In ancient times, only people from imperial families could eat delicacies from the mountains and seas. Nowadays, every citizen can eat seafood, but it's different after pregnancy. Pregnant women are the big treasure of the family, and no one can take responsibility if they harm their health. Even if pregnant women eat seafood, they can only eat seafood that is mostly good, and cannot harm their health by indulging in excessive consumption of seafood.
For pregnant women, if they frequently and extensively consume seafood with high mercury content, harmful mercury substances ingested by the mother can enter the fetus through the placenta, causing damage to various organs and systems such as the brain, nerves, liver, and kidneys. Therefore, pregnant women should not frequently consume contaminated seafood and can choose to consume fish raised in ponds that are not contaminated with mercury.
What seafood can pregnant women eat
1. Pregnant women can eat shellfish seafood. There are many benefits to eating shellfish for pregnant women. Starting from mid pregnancy, fetal growth accelerates and the demand for various nutrients significantly increases. It is necessary to supplement a large amount of various trace elements rich in fetal growth, such as calcium, iron, zinc, etc. Zinc plays an important role from preconception to pregnancy, as it participates in the division and growth of fetal cells in the form of zinc enzymes. If expectant mothers lack zinc, it can affect the growth of the fetus.
2. Oysters contain the highest amount of zinc among all foods, as well as abundant vitamins A, D, B, biotin, and taurine. The appropriate proportion of these nutrients is beneficial for the growth and development of children.
3. Clam meat and shellfish mollusks contain a type of cholesterol lowering serum cholesterol called Delta 7-cholesterol and 24 methylene cholesterol, which have a unique effect of inhibiting cholesterol synthesis in the liver and accelerating cholesterol excretion, thereby reducing cholesterol levels in the body. Pregnant women need shellfish to prevent cholesterol accumulation in moderation.
What pregnant women should pay attention to
1. Control quantity. Pregnant and lactating women should eat less seafood, up to 1-2 times a week, with less than 100 grams per time.
2. It is not advisable to drink beer while eating seafood. This can easily lead to a sharp increase in blood uric acid levels, triggering gout and resulting in gouty nephropathy, gouty arthritis, and other conditions.
3. Seafood should not be eaten with fruits rich in tannic acid. Fruits rich in tannic acid, such as persimmons and grapes, should be eaten together at least 2 hours apart, as tannic acid can destroy the high-quality protein in seafood, greatly reducing its nutritional value.
4. Take vitamin C before eating. The head of sea fish is rich in the mineral arsenic, which can be converted into a toxic trivalent arsenic state under the action of a large amount of vitamin C. Its toxicity is equivalent to arsenic, so it is advisable to avoid taking vitamin C pills within 2 hours before and after eating sea fish. However, eating vegetables and fruits containing moderate amounts of vitamin C (up to 500 grams) together with sea fish will not cause poisoning.
5. Cannot eat raw seafood. During pregnancy, it is important not to consume seafood that has been half cooked, and to eat less pickled and sun dried seafood. Pregnant women must cook seafood thoroughly before consuming it, and should not eat it raw or half cooked. Do not neglect your own taste just because you crave freshness.
If you usually like to eat seafood, you can indeed continue to eat seafood after pregnancy. As long as you master the key points of diet and do not eat harmful seafood, the health of pregnant women will not be affected. Everything is for the sake of the fetus. Pregnant women should pay extra attention to what they eat and not ruin things due to eating recklessly.
