Autumn is the season for eating hairy crabs. With the exposure of high-priced crabs from Qingdao, hairy crabs seem to be more and more favored by people. For women who are bound by their menstrual cycles, whether they can eat hairy crabs during their periods has become a hot topic of discussion.
Can you eat crabs during menstruation?
You cannot eat crabs during menstruation.
Women should avoid eating cold foods during their menstrual periods, including cold drinks and raw salads. Cold food items such as crabs, snails, and clams should especially be avoided during menstruation as they may stimulate uterine contractions and worsen menstrual pain.
The benefits and effects of hairy crabs
Hairy crabs are considered cold in nature and have the effects of nourishing tendons, invigorating qi, regulating the stomach and aiding digestion, dispersing heat, promoting blood circulation, and resolving blood stasis. Consuming the whole crab can treat conditions such as accumulation of pathogenic qi in the chest, blood stasis, fractures, edema, postpartum abdominal pain, and retained lochia. Crab shells can be used to treat scabies.
Why can't you eat hairy crabs during menstruation?
Due to the cold nature of crabs, excessive consumption of crabs during menstruation can lead to stagnation of qi and blood stasis, as well as incomplete expulsion of menstrual blood. Severe cases can result in retrograde menstruation into the pelvic cavity, leading to blocked fallopian tubes and pelvic inflammatory disease, which may cause infertility. Therefore, it is best for women to avoid eating crabs and seafood during their periods.
Who else should not eat hairy crabs?
1. Allergy-prone individuals: Delicious crab meat is highly allergenic. For individuals with allergies, crab meat can trigger and exacerbate allergic reactions, causing rashes, asthma, and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock. Therefore, individuals with allergies should not consume crabs. If you happen to experience an allergic reaction after eating crabs, you should immediately stop consuming them. If the symptoms do not improve or worsen, it is best to seek medical help and use antihistamines to alleviate the symptoms.
2. Individuals with high blood pressure and diabetes should consume crabs in moderation. Although crab meat is delicious, it contains a high amount of protein and cholesterol. Even for the average person, excessive consumption is not recommended. It is especially important for individuals with high blood pressure and diabetes to avoid crabs. If you really cannot resist the temptation, it is best to consult a doctor before making a decision.
What should you pay attention to when eating hairy crabs?
1. Avoid eating dead crabs: After the death of a crab, bacteria in its body will rapidly multiply and spread to the meat, causing nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in those who consume it.
2. Avoid eating raw crabs: The infection rate of lung fluke larvae cysts in live crabs is very high, reaching 71%. Lung flukes parasitize in the human lungs, causing fever, coughing, and hemoptysis. If they invade the brain, paralysis can occur.
3. Avoid eating leftover crabs: Crabs contain a relatively high amount of histidine. Leftover crabs can produce histamine under the action of certain microorganisms. Although reheating can kill pathogenic microorganisms, it cannot destroy the toxins, leading to histamine poisoning. Therefore, it is best to steam and eat crabs immediately and not let them sit for more than 4 hours.
4. Avoid eating certain parts of the crab: The surface of the crab, gills, and gastrointestinal tract are covered in bacteria, viruses, and other pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, when eating crabs, the gills, intestines, crab heart (commonly known as the hexagonal board), and crab stomach (the triangular-shaped bony pouch with sediment) must be completely removed.
