Core Tip: Hepatitis A is one of the common intestinal infectious diseases in China, with the highest incidence and infection rate among viral hepatitis. Experts state that the onset of Hepatitis A is closely linked to patients' dietary habits, to which everyone should pay close attention.
In daily life, many people enjoy eating hot pot and barbecue, and prefer to eat seafood that is just cooked or half-cooked, believing it tastes more delicious. Most cases of Hepatitis A are caused by patients inadvertently consuming water, raw or cold food contaminated with the Hepatitis A virus, or undercooked seafood such as shellfish and oysters.
The Hepatitis A virus is highly resilient. It can survive for one hour in water at 60°C, and even after more than ten hours, only a portion of it is killed. If a person consumes such undercooked food or this warm water, they may become infected.
However, when water or food is heated to 100°C, the Hepatitis A virus can be completely killed in just one minute. Therefore, preventing Hepatitis A is quite simple: as long as you don't drink untreated water and avoid eating raw food, especially seafood like clams and oysters, you can be at ease.
Thus, when eating hot pot, be sure to slice meat thinly and cook it thoroughly; seafood should be cooked for even longer; do not eat it as soon as it changes color. Even for vegetables, one should not be careless and must rinse them several times. It is also best to purchase ingredients for hot pot from large supermarkets and markets with better safety and quarantine guarantees.
So, how should one diet to prevent Hepatitis A?
Experts state that to prevent Hepatitis A, one should avoid eating unclean food and drinking untreated water; Aquatic products like ark shells and clams may carry the Hepatitis A virus, so do not eat them raw or undercooked; Ready-to-eat foods like pickled dishes and cold salads should not be washed in water that may be contaminated; Avoid greasy, high-fat, and fried foods such as fish roe, egg yolks, pork liver, pork brain, fried dough cakes, fried dough sticks, and roast duck.