Sushi During Pregnancy
Should you be avoiding sushi during pregnancy? Some websites would have you believe that it’s ok to consume raw fish, as long as you’re eating fish that is low in mercury.
The safety of sushi during pregnancy is the topic of this week’s episode of The Sitch!
UPDATE (7/1/2020): While the CDC still advises against consuming raw fish during pregnancy, the NHS says it is ok provided the sushi has been properly handled (frozen first to less than -4° F to kill parasites and properly handed/stored/refrigerated after to prevent bacterial contamination). High-end sushi restaurants usually do this and are therefore probably safe to consume. But you never really know. This is why it is still a risk. But in the interest of evidence-based guidelines, I want you to know that the risk is very low in the perfect conditions. If you do choose to eat raw fish during pregnancy, I’d recommend avoiding pre-made sushi from grocery stores, cheap restaurants, and in areas that are far from the water where fish has had to travel long distances and has more contamination opportunities.
Sushi is my favorite food second only to a good glass of petite syrah :) So you can imagine how pleasant I’ve been over the past four months since I got pregnant and stopped consuming these staples.
Today I want to talk to you about why pregnant women are advised to avoid eating sushi during pregnancy.
Recently, I heard an Instagram “influencer” talking about how she occasionally eats sushi during pregnancy and how it’s “OK” because she only does it once in a while.
Here’s the thing people. It’s your body and it’s your choice. It’s not OK, even in small amounts – it’s always a risk.
RISKS OF SUSHI DURING PREGNANCY
Sushi and other raw animal products have a high risk of bacterial contamination. For seafood specifically, there is also a risk of parasites.
The risk of consuming a contaminated piece of sushi, while low, is the same for all people. A pregnant woman is not any more likely to eat contaminated fish than a non-pregnant woman.
It’s what happens to certain groups of people with compromised immune systems like the children, seniors, and pregnant women after they consume infected food that differs.
Pregnant women’s immune systems are decreased in order to allow the immune system to accept the new life growing within. This means that when they get sick, their body isn’t as equipped to fight off illness. Secondly, a baby’s immature immune system is not nearly developed enough to fight off certain pathogenic infections.
So while the same contaminated sushi might make a healthy non-pregnant woman simply experience symptoms of food poisoning, the pregnant woman may experience severe complications and even risk harming the baby.
While good sushi restaurants properly freeze their fish before serving, which can kill off parasites, freezing doesn’t kill off all harmful organisms.
So sure, eating sushi once in a while probably isn’t going to hurt you.
Probably. It’s a risk.
It doesn’t matter if you consume it once or eat it all the time, you only have to be exposed one time for there to be potentially devastating effects.
That’s a risk I’m not willing to take.
TIPS FOR SAFE SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION
If you still want to get in the recommended amount of 12 ounces of seafood a week, here are some tips for staying safe.
- Make sure fresh seafood is properly refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
- Cook all seafood to 145 F to kill off bacteria and parasites.
- Choose fish that have high concentrations of the brain-benefiting omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA like wild salmon.
- Avoid fish that are high in mercury like albacore, ahi, and big-eye tuna, shark, king mackerel, and swordfish.
And if you’re looking to satisfy those sushi cravings, give vegetable sushi a try. I find the combo of rice, pickled ginger and soy sauce is just what I need to fill that umami void.
You can also find really creative faux-fish vegan sushi at certain restaurants and stores like Whole Foods that taste and feel nearly identical to the real thing.
I hope you guys found this video and article informative! If you liked it, please SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel for more evidence-based, myth-busting episodes of “The Sitch.”
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Weigh in: Are there any foods you are unsure about avoiding during pregnancy?
Barb says:
I read “Expecting Better” while being pregnant in 2017 and came to my own decision – that I would eat sushi once a week throughout my pregnancy.
I never got sick, from food or otherwise. My baby and I were healthy throughout our time as one, and she was born naturally weighing 8 lbs 3 oz.
Granted, I live in LA near some of the most amazing sushi and that’s the high quality I always eat regardless of pregnancy. I stayed away from the four no-no high mercury fish that I also never ate beforehand.
The US also says don’t touch a drop of alcohol. Think for yourself. If you’re capable, make your own decisions, just like you would in all other important matters.
Whitney E. RD says:
Hi Barb, thanks for your feedback! I definitely agree that sushi is not likely to cause any complications but as I said in the post/video, that it does carry a much higher risk than other foods. Obviously, risk doesn’t equal outcome. I’m happy to hear you had a successful pregnancy though and a healthy baby – congrats!
Gary Ward says:
“Sushi” means “vinegared rice” and does not specifically contain fish or seafood at all. There is plenty of sushi that does not contain fish or even raw fish. Don’t skimp on having sushi, but if you want to minimize the named risk in this article, choose sushi that does not have raw fish, and don’t eat sashimi. Here is another resource that names some great non-fish sushi you can ask for. https://www.sushi.com/articles/8-sumptuous-sushi-roll-recipes-without-the-raw-fish
Enjoy the sushi!
Jeanie says:
Great response barb. “Expecting better” llooks to the evidence to assess the recommendations against sushi. It’s easy to make blanket statements but the evidence shows that high quality, low mercury fish in moderation does not lead negative outcomes in pregnancy.
Kaleigh @ Lively Table says:
Thank you so much for this! Women should NEVER take a chance when it comes to things like sushi for the sake of baby’s health, although yes, your body, your choice. I’ve been missing my sushi and wine too! When’s your due date?!
Whitney E. RD says:
I absolutely agree! Congratulations on your pregnancy too! I’m due mid- May :)
Bridget @EatRightMama says:
Whitney-thanks for shedding light on this important topic! I give the same advice in my book Eating Expectantly! My motto is It’s always better to be Safer then Sorry during pregnancy!
Whitney E. RD says:
Absolutely! I’ll have to check out your book. Thanks, Bridget!
Jamie says:
Do you have any references for this? As a nurse practitioner in an OBGYN office (and also an expectant mother), I do research these topics regularly. Many international organizations, as well as the chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Cornell University Medical Center, agree that it is safe. They go on to say that it is usually shellfish, not raw fish (sashimi) that causes most foodborne illnesses that are risky during pregnancy.
Bridgette says:
I assume she has no reference for this. This appears to be quite a bit more western mom shaming than any evidence based practice. Can you imagine the audacity of a white woman telling all the pregnant women in Japan that eating raw fish while pregnant is a risk to their unborn child? Japan, a place with the highest life expectancy and best birth outcomes of anywhere in the world, that this evidence-supported practice both encouraged by their public health and medical community is bad for them? Lol.
Whitney E. RD says:
“Pregnant women should avoid
raw and undercooked fish such as sushi, smoked or
lightly seared seafood, and ceviche.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27065071/?i=3&from=raw%20fish%20OR%20sushi%20AND%20complications%20pregnancy
Tori says:
Notice that the article states that freezing the fish (in a certain manner) will get rid of the parasites. In the US, fish served at sushi restaurants is required to be frozen in such a manner. So this paper is not convincing evidence that pregnant women in the US should cut out sushi.
Kali says:
Thank you sooo much for saying this! Obviously we all need to make our own choices but let’s be presented with evidence that is not shame/fear (and most western lifestyle) based! In addition, if you check the CDC’s website, the last outbreaks of contamination have been in cheese (yes, hard cheese) and raw veggies! Both of which are also recommended for pregnant women. So yes, there is risk in EVERYTHING we do/eat but that doesn’t mean we can’t make educated decisions.