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Eggs can be a food choice to meet the protein needs of pregnant women. Besides the affordable price, eggs can also be easily processed into various dishes, for example boiled eggs, beef eye eggs, or scrambled eggs. However, can pregnant women eat half-cooked eggs? Come on, find out the answer below.
Can pregnant women eat soft-boiled eggs?
Pregnant women need to maintain their health by paying attention to the food they eat.
The reason is, food provides nutrients that support the health of the pregnant mother as well as the development of the fetus.
On the other hand, food can also have a negative impact if it is contained in or exposed to pathogens (germs).
One of the important things that pregnant women need to pay attention to in choosing food is the level of maturity.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, raw foods are dietary restrictions for pregnant women, one example is eggs.
Eggs contain protein, vitamin A, vitamin B, selenium, phosphorus and folic acid. In pregnant women, these nutrients keep the body's cells healthy and prevent the baby from neural tube defects.
Unfortunately, pregnant women are only allowed to eat cooked eggs, not raw or undercooked.
Some health organizations do give pregnant women the green light to eat raw or imperfectly cooked eggs. However, the condition is that the eggs must be pasteurized first.
However, finding eggs that are truly pasteurized in Indonesia is not easy.
Rather than eating raw or undercooked eggs making you anxious, Louise Silverton, Head of Midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, tells the BBC her best move.
According to him, groups that are susceptible to infection should not eat raw eggs, undercooked eggs, or other foods that contain raw eggs.
The vulnerable groups referred to are people with weak immune systems, such as pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with certain health problems.
The reason is because eggs or foods that are not cooked until they are fully cooked allow bacteria to still live in them.
If it enters the body of pregnant women, food poisoning can occur.
The impact of pregnant women eating undercooked eggs
Quoted from the FDA, raw or undercooked eggs contain bacteria Salmonella. Bacteria that enter the body of pregnant women can cause stomach upset and diarrhea.
In addition, pregnant women can also experience stomach nausea, fever, and headaches that appear within 6 to 72 hours after consuming raw or undercooked eggs.
These symptoms can last for 4 to 7 days. In severe cases, these bacteria can cause severe infection, causing death in the fetus.
Not only poisoning, it turns out that eating raw eggs is also of little use. Raw eggs contain avidin, which can interfere with the absorption of biotin (vitamin B7) in the intestines.
In addition, amino acids in eggs are also not properly absorbed by the body when consumed raw.
If pregnant women want to get the benefits of eggs, this food should be consumed when cooked.
When cooking, make sure the yolk is tougher and milky in color, especially when you are making beef eye eggs. In order to cook on both sides, don't forget to turn the eggs over.
Other things to consider are egg storage and hand hygiene.
Store eggs in the refrigerator to prevent bacteria from multiplying. Wash your hands when handling food and also before eating.
Apart from avoiding eating raw or undercooked eggs, pregnant women also need to avoid fish and undercooked meat.
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