Pla ra is used in a variety of dishes in our country, including som tam, mushroom curry, and many others. Especially Isaan food, which is famous for its strong flavor. However, if this type of fermented food is not eaten properly, it can be a risk for many diseases.
4 Diseases at Risk from “ Pla Ra ” and How to Eat It Safely
1. Liver fluke
Liver fluke is a type of fluke whose adult body lives in the bile ducts of humans, dogs and cats, but can also be found in raw fish, raw fermented fish meat, and raw Pla ra sauce. The shape of the fluke is flat like a leaf, with the head and tail rounded. It is 5-10 millimeters long and 0.7-1.5 millimeters wide. It is a reddish color similar to light blood.
When patients with liver fluke disease first show symptoms, patients will have a feeling of tightness in the abdomen under the right ribs, which may be tight below the epigastric region. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, flatulence, enlarged liver, occasional loose stools, low-grade fever, and a feeling of “feeling hot.” In the final stages of the disease, patients may have bile duct obstruction, jaundice, enlarged liver, a palpable hard lump, rough surface, soft liver, fluid in the ascites, and edema. http://ufabet999.app Patients will feel weak and lose weight. When the cancer spreads to other organs, symptoms will worsen and death will occur.
2. Bile duct cancer
Liver fluke, when severe over a long period of time, may increase the risk of bile duct cancer. This is because liver fluke is the only parasite in Thailand that the World Health Organization recognizes and classifies as a carcinogen. In addition, raw fermented fish contains nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic substances in the body.
3. Muscle weakness or numbness
Muscle weakness is caused by a lack of vitamin B1 or beriberi. Most people experience weakness and numbness in their arms and legs, with swollen and red hands and feet. Vitamin B1 deficiency is caused by eating foods that do not contain enough vitamins, such as eating only white rice that has been milled, or foods that contain substances that destroy vitamin B1, such as raw freshwater fish, raw clams, fermented fish, tea leaves, Miang leaves, betel leaves, raw fermented fish, raw sour pork, etc.
4. Kidney disease
It is certain that fermented fish is a good source of protein, comparable to proteins from other food sources. In addition, it also contains other nutrients such as phosphorus, calcium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin K. However, the sodium content is very high from seasoning with a lot of salt. And seasoning with fermented fish in various foods is like adding too many seasonings. Therefore, there is a risk of consuming more sodium than you need each day, which may be a risk of kidney disease.
How to eat fermented fish safely
- Boil the fermented fish until cooked before eating every time, both the fermented fish meat and the fermented fish sauce.
- Do not eat too much fermented fish and fish sauce.
- Take care of animals that are sources of liver fluke spreading, such as dogs, cats, etc. (eat cooked shellfish and fish) to eliminate liver fluke larvae in the intermediate host (all food menus must be cooked with heat)
- Eat fermented fish with various vegetables to get more nutritional value.
- Process fermented fish into various food products such as fermented fish paste, minced fermented fish, etc. before eating.