For ordinary people, saltfish is a favorite food of many people, but nutrition during pregnancy is another problem because it directly affects the health of the mother and baby.
This begs the question, is saltfish safe during pregnancy?
This is also the content that we want to share through this article. Let’s check.
Is Saltfish Safe During Pregnancy?
Short answer: Saltfish is not within the scope of research on foods for pregnant women, nor is there a scientific document specifically addressing this issue.
But according to doctors, it is NOT suitable to eat during pregnancy.
They can be from fish contaminated with metals, mercury, or other toxic substances.
Even if it comes from types that are not harmful, by salting, drying, and storing for a long time, the risk of Listeria monocytogenes infection is inevitable.
Listeria is a bacteria that is very dangerous to the health of the mother and fetus.
Although this infection rate is not high (about 0.7 cases/100,000 people), the mortality rate is very high, up to 30%, usually among pregnant women and newborn babies.
The high salt in salt fish also causes increased salivary glands, atherosclerosis, and blood pressure.
It also affects the blood supply to important organs such as the heart and brain, causing slow reactions and memory impairment.
Although it is one of the foods that help pregnant women fight morning sickness effectively and eat better, it is not recommended, especially during pregnancy.
What Are The Benefits Of Eating Fish For Pregnant Women?
Many women are concerned about whether to eat this food during pregnancy, and the answer is yes. Fish is low in saturated fat but rich in protein and vitamin D.
It also contains omega-3 – an important nutrient for fetal development but rarely found in other foods.
According to the recommendations of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pregnant women and breastfeeding women who eat about 226 to 340 grams of fish per week will receive a lot of good health benefits such as:
Pregnant women who fully and balance fish in their diets reduce blood fat, stabilize blood pressure and support the cardiovascular system to function properly.
Eating it during pregnancy also reduces the risk of depression during pregnancy and after giving birth. Reduce the risk of preterm birth.
Nutrients help ensure the growth and development of the fetus and the development of skin cells, hair, bones, and muscles for the baby.
DHA helps to promote brain development and increase memory in children.
Based on these benefits, doctors recommend that mothers add fish to meals, especially during the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Can A Pregnant Woman Eat Ackee?
Fresh Ackee is a fruit that is abundant in West Africa and Central America. You can use ripe fruits as delicious food and medicine to treat fever, edema, epilepsy, and colds.
However, unripe Ackee berries are poisonous and dangerous to eat.
Pregnant women, lactating women, and children are the most susceptible to the toxin of unripe fruit.
It causes symptoms of food poisoning such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, bleeding, fatigue, convulsions, hypoglycemia, and death.
Thus, it would help if you did not eat ackee and saltfish while pregnant.
If you experience unusual symptoms after using it, you should immediately take it to a medical facility for timely treatment.
What Are 2 Fish That A Pregnant Woman Should Avoid?
You also need to note not all types of fish are good for the absorption of the fetus. Many types contain toxins, especially mercury.
They affect and even destroy the fetus’s nervous system, leaving dangerous and unpredictable complications on the baby’s physical development and language ability.
You need to pay special attention to avoid eating such as:
Mackerel
The dish mackerel has a delicious and attractive taste. In particular, mackerel meat contains an extremely rich amount of Omega 3 and many other beneficial vitamins.
However, this type is on the FDA’s taboo list for pregnant women because of its high mercury content.
When using mackerel during pregnancy, pregnant women are at risk of mercury contamination, which is very harmful to the baby in the womb.
Tuna
Tuna is a popular food and is loved by many people, but it is also on the list of foods containing high levels of mercury.
It is 7 times higher than in other marine fish, so it is one of the foods pregnant women should not eat to limit pregnancy toxicity.
You can still eat some benign tuna, such as longfin, yellowfin, and bluefin, but they need to be in moderation; the amount of consumption should not exceed 170g per week not to harm the fetus.
Excessive intake can be harmful to both mother and baby.
When the mother’s body is contaminated with mercury, it has adverse effects on the child’s brain and nervous system development later on, such as slowing down, causing speech delay, and mental retardation.
In addition, you should also be cautious with other types, such as puffer fish, dried-fish, and canned fish.
It would help if you chose to eat fishes that must ensure enough factors: rich in DHA, high in protein and minerals, and low in mercury, for example, salmon, carp, etc.
What Should Pregnant Women Pay Attention To When Eating Fish?
As mentioned above, this is a rich source of nutrients for humans, especially pregnant women.
However, using this food safely and deliciously without losing nutrients is not known by many people. Here are a few tips for choosing and using:
- Replace mercury-rich dried fish, such as marine one, with freshwater one.
- Eat according to the amount recommended by the doctor, and should not eat more than 350g of seafood per week.
- Do not eat continuously, but divide it every few days to avoid the accumulation of heavy metals and mercury.
- Processing fish hygienically and food-safe, thoroughly cleaning the internal organs and abdominal cavity of fish to eliminate potential pathogens.
- Cook food thoroughly to remove toxins.
- Pregnant women must also add other types of meat combined with green vegetables, fresh fruits, etc., to ensure a balanced diet.
- Buy fresh, new foods. Do not eat raw fish, middle rotten, spoiled fish, and sushi dishes.
- Prepare it cleanly and store it in the refrigerator if you don’t eat it immediately.
- Refer to adding Omega 3 from milk, eggs, fruits, nuts, and cereals.
Conclusion
Hope the above article has helped you answer some of the questions: is saltfish safe during pregnancy, and understand what types to avoid during pregnancy?
Wishing you delicious meals and a healthy pregnancy.