During the "Golden Week" National Day holiday, which coincides with the peak season for seafood, some people choose to indulge in a feast at home, while others opt for a coastal trip to sightsee and enjoy seafood. Whether at home or by the sea, paying attention to details for healthy seafood consumption is essential.
Experts point out that middle-aged and elderly people, especially women, should moderately increase their seafood intake, preferably two to three times a week, with each portion being around 100 grams. This is because the unsaturated fatty acids in sea fish can reduce low-density cholesterol in the blood and also resist blood clotting, thereby lowering the risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke in the elderly. However, some people should consume less seafood.
Nowadays, the mercury content in seafood is increasingly high. If pregnant and breastfeeding women frequently eat seafood, it can affect the nervous system development of the fetus and newborn. It is best to avoid high-mercury sea fish like tuna and swordfish.
Patients with gout, arthritis, and hyperuricemia should also eat less seafood. This is because seafood has a high purine content, and consuming it can easily lead to the formation of uric acid crystals in the body, worsening the condition. Additionally, patients with hyperthyroidism should also limit their seafood intake, as seafood is rich in iodine, and excessive iodine is more detrimental to health.
People with allergies should be cautious with seafood consumption, as there is no effective prevention method for seafood allergies other than avoiding specific allergens.
3 Details for Healthy Seafood Consumption 1. Seafood should not be eaten with cold-natured foods.
Seafood is inherently cold-natured, so it's best to avoid consuming it with other cold-natured foods, such as water spinach and cucumbers. You should also avoid drinking carbonated drinks, iced water, or ice cream immediately after a meal. Additionally, it's advisable to eat less or avoid cold-natured fruits like watermelon and pears to prevent physical discomfort.
2. It is not advisable to drink beer when eating seafood.
Seafood is a high-protein, low-fat food containing purines and nucleotides, while beer contains vitamin B1, which acts as a catalyst for the metabolic breakdown of purines and nucleotides. Eating seafood and drinking beer together can cause purines, nucleotides, and vitamin B1 to mix and react chemically, leading to an increase in uric acid levels in the blood and disrupting the body's balance. If uric acid is not excreted promptly, it precipitates as sodium salt, which can easily lead to the formation of stones or trigger gout.
3. Avoid eating seafood with certain fruits.
Fish and shrimp are rich in nutrients like protein and calcium. If consumed with certain fruits like persimmons, grapes, pomegranates, or hawthorn, the nutritional value of the protein is diminished. Moreover, certain chemical components in fruits can easily bind with the calcium in seafood to form a new, indigestible substance. This substance can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Therefore, there should be at least a two-hour interval when eating seafood with these fruits.
4 Key Points for Enjoying Seafood by the Sea
1. Try to avoid eating raw seafood. Be cautious when consuming uncooked seafood like "drunken crab," "raw sea urchin," or "seafood marinated in soy sauce." If eating raw fish slices, ensure they are fresh and hygienic.
2. When eating seafood, pay attention to whether it is clean and fresh, and whether it has been thoroughly heated and cooked. Bacteria in seafood are relatively heat-resistant and can only be killed at temperatures above 80°C. In addition to bacteria from the water, seafood may also contain parasite eggs and contamination from processing, handling, and viruses. If there is an unusual odor or the seafood is found to be undercooked, stop eating it immediately.
3. Seafood is generally considered a cold-natured food, so it is best to eat it with condiments like ginger and vinegar. Ginger is warm-natured and can counteract the coldness of seafood when consumed together, preventing physical discomfort. Raw garlic and vinegar also have good antibacterial properties, which help eliminate some residual harmful bacteria in seafood.
4. Before traveling, it is advisable to prepare anti-diarrheal and anti-inflammatory drugs such as berberine and norfloxacin.
4 Precautions for Cooking Seafood at Home
Seafood is the most common cause of enteritis and dysentery. This is mainly because after various seafood are caught from the sea and transported over long distances, some may die. Their own waste products can undergo chemical reactions to produce toxins and breed large amounts of dysentery bacilli. Furthermore, the insides of crabs, various types of shrimp, snails, and clams are often very dirty, with their waste products often deeply hidden in their shells and difficult to clean thoroughly. If the cooking time is insufficient, bacteria cannot be completely killed, and consuming large quantities can easily lead to dysentery. Therefore, to prevent acute enteritis and dysentery caused by seafood, it is crucial to prevent illness from contaminated food. When cooking seafood at home, be sure to pay attention to the following points:
1. Before purchasing, first ask about the origin and source of the seafood; do not just go for the cheapest option.
2. Next, observe whether the seafood is fresh and alive, and check if its color is pure. Smell it carefully for any unusual or fishy odors.
3. Cleaning the seafood at home is also very important. When cleaning, it is best to first soak the seafood in a basin of water with a little salt, allowing it to slowly expel and excrete its internal waste. Change the water several times until it remains clear.
4. When cooking seafood, do not just scoop it out as soon as the water boils. Generally, it takes 20 minutes after the water boils to thoroughly kill the bacteria.