms found in herring can easily be transmitted to humans.

Potentially, about 20 different helminths can live in the flesh of the fish in question. So are all the worms in herring dangerous for humans?

Dangerous representatives among helminths

Unfortunately, there are also those who are not afraid of the environment in the intestines. Experts identify three main diseases that are caused by parasites living in herring.

1. anisakidosis. This disease is caused by roundworm-like worms called anisacids. They cut into the thin tissue of the walls of the intestines and stomach. Such actions lead to severe abdominal pain, which is accompanied by problems with bowel movements, severe nausea and subsequent vomiting, and often high fever. The symptoms of anisacidosis are very similar to those of appendicitis. During the acute phase, this disease can be fatal to humans;
2. diphyllobothriasis. Caused by nasty intestinal tapeworms. Quite large in size, the maximum recorded size is 25 meters. Symptoms include general weakness in the body, cutting pain in the abdomen, nausea, leading to loss of appetite and weight loss. In some cases, anemia develops;
3. opisthorchiasis. The cause of this disease is the so-called cat fluke. The so-called hosts have a similar name for everyone in whose stomach worms have appeared; they are large mammals, humans in particular. The cat fluke, penetrating the intestines, poses a danger to the liver, first of all, the bile ducts are also at risk. Often they are also accompanied by a threat to the gallbladder.

Herring, in which worms develop and reproduce, is a transient host for them. Diseases caused by parasites can cause problems in a variety of organs of the human body, from their immediate habitat of the gastrointestinal tract, to the heart, lungs and even the brain.

There is an opinion that salted herring cannot contain parasites, since during the salting process the fish has already undergone the necessary processing. This rule only works if the product was prepared according to the required standards, without any violations.

That is, even ready-made herring must be checked when purchasing for infection with parasites.

How to determine the presence of helminths in fish

There is no need to reinvent the wheel and come up with signs of a sick herring; the rules for choosing a healthy product already exist; all you have to do is remember them and stick to them when going to the table for a dish.

Press your finger on the carcass of the fish you like. If the dent from touch does not return to its original form for a long time, most likely, helminths have already occupied the body of this herring.

Pay attention to the eyes of the fish; if they are covered with a cloudy film or have a suspiciously unnatural shade, it means that this carcass has also been affected by the disease.

• The saggy abdomen is large in size, clearly swollen.
• Unpleasant odor emanating from the gills.
• The scales come off easily during cleaning, the body itself seems to be covered with mucus and sticks unpleasantly to your hands.

Knowing these five rules, you can easily determine whether a herring is wormy or not. It is worth noting an important fact about the place where the product was purchased. The most correct decision would be to buy any fish in specialized stores or counters that undergo special checks, during which a license is issued and the quality of the product is determined.

However, even there you need to be vigilant and personally examine, feel, and, if necessary, sniff every carcass that your eye falls on. It is because of their own carelessness that people are so susceptible to various diseases.

But what if for some reason you forgot to subject the product to your own inspection and have already purchased it?

The question naturally arises of what herring worms look like so that they can be identified during the process of cutting fish.

Let's sum it up

As you can see, the danger of becoming infected with a helminth by eating ordinary salted or smoked herring is quite real. Therefore, when choosing such fish, special attention should be paid to its quality. If it seems to you that the product is not of the first freshness, then it is better not to take it. If infection does occur, you should immediately contact an experienced doctor.

Any holiday table must include herring dishes. This beloved salted fish is served both as an independent dish and as part of many salads. If, when cutting, the housewife discovers worms in the herring, she should immediately get rid of such fish. You should not waste money and try to manually select parasites, because infection of the body with helminths is extremely dangerous to health.

Appearance of parasites

Basically, helminths are located near eggs or milk, as they contain many useful elements, both for humans and for worms.

Anisakids are similar in appearance to pinworms, but are much larger than their less dangerous counterparts.

They reach a length of about 5-6 centimeters and are mainly in a twisted state called spindle-shaped. At one of the rounded ends there are lips.

But it is not the parasites themselves that are dangerous, but their larvae.

Small cat fluke. One and a half centimeters wide and three long. But her eggs are not possible to see without special equipment. The tapeworm, which also lives in fish, is a type of tapeworm.

What else is dangerous about salted and smoked fish?

Processing such as smoking or salting involves the use of large amounts of salt, which is not good for health, especially if these products are consumed frequently and in large quantities. Excess salt provokes increased blood pressure, fluid retention in tissues and the formation of edema. Such a load of salt and water is especially dangerous for people with heart and kidney pathologies.

Modern technologies for smoking fish turn a potentially useful product into a downright harmful one. If this is a hot smoking technology, smoke containing carcinogenic components (especially benzopyrene) that are absorbed into the carcass becomes harmful. If this is a cold smoking technology, then it involves soaking the fish in a chemical composition with the aroma of smoke, and literally after 30 minutes such fish acquires a smoked aroma and taste. This composition is so strong that it removes the smell of even slightly rotten fish, and the manufacturer can easily pass off a spoiled batch of fish as fresh. This threatens the consumer with digestive disorders and poisoning.

Diphyllobothriasis

This parasitic disease is caused by the helminth broad tapeworm or tapeworm, which reaches a length of 25 meters. Human infestation with worms occurs when eating raw or improperly prepared fish, including herring. Freshly prepared caviar can also be a source of infestation.

The causative agents of the broad tapeworm continue to live even in heavily salted herring. The risk of invasion from lightly salted herring is even greater.

When infected fish are consumed, mature helminth eggs attach to the wall of the upper small intestine and develop into adults in just 24 weeks. The parasite mechanically injures the intestinal wall. The waste products of the parasite cause allergic reactions in humans. At the same time, an infected person is a source of invasion, because the wide tapeworm in the human intestine produces 2 million eggs per day. The incubation period is 2060 days. The infection begins acutely or takes a latent course.

Symptoms of the disease:

• Nausea is a common symptom, vomiting is rare;
• pain throughout the abdomen or in the epigastric region;
• temperature rise to 37.037.3 C.

With a long course of the disease, signs of exhaustion appear:

• irritability;
• dizziness;
• pain and red spots on the tongue with sensitivity disorder;
• B12-deficiency anemia is increasing.

A sign of the disease is the excretion of worm segments in the feces. The progression of the disease is expressed in sudden changes in blood composition. The infection is characterized by a so-called lacquered tongue that is bright red and without papillae.

Anisakidosis

Anisakiasis infection is a relatively new problem in parasitology. A case of the disease was first identified in 1955 in Holland after eating lightly salted herring. A number of scientific studies have revealed the serious consequences of human infection with anisakids.

Let's turn to the facts of statistics. Anisakids infect 100% of herring from the Pacific Ocean, 35% of pollock, 50% of hake and 30% of mackerel. This information is given to warn about the need for heat treatment of fish.

The most common herring helminth is anisakids. Almost all herring on Russian shelves are infected with these parasites. The larvae appear as small twisted spirals located on the inner wall of the fish or on top of the eggs and in the milk. They are the ones who have a harmful effect on humans.

Anisakids are very resistant to external factors. They die when frozen below -18 degrees only after 2 weeks. The worms remain alive in lightly salted herring, and with normal salting they are only immobilized. The larvae come to life as soon as they enter the human body. At the same time, they injure the mucous membranes of the larynx or the walls of the stomach and intestines, and thus penetrate into the blood. The larvae are spread throughout the body, but are more often localized in the stomach and intestines, where they cause eosinophilic granulomas.

Clinical forms of the disease:

• The intestinal form of anisacidosis is characterized by variability from an asymptomatic course to an acute form, when patients end up on the operating table with signs of appendicitis or peritonitis. Anisakids bite into the intestinal wall, mechanically damaging it until it is perforated. Signs of the disease in the intestinal form appear 714 days after eating herring. Patients complain of abdominal pain near the navel and on the right in the projection of the appendix, bloating and rumbling. Liquid stool may be streaked with blood and mucus. The disease can occur in acute, subacute or chronic forms. The severe course of the disease is manifested by symptoms of duodenal ulcer and enterocolitis. The intestinal form of infection may be accompanied by allergic reactions. A complication of the disease is perforation of the intestinal wall with peritonitis or acute intestinal obstruction.
• Signs of the disease in the gastric form appear 12 hours after eating fish. Patients complain of severe cramping abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, sometimes with blood. Allergic reactions of varying severity, up to angioedema, are characteristic of the acute form of the disease. The temperature may rise to 38.0 C. If the larvae migrate from the stomach through the esophagus, pain and sore throat appears, along with a cough with which the larvae clear the throat. Anisakidosis may manifest itself as signs of cholecystitis, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer or stomach tumor. The acute form of the disease is dangerous and severe, with possible death.
• The allergic form of anisacidosis occurs in the form of urticaria and bronchospasm, up to the development of bronchial asthma.
• Skin lesions are secondary in nature and are associated with decreased immunity due to depletion of the body by parasite larvae.

Workers in the fish processing industry develop occupational diseases: dermatitis, urticaria, bronchial asthma and conjunctivitis. Allergic forms of the disease can occur without gastrointestinal symptoms.

Laboratory stool testing does not detect larvae or parasites. In the blood test in the initial stage of the disease, eosinophilia and leukocytosis are noted. Fibrogastroduodenoscopy (FGDS) shows foci of erosion with swelling at the site of larval penetration. The larvae themselves are often visible and removed. Serological diagnostic methods have no practical application. Treatment is carried out with Albendazole 400 mg morning and evening for 1 month.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=pMrnDoWXNvk

Opisthorchiasis

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This parasitic disease is caused by a cat fluke from the class of flukes. A person becomes infected with worms by eating poorly thermally processed, raw, lightly salted or lightly dried herring. The carrier of opisthorchiasis, be it a person or a cat, is the source of infection. Signs of an allergic disease appear 24 weeks after invasion.

Symptoms of opisthorchiasis:

• itchy skin rashes;
• temperature increase;
• asthmatic bronchitis;
• arthralgia and myalgia.

Symptoms of damage to internal organs appear as the larvae mature into adults. The favorite place of the cat fluke is the liver and bile ducts.

Clinical manifestations of this stage:

• pain in the right hypochondrium after eating due to blockage of the bile ducts;
• girdle pain in the abdomen radiating to the left half of the chest, a sign of pancreatitis;
• nausea and vomiting;
• lack of appetite;
• yellowing of the sclera and skin;
• alternating constipation with diarrhea.

Over time, the absorption of fat-soluble and other vitamins is impaired. The progression of the disease is complicated by liver failure and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to eat herring without getting infected

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Is it possible to eat raw fish? Based on official statistics, raw fish is dangerous due to the high risk of worm infestation. And this confirms the fact of the high incidence of diphyllobothriasis in Japan, where it is customary to eat sushi. Prevention of helminthic infestation by freezing or heat treating herring and all other types of fish. At the same time, the technology maintains the processing exposure:

• Boil and fry in small pieces for 20 minutes.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hour!
• Dry for 3 weeks with preliminary salting for 3 days.

You can eat salted herring if you are sure that it was frozen for two weeks below -18 degrees before salting. Otherwise, you risk getting a dangerous infection. Lightly salted herring contains dangerous live parasite larvae. Therefore, you should buy fish in large shopping centers, where the products are controlled.

The answer to the question whether freshly caught fish can be eaten is this information. According to the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor, caught fish must be gutted or frozen as quickly as possible. This is explained by the fact that after the fish is caught, the parasite larvae move from the abdomen to the muscles of the fish. Thus, if the technology is not followed, herring and all its brothers are dangerous to humans. Gut the caught fish immediately or put it in the refrigerator at home for 2 weeks to freeze below -18.

Armed with such knowledge, it is not difficult to answer the question of whether you can eat fish if you find worms in the herring. At the moment when you saw this disgusting picture, the larvae had already moved into the muscles of the fish and it can only be eaten after careful heat treatment. But there is only one nuance in this: the complete absence of a feeling of disgust. It should be understood that even with heat treatment, the larvae can remain alive if the fish is boiled or fried whole.

To summarize, let us recall. According to statistics, all herring are infected with anisakids or other parasites. Diseases caused by fish worms are dangerous for humans. Some helminthiases can occur latently or manifest as allergic diseases that a person does not associate with eating herring.

A carrier of worms is a source of infection for others.

In order not to be tormented by the question of whether purchased herring can be eaten, it must be frozen for 2 weeks or subjected to thorough heat treatment. At the same time, it must be cut into small pieces and exposed to exposure. If you experience suspicious symptoms, contact a parasitologist.

Benefits for exercise and diet

Herring contains no less protein than our usual eggs or meat. And it is digestible even better than chicken or beef, so this fish can be eaten even by those who are trying to lose weight.

It is recommended for those who regularly play sports, as it helps keep the body in good shape, fights fatigue and increases performance.

Experts recommend choosing fresh fish and steaming it or baking it in the oven with vegetables with almost no salt. Unfortunately, everyone's favorite salted herring will bring much less benefit.