After all, can pregnant women eat Japanese food?

After all, can pregnant women eat Japanese food?


Advice to avoid sushi during pregnancy is common, but here we explain the reasons and myths behind this.

If you like Japanese food and you’re thinking about getting pregnant, you’ve probably already heard a comment like: have fun now, because After you get pregnant, you can’t.




But does it make sense? After all, where does this recommendation come from?

What are the risks of Japanese food during pregnancy?

The big problem, of course, is not the nationality of the food, but the preparation method. What makes doctors’ hair stand on end during pregnancy, in fact, is the consumption of raw foods —that is, it applies to sushi and sashimi, as well as to dishes far from Japan, such as carpaccio, steak tartare, or even raw milk and salads.

This concern is due to the fact that raw foods can contain parasites and other microorganisms extremely harmful to health, which generate even more serious conditions in the context of pregnancy. It is possible to contract salmonella or listeriosis, among other serious problems.

In the case of salad, for example, you can also reduce this risk by washing the food well. But when it comes to a animal proteins the typical way to eliminate germs is with cooking – something that goes bad when eaten raw. In Japanese cuisine, special attention also comes into play: some species of fish may be present mercury contamination also very harmful to health.

Prevention is better than cure

Clearly: raw foodism is not a problem in itself, but it raises awareness because significantly increases the risk of contracting a preventable disease.

If you know the origin of the food you are consuming and have never had any problems with contamination from the place where you prepared it, in general the tendency is that consumption continues to be safe even during pregnancy.

But popular wisdom holds true: if there is a avoidable risk No matter how small, prevention is better than cure. Wait a few more months to return to the sushi bar – and other “dangerous” dishes – and do not add unnecessary worries to this delicate period such as pregnancy. Or, if the craving is too strong, choose hot Philadelphia, yakisoba or other cooked or fried dishes.

Source: Terra

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