What is the cause of rhabdomyolysis in crayfish

Rhabdomyolysis is a relatively common symptom of crayfish. Many people like to eat crayfish. my country ranks first in the world in terms of crayfish consumption. However, when rumors about rhabdomyolysis occurred after eating crayfish, there were a lot of rumors. In fact, the real culprit is not crayfish. Through research and investigation, it was found that some merchants use a shrimp washing powder when cleaning crayfish, and this shrimp washing powder is the culprit that causes rhabdomyolysis.

What is rhabdomyolysis

It refers to a group of clinical syndromes in which skeletal muscle is acutely destroyed and dissolved, releasing a large amount of myoglobin, creatine kinase and other muscle cell contents into the peripheral blood. The main symptoms are sudden muscle pain, muscle weakness, and soy sauce-colored urine. Its biggest harm is that the myoglobin released into the blood can easily block the renal tubules and lead to acute renal failure.

Mysterious shrimp washing powder

Many small restaurants use this secret weapon called "shrimp washing powder" to clean lobsters. According to some restaurant owners, this shrimp washing powder is very easy to use. Just dissolve it in water and soak the crayfish directly in it.

In less than 10 minutes, the dirt stuck to the crayfish's belly will fall off automatically. Occasionally, if it is still a little dirty, you can just rinse it with tap water to clean it all. The dishes made are bright in color and beautiful in appearance.

Although the specific ingredients of shrimp washing powder are still unclear, it is very likely to contain sodium bisulfite formaldehyde, also known as "bleaching cake". Small doses can cause gastrointestinal symptoms in people, and in the late stage (6-24 hours after ingestion) it can cause rhabdomyolysis, renal failure and other symptoms.

Baiting block has a distinct smell, similar to shrimp washing powder, and it is cheap. It has been widely used in China's folk food industry, from steaming buns to grinding tofu, so it is very likely to be used to rinse crayfish.

Precautions for eating crayfish

1. Do not take vitamin C tablets

Shellfish such as shrimp contain high concentrations of "pentavalent arsenic compounds". It itself is non-toxic to the human body, but after taking vitamin C tablets, the original non-toxic arsenic compound can be converted into toxic arsenic trioxide, i.e. arsenic trioxide, which can endanger human life.

2. Feed with clean water for 24 hours

Before cooking, be sure to feed the shrimp with clean water for about 24 hours to allow the shrimp to excrete metabolites. In addition, use a brush to clean the dirt on its body. At the same time, the intestinal thread that hides a lot of mud and bacteria must also be removed, and then rinsed thoroughly with clean water 2-3 times.

3. Don’t eat shrimp heads

The head of the crayfish is the part that absorbs and processes the most toxins, and is also the part most prone to accumulation of pathogens and parasites.

5. Don’t drink beer

Do not drink beer when eating crayfish, because lobsters are high in protein and the purine content is also very high. If you eat lobsters and drink a lot of beer at the same time, it may cause an increase in blood uric acid and cause a gout attack.