When the autumn wind blows, crabs are in season. Should pregnant women eat them?

This is the 4571th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Another autumn has come, and the plump crabs have become the main attraction on the dinner table. They are "fresh and plump, sweet and greasy, white like jade and yellow like gold", which is really a feast for the tongue! However, I often hear the elderly say that pregnant women eating crabs can cause miscarriage, which makes many pregnant mothers stay away from the delicious crabs.

Can pregnant women eat crabs?

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that crabs are cold in nature and have the effect of promoting blood circulation, especially crab claws, which have a stronger power to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Crab claws are used as medicine, which have the effects of breaking blood, eliminating accumulation, and abortion. The ancients often used it to treat abdominal pain caused by postpartum stasis, as well as weakness in labor and delayed fetal delivery. The Compendium of Materia Medica records that crab claws can "abort live fetuses and bring about dead fetuses." Because of its abortion effect, crab claws were listed as contraindicated drugs for pregnancy in ancient times. For example, in the widely circulated Chinese medicine pregnancy taboo rhyme, there is a figure of crab claws: "Sansha dry lacquer crab claws..." The "crab claws" mentioned in the rhyme are crab claws. There are also news reports of pregnant women having miscarriages due to eating too many crabs.

But from a nutritional point of view, crabs are rich in high-quality protein, various trace elements, multiple vitamins and other nutrients, which are beneficial to the body of pregnant women, so some people support eating crabs during pregnancy.

In fact, whether pregnant women can eat crabs depends mainly on the amount of crabs they eat and their physical condition. Pregnant women with a cold constitution, especially those with a history of habitual miscarriage, are advised not to eat crabs, especially crab claws. For other healthy pregnant women, it is recommended to eat with caution.

What are the precautions when eating crabs?

For ordinary people who can enjoy a feast, there are certain rules to follow when eating crabs.

First, you can’t eat raw crabs

River crabs such as hairy crabs mostly live in muddy ditches at the bottom of rivers and lakes, and feed mostly on dead animals. Therefore, they may carry certain pathogenic microorganisms and parasites. Therefore, it is not recommended to eat uncooked crabs such as drunken crabs and raw pickled crabs. It is also not recommended to eat marine crabs such as swimming crabs raw.

Second, do not eat dead crabs

Once a crab dies, bacteria and viruses begin to multiply in its body. Eating dead crabs may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and even food poisoning.

Third, do not consume excessive amounts

Any food should not be eaten in excess, especially crabs, which are cold in nature. Eating too much can easily cause stomach discomfort. Generally, one or two crabs are appropriate at a time. Although crabs are delicious, you should not eat too much.

Fourth, cooperate with your crab partner

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that ginger and perilla can "detoxify fish and crabs". When eating crabs, you can cut ginger into small pieces and add it to vinegar as a dipping sauce. Ginger is a spicy, warm and cold-dispersing food. It can not only remove fishy smell but also warm the body. It can restrain the coldness of crabs while seasoning. Drinking perilla tea. Although perilla is not as spicy as ginger, it also has the effect of dispersing cold. It can also regulate qi and relieve bloating, protect the spleen and stomach, and prevent diarrhea. Rice wine has the effect of activating blood circulation and warming the stomach, and is also considered to be an ideal choice for removing cold when eating crabs.

Author: Zhang Yidan, Class of 2018, Eight-year TCM Program (PhD Program) of Naval Medical University

Supervisor: Zhang Huiqing, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University

Project funding: The first round of Shanghai Health Science Talent Capacity Improvement Project (JKKPYC-2022-10)