When asking can pregnant women eat shrimp you should know that all kinds of seafood contain certain levels of mercury. Mercury poisoning is something serious that pregnant women can pass on to their baby. The truth is that shrimp is safe for pregnant women if it is thoroughly cooked.
Information about pregnancy and shrimp
During pregnancy it is very important to have a healthy nutrition. Your daily meals have to be well balanced. There are some urban legends according to which pregnant women aren’t supposed to eat shrimp, but the truth is that these rules have changed in the last few years.
Can pregnant women eat shrimp?
According to the recommendations of the professionals women should take into consideration the levels of sanitation and whether they are able to keep shrimp at the right temperatures and to cook the meal properly. It is very important to be sure that the food comes from a reliable source.
Pregnancy and shrimp
There are some infections that pregnant women have to avoid. These include listeria that can be found in meats, dairy products, ground water and some ready to go kinds of food. Mercury should also be avoided that can be found in shrimp and fish. This is something that you could ask your obstetrician about.
Although having shrimp during pregnancy could be dangerous for the baby, that doesn’t mean that you have to cut out seafood from your diet completely. Don’t forget that fish is a healthy source of omega 3 fatty acids that is good for both the mother and the baby.
What do the specialists say?
When you ask your doctor “can pregnant women eat shrimp?†most probably the answer will be that you could have some in moderation and provided you make sure that it is properly cooked. Also take into consideration that the seafood from certain parts of the world is higher in mercury than the seafood from other places.
If pregnant women want to eat shrimp the best thing that they can do is to keep an eye out for the news regarding the high mercury levels. If you hear that these levels are high in some parts of the world you should avoid eating shrimp that comes from that region.
In case you are asking can pregnant women eat shrimp it is good to know that there are different kinds of tests that can tell you about the mercury levels in your system. If these levels are higher than normal you could ask your doctor to prescribe you medication that will decrease these levels.
How much to have?
If you want to eat shrimp during pregnancy you should limit your intake to one serving per week or maximum two servings per week. This is because this way the mercury levels of the system will remain low but you will still get the nutrients you need.
As you can see the answer to the question can pregnant women eat shrimp is yes, but only in moderation.
