Can fish skin be eaten? The professor tells you how to decide between nutrients and heavy metals

Health     9:32am, 16 July 2025

I posted on 2010-10-20 that fish skin is poisonous? Can it supplement gelatin? , pointed out that an article "warning not to eat fish skin" and an article "encouraging to eat fish skin" are all wrong.

The article "Warning not to eat fish skin" is the "3 major nutrients" published by "Healthy Cloud" on 2018-10-17 to avoid eating fish skin. Zhao Dunci: The amount of heavy metal to remove the skin is 40%.

The article "Encouraging to Eat Fish Skin" is "Healthy Far" published on 2020-1-15, so don't eat fish skin? Don’t lose your nutrition, experts remind you to grasp this big principle.

When I denounced the article "Health Far" that said, "I really don't believe that it actually comes from a "Parent-time lecturer in the Department of Communication and Development of Taida Biotechnology."

Today (2023-6-12) reader anesth responded: "The lecturer of the Department of Publication and Development of Taiwan University of Biological Industry is "Taiwan University Chinese Department and the Master's Class Graduate School of Taiwan University Education Institute". The article he attached introduces this lecturer:

Taiwan University Chinese Department and the graduate of the graduate class of the Taiwan University Education Institute. He has served as a primary school teacher, director of the Taiwan University Registration Group, chairman of the Ministry of Education's Public Service Association, and vice chairman of the National Public Service Association. Before 2010, I suffered from obesity, sleep breathing cessation and hypertension. In early 2010, in order to regain health, I followed the "35921" diet principle and successfully dumped 17 kilograms of meat in four months, but I have not gained weight so far. Feeling the importance of diet and nutrition knowledge, he read a large number of related books, including thousands of books, digested and organized the knowledge he absorbed, and spread scientifically based nutrition education, and online knowledge that was copied and transferred through books and teaching. He has published 4 books including "Balance of Thanks, Healthy and Slimming", and has sold 100,000 copies. Several years ago, I was invited to Taiwan University, Central Plains University, Penghu University of Science and Technology and other schools to set up nutrition-related courses. Many students took the exam and were called one of the "courses that are more difficult than Jiang Hui's concert tickets" by the media. Many students have applied it to them, thus improving obesity and insomnia and dilemma. I was once selected as a good teacher at the school in 107.

Am I taking my skin poisonous now? Can it supplement gelatin? Some copies of this lecturer in this article are as follows:

As for the article "Health Far" it is undoubtedly encouraging everyone to eat fish skin, and one of its reasons is that it "can supplement gelatin." It says: "The gelatin protein of fish has a small molecule and is easy to absorb and utilize. It is the best source of gelatin protein for consumption! … Replenishing gelatin protein helps the synthesis of gelatin protein in the body. When synthesizing gelatin protein, specific amino acids (hydroxyproline, etc.) are only present in gelatin protein, which is not found in general protein."

For the term "the gelatin protein of fish has a small molecule", I searched for countless data, but I just couldn't find any scientific evidence that could support this statement. For example, the following two articles about "fish gelatin" are discussed without mentioning "fish gelatin molecule is small."

2014: Marine Origin Collagens and Its Potential Applications.

2016: Characterization of Collagen from Different Discarded Fish Species of the West Coast of the Iberian Peninsula.

For the statement about "the body is easy to absorb and utilize", I really find it hard to believe that it actually comes from a "concurrent lecturer in the Department of Communication and Development of Taida Biotechnology" (the author of this article). You should know that the smallest gelatin has about 700 amino acids, while the largest one has more than 3,000 amino acids. How could such a huge molecule be "easy to absorb and utilize"? (Note: The current scientific evidence is that the top can only absorb tripeptide, i.e. 3 amino acids)

The statement that "specific amino acids (hydroxyproline, etc.) are needed to be present in gelatin proteins only." The author's meaning is clearly "because only gelatin contains hydroxyproline, eating gelatin can provide hydroxyproline."

However, Hydroxyproline is converted from Proline. It is not used to synthesize gelatin at all. It is Proline, not Hydroxyproline, which is really used to synthesize gelatin proteins. Proline is converted to Hydroxyproline after gelatin synthesis, and this conversion requires vitamin C participation. This is why I often hear that I need to take enough vitamin C to make my skin flush.

No matter what, since Hydroxyproline is not used to synthesize gelatin, no amount of intake will promote gelatin synthesis. In other words, "Hydroxyproline is required when synthesizing gelatin", which is completely nonsense..

Regarding the readers' questions about whether fish skin can be eaten, as far as scientific evidence is concerned, there are only two terms: "may be risky" and "benefits may be more than bad", and there is no "to eat" or "not to eat". In other words, eating or not eating is chosen by individuals, and there is no difference between bad and bad. As a spreader of health knowledge, it should not be recommended to "eat" or "not eat" based on personal preferences or limited knowledge.

Original text: NTU lecturer spreads Error nutrition knowledge

Responsible editor: Gu Zihuan