Best Seafood is Safe to Eat During Pregnancy?

Best Seafood is Safe to Eat During Pregnancy?

1.Shellfish

Well-cleaned and properly cooked shellfish (such as prawns) are safe to eat. They are a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which help in the overall development of the baby, especially the brain, nerves, and eyes. It also contains a low level of saturated fats. Pregnant women can have prawn stir-fry or crab cakes as some healthy recipes. Therefore, pregnant women don’t need to miss out on shellfish until it is properly cooked.

Although they should be careful, since shellfish can contain some environmental pollutants – PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins, pesticides, and other contaminants. The variety includes turbot, bream, halibut, dogfish (or rock salmon or Huss), sea bass, and crab. It is a good idea to limit its intake to two portions a week.

2.Smoked Fish

Smoked seafood and fish are both very rich in the nutrients required during pregnancy. It contains vitamins A and D, as well as proteins. Vitamins A and D are present in fish liver oil. They are also a rich source of vitamin B complex, especially B6, B12, and niacin. It has a very low fat content. It is safe to eat smoked fish during pregnancy, since it is not “raw”. Parasites, if there are any, are killed during the smoking of the fish. Smoked seafood and fish should be consumed during pregnancy, as they are a good source of calcium, iron, iodine, phosphorous, zinc, potassium, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are required from the development of the baby’s brain, eyes, and nervous system.

pregnancy Seafood Consumption of only canned smoked seafood is recommended. Also, pregnant women should avoid eating seafood such as shark, marlin and sword fish etc. These varieties may contain methyl mercury, which is very poisonous. Also, this kind of seafood may have listeria bacteria (which can cause listeriosis – a dangerous condition during pregnancy). This disease can lead to miscarriages, still births, and other complications related to pregnancy.

Pregnant women should be careful when buying seafood. It might be preserved along with raw fish, causing contamination and the transfer of bacteria to occur.

3.Oily Fish

Oily fish such as herring, pilchards, mackerel, sardines, and salmon are a good source of essential fats required for pregnant women. They are a good source of various essential vitamins, such as calcium, nutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids required for the developing baby and the mother. Therefore, it is important to include it in the meal. The variety includes pilcards, fresh tuna, eel, salmon, herring, mackerel, trout, sardines, kippers, whitebait, and anchovies.

Oily fish may contain environmental pollutants – PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins, pesticides, and other contaminants. Therefore, pregnant women should limit the intake of these fishes to two portions in a week.

4.Sushi

It is safe to eat sushi made from previously frozen fish. It is important to freeze the fish, since it kills parasites such as tape worms. These parasites can make you ill if the fish is not frozen and consumed directly. The raw fish used to make sushi should be frozen at -20 degrees for a minimum of 24 hours. The use of fresh fish to prepare sushi may be risky during pregnancy. One may choose fully cooked sushi varieties that are available. If you prepare sushi for yourself, make sure to freeze the fish for 24 hours, and in case you buy it from a shop or restaurant where they make sushi, you may ask the staff if you have any concerns. Sushi made from smoked salmon does not need to be frozen before consuming it, since smoking kills any parasites in the fish. Apart from sushi, other dishes could also be prepared from raw fish and could be consumed by pregnant women, until it has been frozen properly. Salting or making pickles of the raw food is also safe to eat.

5.Other
Fish Oil: Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which also help women during pregnancy. The intake of fish oil during pregnancy reduces the risk of various complications such as early delivery, high blood pressure, and miscarriages. Fish oil can be obtained by either eating fish or consuming supplements. The fish oil is made from fish such as salmon, cod liver, whale blubber, and tuna.

Recommended Portion of Seafood

Pregnant women can eat 2 to 3 meals (that is up to 12 ounces – 340 grams) of fish and shellfish a week. Different kinds of fish and shellfish could be mixed and consumed. Canned light tuna, shrimp, crab, trout, herring, Pollock (Boston blue fish), anchovy, char, hake, mullet, haddock, catfish, smelt, cod, tilapia, scallops, flounder, clams, sole, oysters, crayfish, croaker, sardines, whitefish, and salmon are low in mercury content and are therefore safe to eat during pregnancy. Pregnant women should consume the same variety of fish or shellfish only once per week to be safe.