The saying “ginseng in the ground, sea cucumber in the water” suggests that ginseng and sea cucumber hold similar status. Sea cucumber is ranked as one of the eight treasures, alongside bird’s nest and abalone, making it relatively expensive.
Eating sea cucumber in moderation can have excellent health benefits, such as nourishing the body. Although sea cucumber is a highly nutritious sea product, some individuals may not be suitable for consuming it.
What happens to those who eat a sea cucumber every day? Here are 5 benefits:
1. Enhances immune function
Sea cucumber contains a certain amount of lysine, which promotes human development and helps enhance immune function. It also has a role in improving central nervous system function. Additionally, sea cucumber is rich in protein, an essential substance for boosting the body’s immunity.
2. Fights against disease invasion
Sea cucumber is rich in various important nutrients, including amino acids and minerals. These nutrients can enhance the immune system, strengthen the body’s resistance, and reduce the occurrence of diseases. Eating a sea cucumber daily can make your body healthier and ward off various health issues.
3. Improves sleep
Sea cucumber is rich in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and magnesium, which have a positive effect on improving sleep quality. Furthermore, sea cucumber contains unique amino acids that can promote the secretion of neurotransmitters in the brain, aiding in improving sleep quality and relieving insomnia.
4. Promotes skin health
Sea cucumber is rich in collagen, a key component for skin elasticity and firmness. Consuming sea cucumber helps improve skin condition, reduce wrinkles, and make the skin smoother and more youthful.
Moreover, certain components in sea cucumber have effects such as regulating blood pressure, lowering blood lipid levels, and improving cardiovascular health. Moderate consumption of sea cucumber helps prevent cardiovascular diseases.
5. Nourishes the stomach and spleen
Sea cucumber is believed to have the effect of nourishing the stomach and spleen. In traditional Chinese medicine, sea cucumber is considered to nourish yin, generate fluids, invigorate qi, and nourish blood. The polysaccharides in sea cucumber can promote gastrointestinal motility, increase appetite, and improve digestive problems and weak spleen conditions.
“Sea cucumber” should not be consumed casually? Doctors suggest: These 6 types of people should consume less normally, don’t take it lightly
1. Children
Nowadays, more and more parents pay attention to their children’s health. In terms of diet, they deliberately provide children with high-nutrient foods. Some parents have heard about the high nutritional value of sea cucumber and frequently buy sea cucumbers to aid in their children’s growth and development.
It is widely known that certain substances in sea cucumber may burden the stomach, while children’s gastrointestinal function is not fully developed. If children consume sea cucumber blindly, it may affect the normal development of the intestines and stomach, even leading to the body’s inability to absorb and utilize nutrients, thereby affecting the child’s health.
2. People with thyroid problems
Sea cucumber contains high levels of iodine, which is beneficial for individuals with normal thyroid function. However, for people with thyroid problems, excessive iodine intake can disrupt thyroid function. Therefore, individuals with thyroid issues should control their intake of sea cucumber and preferably do so under medical advice.
3. Gout patients
Sea cucumber is highly nutritious but is not recommended for gout patients. Gout patients need to consume more low-purine food in their daily diet, while sea cucumber falls within the high-purine category.
If dietary habits are not controlled, it may lead to gout attacks, not limited to seafood but also avoiding other sea products as much as possible. After all, during gout attacks, the pain can be unbearable.
4. People with excessive liver heat
Sea cucumber is a highly nourishing food with a high protein content. Consuming it by individuals with excessive liver heat can exacerbate the body’s damp-heat condition, burdening the liver and affecting liver function. Excessive consumption may lead to a series of discomforts.
5. Phlegm-damp constitution individuals
If you belong to the phlegm-damp constitution group, it is advisable to avoid consuming sea cucumber as it is considered to have a gentle property in traditional Chinese medicine. Although it supplements the body with lacking nutrients, it indirectly leads to over-supplementation affecting the normal circulation of the constitution and worsening self-discomfort symptoms.
Therefore, individuals with this constitution should always seek advice from a doctor to appropriately adjust their diet to avoid the side effects of such strong tonics.
6. Individuals prone to excessive internal heat
Some individuals have a particular constitution, and if they have some unhealthy habits, it is highly likely that they may experience internal heat issues. Those who are susceptible to internal heat should also avoid consuming sea cucumber regularly.
Frequent consumption of sea cucumber by these individuals could lead to recurrent episodes of internal heat. Hence, it is important to pay extra attention to this, never take your health situation lightly.
Pay Attention! What are the taboos of consuming sea cucumber? Quickly take note!
1. Foods that should not be eaten together
When eating sea cucumber, be cautious not to consume persimmons, vinegar, grapes, hawthorns, and other tannic acid fruits, as the tannic acid in fruits might cause the protein in sea cucumber to coagulate, affecting digestion and absorption, leading to discomfort such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort.
2. Not recommended for excessive consumption in spring
Spring weather tends to be dry, making it easy for the body to become overheated. Sea cucumber contains various biologically active substances such as acidic mucopolysaccharides, saponins, and collagen. Excessive consumption can worsen heat-related symptoms.
3. Avoid overeating
Each 100 grams of rehydrated sea cucumber contains 14.9 grams of protein, 0.9 grams of fat, 0.4 grams of carbohydrates, 357 milligrams of calcium, 12 milligrams of phosphorus, 2.4 milligrams of iron, along with nutritional components like vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin. While its nutritional value is high, it should not be consumed excessively to prevent overburdening the liver and kidneys, leading to symptoms like indigestion and other bodily discomfort.
4. Avoid deep processing in cooking methods
From a nutritional perspective, cooking methods such as boiling, stewing, and cold mixing are most suitable for preserving the nutrients in sea cucumber and ensuring their nutritional values are not lost. Moreover, these methods are flavorful, easy to execute, and best for releasing sea cucumber’s nutrients. Braising and other cooking methods are less suitable.
Above are the benefits and taboos of consuming sea cucumber. Although this product is excellent for toning the body, it does not mean it can be used casually. Lack of awareness of the taboos during use can cause significant harm after consumption.
