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Why it's not recommended to eat Japanese food before the age of 21
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Japanese cuisine has become especially popular in Ukraine. Many cafes and restaurants are opening where you can try exotic food, some dishes are even sold in stores. However, people under 21 are not recommended to get carried away with Japanese cuisine.
According to doctors, Ukrainians should not eat sushi and other Japanese dishes at all, primarily because their stomachs are not used to such food. Onishchenko even referred to genetic memory, claiming that children should eat what their ancestors ate, i.e., traditional Russian food. He advised returning from rolls to sauerkraut and potatoes.
Some experts are of a similar opinion. According to them, minors should not eat pickled ginger, wasabi, and raw fish, as such food may be too unusual and cause an undesirable reaction in the body. In particular, eating food with hot wasabi can lead to gastrointestinal diseases, and raw fish can cause infection with parasites, which are sometimes contained in it.
Another reason why people under 21 are advised not to eat Japanese cuisine prepared in Ukrainian latitudes is their generally low quality. It turns out that not very high-quality goods are often transported from Japan to Ukraine. Moreover, since products are sometimes transported for too long, without observing storage conditions, dishes are prepared from expired ingredients, which can harm the human body and even lead to poisoning.
In part, such recommendations from experts are related to the fact that poisoning has repeatedly occurred as a result of eating Japanese cuisine. Doctors noted that in children and adolescents, it is much more severe than in adults, and in some cases can even lead to death. That is why people under 21 should not eat sushi, rolls, etc., and adults are advised to buy Japanese cuisine only in large restaurants with an excellent reputation in order to minimize the risk of poisoning from poor-quality products.