Due to its fresh ingredients and clean preparation process, sushi is considered a healthy food by a lot of people. Unfortunately, despite the health benefits that sushi can provide, this dish can also pose health risks if consumed in excess. Even if you can use a sushi maker kit, you must not consume sushi excessively.
Here are the 4 health risks of consuming sushi in excess:
1. Trigger High Salt Consumption
The secret to delicious sushi is seasoned sushi with a high concentration of salt. Both the rice, fish, and seaweed used will go through a salt-related process during manufacture.
According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the main problem caused by salt is the inability of the kidneys to remove salt from the blood. The body will need a lot of water to digest salt which can have an impact on increasing blood volume.
2. Increase Consumption of Refined Carbohydrates
White rice used in sushi is one of the refined carbohydrates. This means that there is a high enough sugar content which is equivalent to its nutritional content.
Several studies have shown that increasing consumption of refined carbohydrates contributes to increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. White rice, in particular, is high in sugar which can lead to excess sugar consumption and an impact on increased blood pressure and insulin levels.
3. Unsafe sources of mercury
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, fish that should be avoided because of their high mercury content include king mackerel, marlin, shark, swordfish, ahi tuna, bigeye tuna, and several other fish. This mercury content is very dangerous if swallowed in large quantities.
Experts recommend completely avoiding yellowtail and bigeye tuna. While fish that are highly recommended because of their low mercury content, such as eel, salmon, crab, and shellfish.
4. Risk of Food Poisoning
The process of preparing a meal can make a huge difference in the context of food health and safety. Cooking at high temperatures can eliminate pathogenic contamination, unfortunately, this process is not followed when making sushi.
Experts note that the greatest toxin from consuming raw, undercooked, or frozen seafood is the development of naturally occurring parasites. This parasite can easily transfer to the human body and cause many diseases.
