The delicious taste of seafood is always impossible to resist, but some people experience diarrhea after eating it. What's the reason for this? And how can it be solved? Here are a few tips that can satisfy your cravings without an upset stomach.
I. Undercooked Seafood Contains Bacteria
The main pathogens in seafood are *Vibrio parahaemolyticus*, etc., which have relatively strong heat resistance and can only be killed at temperatures above 80°C. In addition to bacteria from the water, seafood may also contain parasite eggs as well as bacterial and viral contamination from processing.
Reminder: Generally, boiling in water for 4-5 minutes is considered thorough sterilization. Therefore, be cautious when eating seafood that is not cooked with heat, such as "drunk crab," "raw sea urchin," or "soy-preserved seafood." When eating sashimi, also ensure the fish is fresh and hygienic.
II. Dead Shellfish Are High in Bacteria and Toxins
Shellfish themselves carry a relatively high bacterial load, and their protein decomposes very quickly. Once they die, bacteria multiply rapidly and produce toxins, while the unsaturated fatty acids they contain are also prone to oxidation and rancidity. In shellfish that are not fresh, more amines and free radicals are produced, posing a threat to human health.
Reminder: After purchasing live shellfish, do not store them at home for too long; cook them as soon as possible. People with allergies should be particularly careful, as sometimes allergic reactions are not caused by the seafood itself but by substances produced during the decomposition of its protein.
III. Eating Seafood and Beer Together Can Trigger Gout
If you consume a large amount of seafood and drink beer at the same time, it will accelerate the formation of uric acid in the body. Excess uric acid can deposit in joints or soft tissues, leading to inflammation of the joints and soft tissues. When a gout attack occurs, the affected joints not only become red, swollen, hot, and painful, but it can also trigger a high fever throughout the body, resembling sepsis. Over time, the affected joints can be gradually damaged, and it can even lead to kidney stones and uremia.
Reminder: Therefore, when eating a large amount of seafood, do not drink beer, as it will have adverse effects on the body.
IV. Eating Seafood and Fruit Together Can Cause Stomach Pain
Seafood such as fish, shrimp, and algae contain relatively high levels of protein and calcium. If eaten together with fruits containing tannic acid, such as grapes, pomegranates, hawthorn, or persimmons, not only will the nutritional value of the protein be reduced, but the calcium in the seafood is also likely to combine with the tannic acid to form indigestible substances. These substances irritate the stomach and intestines, causing discomfort in the body. In severe cases, it can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding, and in milder cases, symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea may occur.
Reminder: Therefore, it is not advisable to eat fruit immediately after eating seafood. It is best to wait for at least 2 hours. Many people use antibiotics as soon as they experience diarrhea, which is not only useless for prevention and treatment but can also further damage the body's immune function, making an already weakened body even more fragile. Therefore, except for patients with severe abdominal pain who can use medication under a doctor's guidance, medication is generally not recommended. Experts remind everyone that to prevent non-bacterial infectious diarrhea, the key is to control diet and identify the causes of improper dietary combinations and gastrointestinal absorption disorders.
V. Drinking Tea After Eating Seafood Can Cause Kidney Stones
The reason for not drinking tea after eating seafood is similar to why you shouldn't eat fruit immediately after. This is because tea also contains tannic acid, which can also form insoluble calcium with the calcium in seafood. Eating tea before or after consuming seafood increases the chance of calcium and tannic acid combining.
Reminder: Therefore, it is best not to drink tea when eating seafood. Similarly, it is best to wait for at least 2 hours.
VI. Iced Shrimp Should Not Be Boiled
Any seafood can only be made into dishes like steamed or boiled preparations when it is highly fresh. Unlike meat, aquatic seafood often contains many bacteria that are resistant to low temperatures, and its protein decomposes very quickly. If stored in the refrigerator for a long time, the bacterial count in the shrimp increases, the protein has partially denatured, and amines have been produced. It no longer has the texture, flavor, or safety of live shrimp, and is therefore not suitable for the boiling method.
Reminder: However, iced shrimp can be stir-fried or pan-fried at high temperatures, and can also be delicious.
VII. Eating Seafood and Vitamin C Together Can Cause Poisoning
Many seafood products, such as shrimp, crab, clams, and oysters, contain the chemical element arsenic. Under normal circumstances, the content is very small, but increasingly serious environmental pollution may cause the arsenic content in these animals to reach high levels. The arsenic in shrimp is in the pentavalent state. Under normal circumstances, pentavalent arsenic is harmless to the human body. Theoretically, a high dose of vitamin C (an intake of over 500 mg at once) and pentavalent arsenic can undergo complex chemical reactions to form toxic trivalent arsenic (commonly known as "arsenic"), which can lead to poisoning in humans when it reaches a certain dose.
Reminder: To consume a large dose of vitamin C, one would need to eat 50 medium-sized apples or 30 pears or 10 oranges at once, or eat over 1.5 kg of raw leafy vegetables. If the food is cooked, the vitamin C content will be significantly reduced. Therefore, eating fruits or vegetables with seafood at the same time is not dangerous as long as the amount does not exceed the above limits. Metal elements tend to accumulate in the heads of seafood, so try not to eat shrimp heads or fish heads.
VIII. Patients with Arthritis Should Avoid Eating Too Much Seafood
Seafood products such as sea cucumber, sea fish, kelp, and seaweed contain relatively high levels of uric acid. After being absorbed by the human body, uric acid forms uric acid crystals in the joints, worsening the symptoms of arthritis.