Can you eat oyster sauce when breastfeeding?

In this brief guide, we will be answering the following question, “ can you eat oyster sauce when breastfeeding?” We will also be discussing how the oyster sauce is made and what are its ingredients. We will also be discussing the benefits of eating oyster sauce during breastfeeding along with its harmful effects.

Can you eat oyster sauce when breastfeeding?

Yes, you can eat oyster sauce during breastfeeding. It is pasteurised and fermented package product with no possible allergens unless you are allergic to oysters. 

Oyster sauces possess certain health benefits to breastfeeding mothers e.g boost the immune system of both mother and child and improve the brain function of a child.

While eating oyster sauce you should keep in mind its sodium content which is way too much and eating oyster sauce regularly will increase sodium content in breastmilk and this can cause dehydration in your infant which can be a serious condition.

What is oyster sauce and how is it made?

Oyster sauce is a dark brown liquid made from oyster extract, sugar, salt, water, and cornstarch. It is of Chinese origin and started manufacturing in the mid-1870s. The oyster sauce adds a savoury flavour to many meat and vegetable dishes. It is very frequently used in Chinese dishes.

We have several alternative varieties of oyster sauce.

  • Non-MSG oyster sauce is made without adding MSG. Due to the increased health risks of consuming MSG thus an alternative formula was developed.
  • Vegetarian oyster sauce is made from oyster mushrooms and they are an alternative good option for vegetarian people.

Oyster sauce doesn’t contain many nutrients due to added sugar, cornstarch, and salts. A limited amount of oyster extract is added to the oyster sauce which doesn’t add any noticeable nutrients to the mixture. 

Many industries nowadays add oyster flavours and essence which is a cheap alternative to oyster extract.

Following nutrients are present in the 100 ml of the oyster sauce

Nutrients Amount 
Energy 51 kcal
Fats 0.3 g
Carbohydrates 11 g
Sodium 2733 mg
Potassium 54 mg
Protein 1.4 g
Calcium 3%
Vitamin B126%

Does eating oyster sauce provide any health benefits during breastfeeding?

Most of the store-bought oyster sauces don’t contain many nutrients because they are made from artificial flavours. If you make oyster sauce at home and use real oyster extract it will add nutrients like calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.

Boost immune system 

In natural oyster sauce due to its high zinc content. Zinc is so effective at boosting your immune system that it’s found in lozenges and over-the-counter cold treatments all around the world.

Improves brain health 

Oyster sauce contains vitamin B12 which helps in brain functioning and in the development of brain cells. The deficiency of vitamin B12 leads to confusion, memory loss, and dementia.

Increase energy levels 

Oysters are a rich source of iron and they provide a good amount of iron to the body. According to the research, almost two-thirds of iron is present in haemoglobin which carries oxygen from the lungs to the body.

Help to improve heart health

Good unsaturated fatty acids like polyunsaturated fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6 are present in the oyster sauce which improves heart health and reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis. 

Are there any harmful effects of eating oyster sauce during breastfeeding?

  • 3-MCPD (3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol) is a chemical known to be carcinogenic and it poses health risks to not only breastfeeding mothers and their children but also to other people consuming it. So keep it in mind to check your oyster sauce for this chemical.
  • Oyster sauce contains a huge amount of sodium which can lead to increased blood pressure and risk of certain heart diseases for mothers and this sodium content will be transferred to the breastfeeding child.
  • Newborns especially those who are exclusively breastfeeding don’t get additional water except mothers’ milk so in this case excess sodium content in milk will cause dehydration and even death to neonates in some cases.
  • Oyster sauce typically contains gluten in it due to added wheat flour. People with celiac disease will suffer side effects after eating even small amounts of oyster sauce.
  • Oyster sauce contains food allergens like shellfish and wheat. When a person with food allergies eats an allergen, they can have a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. 

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the following question, “ can you eat oyster sauce when breastfeeding?” We also discussed how the oyster sauce is made and what are its ingredients. We also discussed the benefits of eating oyster sauce during breastfeeding along with its harmful effects.

References 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999603/

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/119098/EMHJ_2001_7_4-5_841_843.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_sauce

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