What not to eat when pregnant
1 – High mercury fish
Mercury is highly toxic, and something you should definitely avoid when pregnant. Mercury can be found in polluted seas, which causes certain fish to accumulate them, which is why it is recommended to avoid fish when pregnant. When consumed, mercury is toxic to your nervous system, immune system, and kidneys. Furthermore, they can cause developmental issues in children. High mercury fishes to avoid includes but are not limited to: Shark, swordfish, mackerel, tuna, and marlin. On the other hand, there are low mercury fish that are safe to consume during pregnancy which include: anchovies, cod, flounder, haddock, salmon, and trout.
2 – Undercooked or raw fish
This especially applies to sushi and sashimi lovers. Raw fish, can cause several viral infections, which can be viral, bacterial, or parasitic, which examples include: Norovirus, Vibrio, Salmonella, and Listeria. Some of these infections can also impact your baby with serious or even fatal consequences. Furthermore, pregnant woman is especially vulnerable to Listeria according to the CDC.
3 – Undercooked, raw, or processed meat
With similar issues to raw fish, undercooked/raw meat can cause infection from bacteria, or parasites. Bacteria can threaten the health of your baby during pregnancy, leading to stillbirths, neurological issues, which can include: intellectual disability, blindness, and epilepsy. While a majority of bacteria exist on the surface of the meat, some may linger within the muscle fibers, so it is a must to cook your food the whole way through.
4 – Raw eggs
Raw eggs can potentially be contaminated with Salmonella, which causes: fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and in rare cases cramps in the uterus, which can cause premature birth or stillbirth. Food that may include raw eggs include: lightly scrambled eggs, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, homemade mayonnaise, certain homemade salad dressings, homemade ice cream, and homemade cake icing.
5 – Organ meats
Although organ meat are rare in iron, vitamins B, A, zinc, selenium, and copper, which ae good for you and your baby, but too much animal vitamin A can lead to congenital malformations and miscarriage. However, if you still feel like having organ meat, then you should do your best to limit your weekly consumption.
6 – Caffeine
Millions of people consume large amounts of caffeine daily, however, when pregnant, you should not consume more than 200mg daily. This is due to a baby’s placentas not having the main enzyme necessary to metabolize caffeine, which can cause the levels of caffeine to build up, especially with how quickly caffeine is absorbed into our bodies. Furthermore, high caffeine intake during pregnancy can lead to restricted fetal growth, and an increase in the risk of low birth rate.
7 – Raw sprouts
Raw sprouts, including: alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts have a chance to be contaminated with Salmonella, Furthermore, the environment where such plants grow are ideal with the growth of such bacteria, which are almost impossible to wash off. As such, it is advised to avoid eating raw sprouts. However, you can still consume them after cooking if you wish.
8 – Unwashed produce
The surface if unwashed produce can easily be contaminated with several bacteria and parasites, including: Toxoplasma, E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Toxoplasma infection may not show any symptom at birth, but can easily lead to blindness or intellectual disabilities later on in life. However, for a small percentage of babies, the symptoms can show up at birth.
9 – Unpasteurized milk, cheese, and fruit juice
Although dairy products are excellent for your baby, unpasteurized dairy products may contain harmful bacteria, such as Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter. The same applies to unpasteurized juice.
10 – Alcohol
It is best to avoid alcohol when pregnant, due to it increasing the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and impact on brain development. Furthermore, there is also risks of fetal alcohol syndrome, which symptoms include: facial deformities, heart defects, and intellectual disability.
11 – Processed Junk food
During your pregnancy, it is best to eat nutrient-dense food to help your baby grow, as such, it is best not to fill your stomach with junk food when you can eat food that are way better for your baby. Furthermore, weight gain during pregnancy is normal, excess weight gain can lead to many complications and diseases.