Does eating too much seafood hurt your kidneys? Eat seafood scientifically to keep your kidneys healthier!

Seafood, with its delicious taste and rich nutrition, has become a popular delicacy on the table. Whether it is fresh shrimps and crabs, or plump shellfish, they are all loved by people. However, in recent years, the saying that "eating too much seafood will hurt the kidneys" has spread like wildfire, which has caused doubts among many seafood lovers. Does eating too much seafood really hurt the kidneys? How can we eat seafood scientifically to enjoy the deliciousness and ensure kidney health?

The reason why eating too much seafood can damage the kidneys

1. High purine content : Most seafood is high-purine food. Purine undergoes a series of metabolism in the human body and is eventually converted into uric acid. When we consume a large amount of seafood, the purine content in the body will increase sharply, and uric acid production will also increase. Under normal circumstances, the kidneys can excrete uric acid from the body to maintain the balance of uric acid in the body. However, if too much uric acid is produced and exceeds the excretion capacity of the kidneys, it will lead to increased blood uric acid levels. Long-term hyperuricemia will cause urate crystals to deposit in the kidneys, causing gouty nephropathy and damaging the normal structure and function of the kidneys. The deposition of this crystal is like burying a "time bomb" in the kidneys, gradually destroying kidney tissue, affecting the filtering and excretion functions of the kidneys, and in severe cases, it can develop into renal failure.

2. High salt intake : A lot of salt is often added during the cooking and processing of seafood. For example, common pickled seafood such as salted fish and salted shrimp have extremely high salt content. A high-salt diet will cause the human body to ingest too much sodium ions, leading to sodium and water retention in the body, increasing blood volume, and thus raising blood pressure. Hypertension is the enemy of kidney health. Long-term hypertension can cause hardening of the small arteries in the kidneys, affect the blood perfusion of the kidneys, increase the pressure on the glomeruli, and over time, impair kidney function. For people who already suffer from hypertension or kidney disease, the harm of high-salt seafood is even worse.

3. Heavy metal pollution : With the intensification of environmental pollution, some seafood may be contaminated by heavy metals, such as mercury, cadmium, and lead. After these heavy metals enter the human body, they are mainly excreted through the kidneys. If contaminated seafood is consumed in large quantities for a long time, heavy metals will accumulate in the kidneys, causing direct damage to kidney cells and affecting the normal metabolism and function of the kidneys. Heavy metals may also interfere with the enzyme system and cell signal transduction pathways in the kidneys, further damaging the physiological function of the kidneys.

Scientific way to eat seafood

1. Control the amount of seafood consumed : The key to avoiding kidney damage due to excessive seafood intake is to control the amount of seafood consumed. For healthy adults, it is more appropriate to eat seafood 2-3 times a week, with each intake controlled at around 100-150 grams. This can not only meet the body's needs for high-quality protein, unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients in seafood, but also will not put too much burden on the kidneys. For people who already have kidney disease or hyperuricemia, it is even more important to strictly control the intake of seafood. In severe cases, it is even necessary to temporarily avoid eating high-purine seafood.

2. Choose the right type of seafood : The purine content of different types of seafood varies. Seafood such as sea cucumbers and jellyfish have relatively low purine content and are a good choice for people with poor kidney health. Sardines, anchovies, shellfish, etc. are high-purine seafood and should be eaten as little as possible. When choosing seafood, you can refer to the food purine content table and make reasonable combinations to enjoy the deliciousness of seafood while reducing the adverse effects on the kidneys.

3. Reasonable combination of ingredients : When eating seafood, pairing it with fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, strawberries, broccoli, etc., can help promote the excretion of uric acid. Vitamin C can participate in the body's antioxidant process and reduce the oxidative damage to the kidneys caused by urate crystals. At the same time, the dietary fiber in vegetables and fruits can also promote intestinal peristalsis, reduce the absorption of harmful substances in the intestines, and indirectly reduce the burden on the kidneys. In addition, pairing it with some alkaline foods, such as kelp and seaweed, can also help maintain the body's acid-base balance and reduce the formation of uric acid.

4. Use healthy cooking methods : The cooking method also has a great impact on the health of seafood. Steaming is one of the healthiest cooking methods, which can retain the nutrients of seafood to the greatest extent while reducing the intake of salt and fat. Avoid cooking methods with high oil and salt, such as deep-frying and pan-frying, because these methods not only increase the calorie and fat content of seafood, but may also produce some harmful substances during the cooking process, increasing the metabolic burden on the kidneys. When cooking seafood, you should also try to reduce the use of seasonings such as salt and soy sauce, and use natural seasonings such as lemon juice and vinegar to add flavor.

It is not that seafood cannot be eaten, the key is to eat it scientifically. By understanding the reasons why eating too much seafood can damage the kidneys and mastering the scientific way to eat seafood, we can protect the health of the kidneys while enjoying the delicious seafood. Let us enjoy seafood in a healthy way and let food and health go hand in hand.