Eating water chestnuts raw? A 27-year-old woman had live worms removed from her body. Be careful when eating water chestnuts raw

Water chestnuts are a favorite food for many people. They can be eaten raw after washing and rinsing. However, water chestnuts have been a bit "unlucky" these days, and it has become a hot topic on the Internet. A 27-year-old woman began to feel a dull pain in her upper abdomen two years ago because she likes to eat water chestnuts raw. This year, she could not bear the pain and chose to go to the hospital for treatment. In the end, the doctor found the cause of the disease, which turned out to be a parasitic infection. Looking at the two live worms taken out of her body by the doctor, Ms. Wang felt a little scared.

Water chestnuts became the culprit. Eating water chestnuts raw led to parasites. Many people were particularly interested in this topic and began to look for the reason. Why would eating water chestnuts raw lead to parasitic infection? Don’t parasites exist on animals? How did they crawl onto water chestnuts? Water chestnuts are plants, not animals. What happened to water chestnuts?

Water chestnut, also known as horse hoof, ground chestnut, black taro, Tongtiancao, is an aquatic plant. Water chestnut tastes crisp and sweet. Many people eat water chestnut as fruit, so water chestnut has the reputation of "underground snow pear" and "Jiangnan ginseng". Although water chestnut can be eaten as fruit, the content of carbon compounds in water chestnut is relatively high. The carbohydrates contained in 100 grams of water chestnut are equivalent to 20 grams of rice.

The reason why water chestnuts have parasites is related to the environment in which they grow. Old people often say that what kind of environment breeds what kind of people, and the same is true for water chestnuts. Water chestnuts are not food that grows on land, but a kind of aquatic plant. The ginger leafworm is a common parasite in the aquatic plant area in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and water chestnuts also grow in this area. The reason for infection with the ginger leafworm has been found.

Ginger leafworms mainly live in water, and aquatic plants are also their habitats. Water chestnuts and water caltrops may be infected with ginger leafworms. If there are cracks on the surface of the fruits of these aquatic plants, ginger leafworms can enter the flesh of water chestnuts or water chestnuts along the cracks.

People who like to eat water chestnuts raw only clean the surface of the water chestnuts when washing them, which does not have any adverse effects on the ginger worms hidden in the pulp. The ginger worms hidden inside the water chestnuts will use the suction cups to attach to the mucous membrane of the duodenum or jejunum when entering the human body with the pulp. As time goes by, the ginger worms that obtain sufficient nutrients will gradually develop and develop into adults.

Adult worms are not so stable in the human body. They constantly absorb nutrients to grow stronger. At this time, the human body may experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, it may induce intestinal obstruction and even death. If children are infected with ginger worms, their intellectual development will also be seriously affected.

Eating water chestnuts raw may infect the ginger worm. Can water chestnuts still be eaten raw? In fact, most people choose to eat water chestnuts raw, mainly because the taste of water chestnuts eaten raw is relatively crisp. However, eating water chestnuts raw has risks. The ginger worm metacercariae are not resistant to high temperatures and will lose their activity during the heating process. Water chestnuts need to be heated and cooked thoroughly before they can be eaten safely. After all, health is the most important thing. Only under the premise of health and safety can we pursue the taste of food.

In fact, it is not just water chestnuts. There are many common aquatic plants. The lotus root that is familiar to the public also grows in water and may also be infected with ginger worms. For these aquatic plants, although they are crisp when eaten raw, they are safer to eat after heating.