In Indonesia, offal is often processed into delicious dishes. Although offal is delicious to eat, you cannot ignore the health risks that arise from consuming offal. Especially if you eat it too often or too much.
Offal is another name for the internal organs of animals that are ready to be processed into various types of dishes. The internal organs in question can be the tongue, tripe, intestines, liver, lungs, heart, spleen, and brain.
Side Effects of Consuming Offal Too Often
Offal is not always bad for the body. Consuming offal in reasonable amounts, actually can still provide various benefits.
This is because offal contains various nutrients needed by the body, such as vitamins A, B, D, E, K, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. zinc. These vitamins and minerals are very important for carrying out various metabolic processes in the body.
Although offal is rich in important nutrients, it does not mean that you are recommended to consume offal too often or too much. In addition to the nutrients mentioned earlier, offal also has a very high purine compound. Not only that, offal also contain saturated fat and high cholesterol.
The following are some health problems that can arise as a result of consuming too much or too much offal:
- Excess vitamin A
The safe limit for consuming vitamin A per day is 10,000 IU, while the vitamin A contained in offal is quite high. That is why, consuming offal too often can cause a buildup of vitamin A in the body. Excess vitamin A can lead to various health problems, such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, diarrhea, and liver damage.
- High cholesterolOffal generally contain high levels of cholesterol and fat. Although fat is needed by the body, but you must still pay attention to the amount of consumption. The reason is that consuming excess fat intake can actually cause the formation of plaque in the blood vessels. This condition makes it easier for you to get heart disease.
- GoutGout disease will more easily appear in people who often or eat too many foods that are high in purine content. The more purine content in food, the higher the uric acid levels produced by the body. This high uric acid level will then form solid crystals in the joints, eventually causing inflammation and pain. That is why gout sufferers are advised to avoid eating offal.
If your body is healthy, eating offal is allowed, as long as it's not too often and not too much. The goal is that you can avoid the various health problems that have been described above. Especially for those of you who already have a history of uric acid and high cholesterol.
As an alternative of offal, you can consume beef, chicken, or other types of lean meat, balanced with a balanced nutritious diet. If you like to eat offal or unhealthy food and feel complaints that may point to the above diseases, you should consult a doctor.