Women in pregnancy must eat foods that provide them with the best nutrition possible while avoiding foods that may cause some kind of harm to the unborn fetus. So what about crawfish? Are they like other seafood that cannot be eaten because of the mercury present in the tissues of the seafood?

Can Pregnant Women Eat Crawfish?

Yes but within limited amounts. It can be eaten as a portion of the 2 6-ounce serving sizes of cooked seafood that is low in mercury each weak. According to experts at the American Pregnancy Association, when you eat crawfish or crayfish, you are eating a type of seafood that has very low amounts of mercury in it. Besides, according to the US Food and Drug Association, any type of undercooked or raw seafood should be cooked until the internal temperature of the seafood has reached at least 145 degrees. So, when you eat crawfish, you should make sure that it is red in color and that the meat is opaque and pearly in appearance.

Why Choose Low Mercury Fish?

Research has shown us elevated levels of methylmercury that shows in fish with mercury in a pregnant women can adversely affect the fetus' nervous system and brain. According to researchers, methylmercury is absorbed easily by the mothers' body and can cross the placental barrier. This can result in mild or severe symptoms. According to experts at the EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency), things like attention, language, memory, vision, and motor skills may be strongly affected by exposure to methylmercury. This means you have to stay away from any kind of fish that has a high mercury count.

The fish that women who become pregnant should stay away from because of their high mercury levels include swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Other typical fish to avoid include orange roughy, bluefish, fresh tuna, frozen tuna, golden snapper, Chilean sea bass, striped bass, amberjack, marlin, Spanish mackerel, walleye (from the Great lakes), Cravalle jack, and fish from the Gulf of Mexico.

Some low mercury fish that pregnant women can choose from include:

Can pregnant women eat crawfish? Yes if you are worrying about the crawfish may become infected by polluted water, causing other problems. Crawfish aren't too dangerous because they live in cleaner waters that are rarely ever filled with pollution. This means that you can eat it within the guidelines mentioned above.

What Nutrition Will You Get from Crawfish?

With low mercury, there are several health benefits from eating this type of seafood. Here are some good benefits you can look forward to:

1.   Macronutrients

For each serving of crawfish you eat, you take in about 14 grams of protein, 70 calories, and a small amount of carbs and fat. It contains about 115 mg of cholesterol, which means it contains about forty percent of the RDA of cholesterol, which is 300 mg for most normal people. Be attention: Those who suffer from high cholesterol or heart disease should reduce the intake of cholesterol to fewer than 200 mg cholesterol.

2.   Vitamins

Each 3 ounce serving of crawfish contains about thirty percent of the RDA for vitamin B12 along with 10 percent of the RDA for both folate and niacin and four percent of the RDA for thiamine, vitamin B6 and riboflavin. The B vitamins are especially helpful for the function of the nervous system, which helps the food you eat become energy that supplies the hair, skin, liver, and eyes of your baby. So can pregnant women eat crawfish, yes!

3.   Minerals

Each serving of crawfish is high in phosphorus, having 25 percent of the daily value of the mineral. You also get 10 percent of the daily value for zinc, 6 percent of the daily value for calcium, 8 percent of the daily value for magnesium, and 4 percent of the daily value for iron. Both magnesium and phosphorus are helpful for the creation and storage of energy, the strengthening of teeth and bones, and the function of muscles and nerves. Zinc is important for taste and smell and it aids in wound healing, immune function, and DNA/protein production.