Lately on social networks, there is a lot of information circulating that calls catfish the filthiest and most disgusting fish in the world. In a piece of catfish meat, contained 3000 cancer cells. Really? The nickname as the filthiest fish refers to the nature of the catfish that likes to eat anything and can live in all kinds of waste in the waters. Catfish are fish that are classified as voracious, can eat plants or prey on other animals, even eat any carrion. We often find household waste shelters, livestock waste channels, ditches, or ditches used for catfish farming. Not infrequently we also find catfish ponds on which are livestock, both poultry and four-legged animals. The source of catfish feed comes from the livestock manure. Even an article that is quite viral on the internet says that catfish can also be bred in human waste septic tanks. Catfish or catfish are known as a very tough fish species. This fish is equipped with an additional breathing apparatus in the form of a labyrinth, so that it can survive in muddy, dirty or even polluted water conditions. Presumably, this fact has led to allegations of accumulation of carcinogenic toxins (cancer causing) in the body of catfish. Easy to cultivate, tough, and inexpensive to feed, make catfish including fish that are cheap and liked by the community. This fish is a favorite for many people because it has a delicious taste, soft, savory meat texture, easy to process into various dishes. In every stall or restaurant there is always a catfish menu available. Who doesn't know pecel catfish or catfish penyet? Safe for consumption in this modern era, technology is increasingly advanced, but environmental conditions are increasingly being neglected with a lot of environmental pollution. Not only catfish, actually marine fish caught around beaches or estuaries that are polluted by household or industrial waste are thought to have been contaminated with mercury, lead, metals, and so on. which can be harmful to health. So, we cannot equate that a type of fish is safe or not safe for consumption, it all depends on the habitat of the fish. If the fish habitat comes from a place that is not polluted with waste, then the fish is safe for consumption. The next concern is, catfish is a fish that can breed in dirty waters and low in oxygen. Not a few catfish breeders place catfish ponds under animal cages. This is done because catfish are fish that can consume animal waste and even human waste. This situation allows catfish to contain a lot of bacteria. Some of the bacteria commonly found in fish are E.coli, Shigella and Salmonella, these bacteria can be eliminated by proper processing. Make sure you wash the catfish thoroughly and process it with proper heating because the bacteria in the fish flesh can die at certain high temperatures. The rumors that a piece of catfish contains 3,000 cancer cells are not entirely true. As long as the catfish is raised in waters that are not polluted by chemical waste or acute organic waste, it is still safe for consumption. There are many ways to choose fresh and healthy catfish, choose catfish from farms whose habitat is not polluted by waste. Choose the skin that is not moldy, the flesh when pressed hard is not damaged, does not smell bad, the eyes are clear, protruding or convex, the gills are red, the fins and skin are not easily torn. There is also a suggestion to buy live catfish and fast it one to two days before processing. This is supposedly to neutralize or get rid of the dirt in the catfish's body.

The processing must also be precise, wash and clean the catfish until clean in running water. Cook until cooked at the right heat to kill any bacteria that may be present. It is not recommended to eat the innards (internal organs) of catfish, for that it must be washed thoroughly. If you avoid cholesterol better if the catfish by steaming / boiling and not fried. Responding to negative issues surrounding catfish, Dr. Dradjat R Suardi, SpB(K)Onk, a cancer expert from the Indonesian Oncology Association, stated, "There is currently no research that says eating catfish can trigger cancer, (detikHealth, 23/10/2015). ). Good for Health Apart from these concerns, catfish actually has a lot of nutritional content that is very beneficial for the health of the body. Catfish is a cheap source of protein, contains vitamins, DHA, omega-3, low cholesterol and contains other useful substances. The benefits of catfish meat as quoted by halosehat.com, are as follows: Helps brain development. The brain is the central regulator of most systems in our body, it regulates thoughts, behavior, movements and homeostatic functions of the body such as pulse, heart rate, body temperature and fluid balance in the body. Given the important role of the brain in our bodies, we should be able to provide the best intake for our brains. in catfish contained omega-3, DHA, and vitamin A which is very good for our brain development. In addition, catfish also contains high protein which consists of more than 25 amino acids that play an important role in the process of sending messages from one brain cell to another. Healthy heart. Catfish contains omega-3 and omega-6 which are commonly found in expensive fish such as cod and salmon. The content of omega-3 and omega-6 can help heart and brain health activities, and a serving of catfish contains 220 mg of omega-3 and 875 mg of omega-6. In addition, catfish also contains potassium which plays a role in maintaining proper electrolyte levels so that the heart remains healthy. Good for the nervous system. One of the tasks of the nervous system in our body is to receive information in the form of stimulation. If our nervous system is disturbed, there will be health problems which are usually characterized by frequent headaches. You can help keep our nerves healthy by consuming vitamin B12 as needed. Catfish meat is a good source of vitamin B12 for neurological health or the nervous system in the body. Aids in weight loss diets. Everyone would want a body with an ideal body weight. Various ways are done to achieve the ideal body weight and one of them is by dieting. Catfish is a food that needs to be consumed when undergoing a weight loss diet because catfish contains very little carbohydrates and fat. The fat content of catfish is much less than other animal side dishes such as beef and chicken. Helps the wound healing process. Have you ever heard that you shouldn't eat fishy-smelling food when you have a wound or after undergoing surgery because it will prolong the wound healing process? I hope you don't believe that because it's just a myth. You could say all the fish smelled fishy. Foods that smell fishy are mostly good sources of protein. One of them is catfish. Catfish has a high protein which plays an important role in the wound healing process. Protein has the ability as a building block, so when an injury occurs, the protein will help the process of forming new cells. Helps maintain healthy bones and teeth. The high phosphorus content in catfish is very helpful for the health of our bones and teeth. If the intake of phosphorus in our body is less it will cause osteoporosis or porous bones. In pregnant women the need for phosphorus will increase due to the formation of fetal bones. Helps maintain blood pressure. The ratio of potassium and sodium in catfish 5 to 1 is very good for circulatory health so that your blood pressure is maintained. In addition, the omega-3 contained in catfish is also believed to maintain normal blood pressure. That's some information about catfish, a fish that is considered the dirtiest, but it turns out that this fish also has high nutritional value. If catfish is raised in a good and clean manner, of course it is very safe for consumption and the meat is very useful for human health.