Fish during pregnancy?

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Pregnant women have to avoid many foods. Is fish also forbidden during pregnancy? In this post we have the answer to that.

Can pregnant women eat fish?

In principle, fish is allowed during pregnancy and is even highly recommended. However, there are a few things that expectant mothers need to keep in mind. Both the condition of the fish and the type of fish are crucial.

There is nothing wrong with fish in general during pregnancy. Fatty fish contain lots of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for embryo development. The DGE (German Society for Nutrition) advises pregnant women to consume one to two portions of fish per week. This allows, for example, the amount of 200 mg/day docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) recommended during pregnancy to be achieved.

When eating fish, it is important that it is only cooked fish. Eating raw fish is too dangerous for mother and child due to the increased presence of listeria. This also applies to pickled fish when raw. In addition, there are fish species that are often contaminated with mercury. For safety reasons, expectant mothers should stay away from this too.

What fish can expectant mothers eat?

The Federal Ministry of Nutrition recommends sea fish as a priority for pregnant women. These types of fish contain a lot of iodine. The iodine needs of pregnant women and nursing mothers are higher than other women. In addition, the heavy metal contamination of deep-sea fish can be classified as lower.

Here is a list of fish species that do not pose a major threat to pregnant women when cooked:

Why shouldn't you eat salami when pregnant?

During pregnancy, some infectious diseases pose a high risk. This includes the…

  • Arctic shrimp
  • herring
  • cod
  • coalfish
  • North Sea crab
  • Redfish
  • plaice

Pregnant women should avoid these types of fish

Since the fish must be cooked, raw sushi is taboo. It doesn't matter whether the fish is baked, fried, boiled or steamed. The only important thing is that the fish has to be cooked through. Pregnant women should always stay away from fish with an increased level of heavy metal contamination (regardless of the preparation). The following types of fish usually have an increased mercury content:

  • eel
  • shark
  • Butter mackerel
  • Swordfish
  • Halibut
  • pike
  • monkfish
  • tuna

As you can see, pregnant women are also allowed to eat fish. But increased caution is required. If you are currently pregnant, always pay attention to where your fish comes from and what type it is.

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