Many women are afraid of eating crabs during pregnancy, because they say all seafood, including crabs, can adversely affect the fetus if consumed by pregnant women. However, is that true?
Pregnancy really requires a lot of things. The activities carried out as well as the food and drinks consumed must be chosen with extreme care. This is because what is done and consumed by pregnant women can have an impact on the condition of the fetus in the womb.
One thing that is often a ban for pregnant women is eating crabs. If pregnant women like to eat crabs, this may be a little frustrating. But, is it true that eating crabs during pregnancy is prohibited? To answer this, consider the following explanation.
Nutrition in Crabs that Play a Role in Pregnancy
Crab is one type of seafood that contains many nutrients. Some types of nutrients contained in crabs include:
1. Protein
In 100 grams of crab meat, there are about 23 grams of protein. During pregnancy, pregnant women need about 70-75 grams of protein every day. Therefore, eating crabs can be a good choice to meet the protein needs of pregnant women.
In the fetus, protein plays a role in forming the body's organs and tissues. While in pregnant women, protein is useful to prepare the body for childbirth, strengthen endurance, and produce milk.
When protein intake is not met, the weight of the mother and baby can be difficult to increase, the muscles feel weak, and easily affected by infection due to weak immune system.
2. Omega-3
Crabs are also enriched with omega-3s. These nutrients play a role in regulating blood pressure, blood clotting, strengthening the immune system of the mother, and helping the formation and development of the fetal brain.
Pregnant women need about 1 - 1.5 grams of omega-3 every day. In a crab, contained about 0.3 - 0.4 grams of omega-3. That is why eating crabs can be a good choice to meet the needs of omega-3s.
However, pregnant women also need to meet omega-3s from other foods or supplements, because getting the full omega-3 intake from crabs risks increasing blood cholesterol levels.
3. Vitamin A
Pregnant women need around 800 micrograms of vitamin A every day. The intake of vitamin A for pregnant women can be fulfilled by consuming crabs because in a crab contained about 50 micrograms of vitamin A.
In pregnant women, vitamin A helps repair damaged organ tissue. As for the fetus, vitamin A has a function similar to protein, which helps the development of organs, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes, skin, to the brain. This lack of nutrition can make a baby's vision after birth worse and his immune system weak.
4. Vitamin B
Crab also contains a lot of B vitamins and folate. The nutritional benefits contained in crab meat is to prevent birth defects, reduce the risk of preeclampsia, and form red blood cells that are needed more by pregnant women.
In addition to some of the nutrients above, crab meat also contains a lot of calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin D, and selenium. Each of these nutrients also has an important role in maintaining the health of pregnant women and the fetus in the womb.
So, Is it Safe to Eat Crab while Pregnant?
Seafood, including crab, is a source of nutrients the body needs during pregnancy. Rarely eating seafood can actually cause the body of pregnant women to lack nutrients which can trigger various pregnancy complications, such as anemia, hypertension, susceptible to infection, and the risk of babies being born with disabilities.
So, during pregnancy, pregnant women can still eat crabs. It's just the way of presentation must be really considered. Crabs need to be cooked until completely cooked. If not, harmful germs may still be left in the crab and can cause illness when entering the body of pregnant women.
The following are some tips that pregnant women need to consider when processing and eating crabs:
- Make sure the equipment used for cooking, such as knives, trays, until the frying pan, has been washed thoroughly.
- If you don't want everything to be cooked, store the raw crab in the refrigerator at a maximum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. If you want to keep it longer, put the crab in the freezer.
- When cooking, make sure the crab has been cooked until the color is reddish cooked before draining.
- Always wash your hands before and after eating.
- Discard cooked crabs that have been left for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
In addition to paying attention to the way the crab is served, the portions also need to be limited. This is because eating too much crab during pregnancy can also cause a number of health problems. But so far, there are no recommendations on how many crabs are still safe for consumption while pregnant.
And don't forget, to meet nutritional needs, you can't just eat crabs. Pregnant women also have to eat other healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, and nuts.
If needed, pregnant women can also supplement their nutritional needs during pregnancy by taking prenatal vitamins according to the obstetrician's recommendations.
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