Can I eat kelp during menstruation? What are the precautions for eating kelp?

Kelp is a very economical seafood ingredient. There are many dishes cooked with kelp, and the preparation is simple and delicious. For women, eating more kelp on a daily basis can help replenish minerals and nourish the skin, but should women avoid eating kelp on special days of menstruation? What should you pay attention to when eating kelp in daily life?

1. Can women eat kelp during menstruation?

You can eat kelp during menstruation. Kelp is a common vegetable with high nutritional value and certain medicinal value. Kelp is low in calories and rich in minerals, including a very high content of iodine. Eating kelp can resist radiation, delay aging, nourish the brain, and clean the stomach and intestines. In addition, it can also regulate immunity, lower blood sugar, excrete lead and detoxify, and resist oxidation.

Kelp also has the effect of laxative and detoxification. Eating kelp during menstruation is not only able to supplement the nutrients needed by the body and improve the body's immunity, but is also beneficial to the body. In addition, kelp contains iron, which is lost during menstruation. So you can eat some iron-containing kelp appropriately. But it should be noted that kelp also has a cooling nature, so you cannot eat too much. You must strictly control the amount you eat to avoid causing discomfort during menstruation.

2. What should we pay attention to when eating kelp in daily life?

1. Don’t eat kelp as a staple food.

You cannot use kelp as your staple food for a long time, as this will result in excessive iodine intake and will affect your health. Moreover, kelp contains a certain amount of arsenic, and excessive intake of arsenic can cause poisoning. Therefore, before eating kelp, it should be rinsed with water to dissolve the arsenic in the water.

2. Don’t drink tea or eat fruit immediately after eating kelp.

Do not drink tea or eat sour fruits immediately after eating kelp, because kelp is rich in iron, and the above two foods will hinder the absorption of iron in the body.

3. Kelp cannot be soaked for a long time.

Do not soak kelp for a long time before eating, because if the soaking time is too long, the nutrients in the kelp, such as water-soluble vitamins, inorganic salts, etc. will also dissolve in the water, and the nutritional value will be reduced. If the kelp becomes less tough after being soaked in water, as if it has been boiled, it means it has gone bad and can no longer be eaten. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that kelp is cold in nature and people with weak spleen and stomach should avoid eating it.

4. Do not eat with the following foods.

a. Persimmon. Kelp and persimmon are incompatible. Eating them together will form insoluble compounds, which may cause gastrointestinal discomfort. When kelp rich in calcium ions and persimmons rich in tannic acid are eaten together, the calcium ions in the kelp can combine with the tannic acid in the persimmons to form insoluble complexes, which can easily affect the digestion and absorption of certain nutrients and cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Therefore, kelp should not be eaten with persimmon.

b. Pig blood. Kelp and pig blood are incompatible. Eating them together is not conducive to digestion and absorption, and can lead to constipation.

c. Licorice. Kelp should not be eaten with licorice. Kelp is a salty, cold and slippery food rich in iodine, which can easily react adversely with certain ingredients in licorice. Licorice replenishes Qi and strengthens the spleen, and it is best to take it with sweet and warm foods. However, kelp is salty and cold, so when taking licorice, you must avoid eating kelp.

d. Sour fruits. Kelp and sour fruits are incompatible, causing gastrointestinal discomfort. It is not advisable to eat sour fruits immediately after eating kelp, because if the arsenic in the kelp is not rinsed clean, the vitamin C in the sour fruits will react with the arsenic to easily form toxic substances. Furthermore, sour fruits contain plant acid, and kelp is rich in iron. Plant acid will hinder the absorption of iron in the body.

e. Acidic foods. Kelp is an alkaline food and it is best not to eat it with acidic foods. Such as egg yolks, cheese, desserts, white sugar, tuna, flounder; ham, bacon, chicken, pork, eel, beef, bread, wheat, etc.