`You have to be careful eating S .E.Asia canned Sardines as someone

did a report on them and found many brands tested had worms and

worm eggs that were still viable even after canning.

I only eat King Oscar from the cold waters of Norway,and they are the

only brand that don't come back up on me. they are more expensive

than local brands ,but I don't want to end up like Robert F Kennedy Jr.

regards Worgeordie

1 hour ago, wn78 said:

it would be my last choice too. But with the inexpensive Sumaco brand I mentioned, the ones in tomato sauce are edible, compared to their olive oil version, which I found off-putting. I'm buying them while I'm still looking for a decent olive oil version here.

But what species are these???

They look HUGE....

I do not consider these to be sardines.

In Fact: Here is what they ACTUALLY are...it seems.....

Product Origin Analysis

The product depicted in "image_412d1c.jpg" is not the same as the canned fish originating from Norway or Portugal. The image displays a product from Sumaco, a commercial brand manufactured by the Thai corporation Chin Huay. Corporate documentation specifies that the fish utilized in their sardine lines are sourced directly from Japan.

Taxonomic Classification

In ichthyology and commercial food regulation (such as the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius), the term "sardine" is non-taxonomic and polyphyletic. It encompasses over twenty distinct species of small, epipelagic forage fish within the family Clupeidae.

• Norwegian Canned Sardines: These typically utilize the European sprat (Sprattus sprattus), commercially marketed as brisling. They are noted for their small size and delicate texture.

• Portuguese Canned Sardines: These predominantly utilize the European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus).

• Sumaco Sardines: Given the documented Japanese origin of the biomass, the species is categorized as the Japanese pilchard (Sardinops melanostictus).

Therefore, while the product in the image is legally and commercially classified as a sardine, it represents a distinct biological species and geographic population from the European and North Atlantic variants. The morphological characteristics, lipid content, and textural profile will differ accordingly.

Do you see the difference?

I love sardines, if REAL they be....

But, real sardines will cost 8X the Sumaco cost for these inferior fish, which I do not like.

59 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

`You have to be careful eating S .E.Asia canned Sardines as someone

did a report on them and found many brands tested had worms and

worm eggs that were still viable even after canning.

I only eat King Oscar from the cold waters of Norway,and they are the

only brand that don't come back up on me. they are more expensive

than local brands ,but I don't want to end up like Robert F Kennedy Jr.

regards Worgeordie

Yes, Sir...

I am completely WITH YOU in your thinking and in your culinary preferance.

My only problem is finding this brand, or similar brand, also from Norway, and then paying for it.

How much do you pay?

How do you source it?

Do you ship them over, yourself, from Norway, for example?

I do LOVE sardines, and counterfeit sardines which are mislabeled are just two fishy for me.

Best regards,

Gamma

When they talk about PILCHARDS vs SARDINES, then one is big and the other is small.

And, the bigger they are the less tender.

So, if you want to eat one on a cracker, then I hardly think you might want a PILCHARD, which could be....

Bigger than the Cracker, itself, and twice as tough, with bones poking you inside your cheeks.

This is not fun, and maybe not healthy, either.

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

`You have to be careful eating S .E.Asia canned Sardines as someone

did a report on them and found many brands tested had worms and

worm eggs that were still viable even after canning.

I only eat King Oscar from the cold waters of Norway,and they are the

only brand that don't come back up on me. they are more expensive

than local brands ,but I don't want to end up like Robert F Kennedy Jr.

regards Worgeordie

You, Sir, will be most happy to know that your statement about worms and worm eggs, viable ones, anyway, is FALSE....

Here is why...

The statement is false.

• Presence of Parasites: Anisakid nematodes have been detected in canned sardines originating from Southeast Asia, prompting regulatory recalls in countries like Malaysia in 2018.

• Viability Post-Canning: Standard commercial canning involves retorting at high temperatures, typically between 113°C and 115°C under pressure. These thermal processing conditions are significantly more severe than the threshold required to kill anisakid larvae and their eggs. Therefore, heat-treated canned fish products cannot contain viable parasites.

• Health Implications: Any worms discovered in commercially canned fish are dead and incapable of causing anisakiasis, a parasitic infection which strictly requires the ingestion of live larvae. However, the residual allergenic proteins from the dead worms can survive the thermal canning process and may still provoke allergic reactions in previously sensitized individuals.

I do not worry about worms.

I worry about tenderness and size.

I would buy product from Norway if I had the choice and the source.

Best regards,

Gamma

I inspected a tuna cannery in southern Thailand about ten years ago. I was there specifically to quote cleaning services for production line; electrics and machinery. Let's just say I stopped eating tuna for years after that :)

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

`You have to be careful eating S .E.Asia canned Sardines as someone

did a report on them and found many brands tested had worms and

worm eggs that were still viable even after canning.

I only eat King Oscar from the cold waters of Norway,and they are the

only brand that don't come back up on me. they are more expensive

than local brands ,but I don't want to end up like Robert F Kennedy Jr.

regards Worgeordie

33 minutes ago, DualSportBiker said:

I inspected a tuna cannery in southern Thailand about ten years ago. I was there specifically to quote cleaning services for production line; electrics and machinery. Let's just say I stopped eating tuna for years after that :)

That's interesting, can I ask where that was in the South..?.. Did your company get the contract btw..?

1 hour ago, Off Piste said:

That's interesting, can I ask where that was in the South..?.. Did your company get the contract btw..?

What, exactly, is the oversight and inspection and hygiene practices among the PACKERS of Tuna.

I would be interested in knowning.

Also, for canned sardines, of course.

On 4/7/2026 at 11:57 AM, newnative said:

Purely unscientific but when Dad retired at age 58 he started eating sardines at least once a week. He lived to just shy of his 95th birthday, still sharp as a tack.

Well, I eat tuna, but I am just 80 years old

I eat a lot of tinned sardines. I've gone off sex. I just get the urge to swim upstream to spawn once a year.😉

On 4/6/2026 at 3:22 PM, 3NUMBAS said:

https://dailyhealthpost.com/i-ate-nothing-but-sardines-for-5-days/

What if I told you that one of the most powerful, nutrient-dense foods on the planet costs less than $2 a can? And what if eating this food for just five days could dramatically reset your body, sharpen your mind, and put you back in the driver’s seat of your health? We’re talking about sardines. A recent clinical trial out of Barcelona revealed a huge scientific discovery: just adding two cans of sardines per week slashed diabetic risk from 37% down to 8%. That’s incredible. But it got me thinking… what would happen if you took it a step further and ate only sardines for five straight days? Let’s dive into this fascinating experiment and explore the day-by-day transformation your body could experience.

Can't wait for your next post after your 5-days trial. Please, do inform us❗

On 4/6/2026 at 3:22 PM, 3NUMBAS said:

https://dailyhealthpost.com/i-ate-nothing-but-sardines-for-5-days/

What if I told you that one of the most powerful, nutrient-dense foods on the planet costs less than $2 a can? And what if eating this food for just five days could dramatically reset your body, sharpen your mind, and put you back in the driver’s seat of your health? We’re talking about sardines. A recent clinical trial out of Barcelona revealed a huge scientific discovery: just adding two cans of sardines per week slashed diabetic risk from 37% down to 8%. That’s incredible. But it got me thinking… what would happen if you took it a step further and ate only sardines for five straight days? Let’s dive into this fascinating experiment and explore the day-by-day transformation your body could experience.

Actually, no science validity in it.

On 4/8/2026 at 8:07 PM, save the frogs said:

Problem is they have been sitting in those cans up to 3-4 years .

They can be 10 years old and still ok.

The cans are hermetically sealed.

On 6/4/2026 at 1:35 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

I LOVE sardines, the canned type.

But, I don't know where to buy them.

Is this the joke of the day?

Frankly, I find sardines too fishy. But they are undeniably healthy. Sardines are one of the few wild ocean fish available at a sensible price. Mackerel are a good second choice.

Sardines have a short life-cycle so have no opportunity to build mercury and other pollutants in their tissues, unlike tuna and salmon.

We were not a Catholic household but took great joy in swordfish on Fridays. Until it was banned for high mercury!

Edited June 6Jun 6 by unblocktheplanet
add

On 4/8/2026 at 11:05 AM, BerndD said:

Thank you very much for your kind comment, as it shows me that there are also intelligent people here. And of course you're right, iam not!

If it helps, I (like presumably many others here) understood your joke. It elicited a grin from me ... thank you for that.

Edited June 6Jun 6 by BusyB

19 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Frankly, I find sardines too fishy. But they are undeniably healthy. Sardines are one of the few wild ocean fish available at a sensible price. Mackerel are a good second choice.

Sardines have a short life-cycle so have no opportunity to build mercury and other pollutants in their tissues, unlike tuna and salmon.

We were not a Catholic household but took great joy in swordfish on Fridays. Until it was banned for high mercury!

Love mackerel. Used to angle them as a kid fresh out the ocean and grill 'em at home.

On 4/6/2026 at 10:22 AM, 3NUMBAS said:

A recent clinical trial out of Barcelona revealed a huge scientific discovery: just adding two cans of sardines per week slashed diabetic risk from 37% down to 8%.

That was the result after 1 year of the study.

I think the only thing I could eat for 5 days would be somtam. I do actually eat it nearly every day. My home made is the best. Hasn't helped my Type 2 though 555

Think I'll try the 2 sardine tins a week. On toast or summat with varying sauces.

On 4/8/2026 at 12:32 AM, jts-khorat said:

Thailand has a good number of healthy fatty fishes. Sardines (ปลาหลังเขียว) are actually caught in large number and canned in Thailand. I find, they are irritatingly bony when eaten fresh; sardine fish soup (or even soup just from their heads) is good though, an opinion that seemingly is not shared by most foreigners I know, so YMMV.

What the Thais absolutely love, is ปลาทู (Short Mackerel); I personally find them disgusting in dried state, but to each their own.

Even more fatty/healthy are ปลาซาบะ (Blue Mackerel); they are unbelievably tasty when they are coming sizzling from the grill, they are meaty while not being expensive, fish bones are of a decent size and easily removed, and therefore would be my preferred go-to fatty fish in Thailand. I am sure you can get them in many places here, but well known on Phuket would be the beach restaurants on Rawai Beach, where you can order the fish right from the grill (and, hint: I have never known a girl not to like them, too).

Are you talking about Saba and/or what the Thais call batou?

8 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

What the Thais absolutely love, is ปลาทู (Short Mackerel); I personally find them disgusting in dried state, but to each their own.

9 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

Are you talking about Saba and/or what the Thais call batou?

The first quoted sentence says in Thai, Pla Tu "short mackeral". That is what you are misspelling and pronouncing with "batou" Its simply Pla tu.

20 minutes ago, marin said:

The first quoted sentence says in Thai, Pla Tu "short mackeral". That is what you are misspelling and pronouncing with "batou" Its simply Pla tu.

Thanks. My hearing is dreadful and I'm always learning of Thai words I've been mispronouncing for years,.555. How about the Blue mackerel? Is that saba? Or the larger king fish or king mackerel? I've seen that often sold as steaks at beach restaurants and BBQs. I have found that to be very bland.

I do believe saba to be the blue mackeral.

Very nutritious and makes a delicious LT sandwich with raw onion, but I don't know why the Thai supermarkets only sell about 20 brands of them with disgusting tomato sauce loaded with salt and sugar, but very rarely with oil or brine or spring water as we can get in the West. Sorry, I just broke one of my cardinal rules which is to stop asking 'why' in Thailand. I realized a long time ago that it gets you absolutely nowhere and If you don't your head is likely to explode...555.

1 hour ago, marin said:

The first quoted sentence says in Thai, Pla Tu "short mackeral". That is what you are misspelling and pronouncing with "batou" Its simply Pla tu.

Are they not farmed?

1 hour ago, SunsetT said:

Very nutritious and makes a delicious LT sandwich with raw onion, but I don't know why the Thai supermarkets only sell about 20 brands of them with disgusting tomato sauce loaded with salt and sugar, but very rarely with oil or brine or spring water as we can get in the West. Sorry, I just broke one of my cardinal rules which is to stop asking 'why' in Thailand. I realized a long time ago that it gets you absolutely nowhere and If you don't your head is likely to explode...555.

Shopee, Lazada?

1 hour ago, SunsetT said:

Very nutritious and makes a delicious LT sandwich with raw onion,

As does soused herring (matjes) - odd really, the last thing you'd think of to put with fish is onion but it's great!

1 hour ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Are they not farmed?

Actually they are not, they are plentiful and fresh caught.

3 hours ago, marin said:

Actually they are not, they are plentiful and fresh caught.

I see them drying in baskets but they're pretty stinky!

I asked AI if you are taking a health risk with this diet......

Yes, he is absolutely taking a health risk.

While sardines are an incredibly nutritious, budget-friendly food, jumping into a 5-day extreme mono-diet (eating only one food) shifts them from a healthy dietary addition into a dangerous health stunt.

The text you quoted is a classic piece of internet "clickbait health journalism." It takes a legitimate, fascinating piece of scientific research and wildly misinterprets it to justify a viral challenge.

Here is a direct breakdown of the real science versus the risks of this 5-day experiment.

1. The Misinterpreted Science (The Barcelona Study)

The text mentions a clinical trial out of Barcelona, which is a real study published in Clinical Nutrition. However, the actual study proved the exact opposite of what this challenge is proposing:

• What the study actually did: Researchers took individuals at high risk for type 2 diabetes and simply added two cans of sardines per week to their regular, balanced Mediterranean diet.

• The result: That small, sustainable addition caused the massive drop in diabetes risk.

• The misinterpretation: The study explicitly showed that benefits come from long-term, small additions to a varied diet. It never suggested that eating nothing but sardines for five days would act as a magical "reset button."

2. The Health Risks of a 5-Day "Sardine-Only" Diet

If someone decides to eat exclusively sardines for five straight days, they face several immediate health disruptions:

🚨 Gout and Kidney Stones (Purine Overload)

Sardines are incredibly high in purines, which are natural compounds that break down into uric acid in the human body.

• Consuming a normal portion a few times a week is perfectly fine for most people.

• Eating nothing but sardines for five days will flood the bloodstream with uric acid. This can trigger an incredibly painful attack of gout (severe joint inflammation, usually in the big toe) or lead to acute kidney stones, especially if the person isn't drinking massive amounts of water.

🚨 Gastrointestinal Distress

Sardines are packed in heavy amounts of fat and oil (either fish oil or added olive/sunflower oil). Forcing the digestive system to process only heavy fats and proteins for five days straight, with absolutely zero dietary fiber, is a recipe for severe digestive revolt. The person is highly likely to experience intense nausea, stomach cramping, and severe diarrhea or constipation.

🚨 Sodium Overload

Canned fish is notoriously high in salt used for preservation. Eating several cans a day as your entire caloric intake will cause a massive spike in sodium consumption. This can lead to severe water retention, bloating, and a dangerous spike in blood pressure, putting unnecessary strain on the kidneys and cardiovascular system.

🚨 Heavy Metal Exposure (Minor Risk, but cumulative)

Sardines are tiny and sit low on the food chain, meaning they contain very little mercury compared to large fish like tuna or swordfish. However, eating them in massive, concentrated quantities over a short period still unnecessarily increases exposure to arsenic and other trace heavy metals found in canned seafood.

The Verdict

The "Reset" Illusion: There is no physiological mechanism where the body "resets" its health in five days by starving itself of carbohydrates, fiber, and essential vitamins (like Vitamin C) while overloading on a single protein. Any immediate weight loss experienced during this stunt would simply be water weight lost from completely cutting out carbs.

If someone wants the incredible brain-sharpening, heart-healthy benefits of sardines, they should follow the actual Barcelona study: eat two to three cans a week alongside fresh vegetables, grains, and fruit. Leaving the 5-day extreme stunts to internet influencers is much safer for the kidneys and joints!

6 hours ago, marin said:

Actually they are not, they are plentiful and fresh caught.

Can't imagine how you could possibly farm sardines 555

On 6/4/2026 at 8:54 AM, DualSportBiker said:

I inspected a tuna cannery in southern Thailand about ten years ago. I was there specifically to quote cleaning services for production line; electrics and machinery. Let's just say I stopped eating tuna for years after that :)

I also would like to know what was so terrible that you saw...

You are killing one of my go-to foods here.... A tuna sandwich is a healthy choice when I need something light and non-greasy.