Is Fish Good for You?

Close your eyes if you do not want to read about toilet, fart, oil.

People say eating fish is good for you... maybe, maybe not?

This morning, I realised I had oily farts. Bright orangey droplets of oil spewed out of my rectum when I released gas. It is actually quite funny, if it wasn't happening to me. In the toilet, the droplets of bright orange oil floated on the top of the water. After some research on the Net, the culprit was identified as a fillet of butterfish we consumed yesterday night.

Escolar is marketed as butterfish and oilfish, sometimes also deceptively sold as codfish or sea bass. It is consumed in several European and Asian countries, and the USA. Escolar has a white flesh and black skin, similar to codfish. Sometimes it is served raw as sashimi or cooked. I steamed mine with ginger and spring onions yesterday night. Texture wise, it was akin to cooked tuna. Taste wise, it had the aftertaste like from a flake fillet (shark) which I generally do not like. It leaves a rough taste in the mouth, is not sweet as expected from fish.

So why can escolar cause oily farts? Escolar cannot metabolize the wax esters found in its diet, therefore it accumulates throughout its life as oil in its meat. While the esters are similar to Omega 3 oils, the difference is that it cannot be consumed. Wax esters are used by the fish to aid bouyancy. In the human body, the wax esters may cause gastrointestinal symptoms following consumption such as oily orange diarrhea, stomach cramps, loose bowel movements, headaches, nausea and vomitting. These symptoms are short term, which lasts a day or two. Long term side effects of continual consumption of this fish is called seborrhea, where the wax esters are released through the sebaceous gland of the skin, blocking the pores and potentially interfering with metabolism.

Consumption of the fish is actually banned in Japan as the goverment considers it toxic. It is also banned in Italy. The Canadian government has not banned consumption of the fish but recommends consumers speak to their retailer to verify the species of fish and consume the fish in small portions (6 ounces or less) using preparation methods that reduce oil content (such as grilling, or steaming).

I'm not sure if I'm an anomaly in the charts, but my consumption of the fish last night was DEFNITELY less than 6 ounces - it was half a small fillet, and cooked totally oil free by steaming but I still had the symptoms. Luckily it was not as severe as it could have been. So for me, I will definitely not go near a butterfish again!!