Pregnancy is a beautiful phase of life and one needs to take proper care of themselves because a pregnant woman is not only being cautious about herself but anything problematic will affect her baby as well. Which is why eating anything during pregnancy needs recommendations from the experts. In this article, we will be telling you 7 food products that a woman must avoid eating during her pregnancy. Here have a look at the article to know the details!
Food Products To Avoid During Pregnancy
Here is a list of food products that pregnant women must avoid eating. Have a look!
1. Eggplant
Eggplant, commonly known as brinjal is mostly cooked in all Indian households. This vegetable is known to treat amenorrhoea and premenstrual disorders and consequently, it is advised to not to consume it during pregnancy.
Brinjal is enriched with menstruation-inducing properties that can lead to abortion. Also, this may cause acidity problems. But if you crave for it, you can still have it in little amounts, once in a while. And if you want to still be sure about having it in little amounts, then make sure to consult your doctor and they will suggest you properly considering your pregnancy stage.
2. Ajinomoto
Ajinomoto is an ingredient that sells at a great price but is totally dangerous for pregnant women. It is commonly found in Chinese food preparations and is preferred by most of the Indians as it tastes yum. Consuming it can majorly affect the development of the fetus, which is why it is advised to not to consume it during pregnancy. Here are some over side effects of consuming Ajinomoto.
Headaches: These headaches usually lead to migraines that can even change to sound and light sensitivity.
Sleeplessness: Consuming Ajinomoto stimulates insomnia.
Heart Issues: fast heartbeats, chest pains and cardiac arrest can be caused.
Hypertension: Increased intake can lead to water retention and high blood pressure.
Obesity: Obesity can be one of the causes of obesity due to stimulation of the pancreas.
3. Unripe Papaya
Consuming unripe papaya helps to stimulate the chances of abortion which is why it is considered really dangerous during pregnancy. It contains latex and causes uterine contractions, also the presence of papain and pepsin contents in the fruit restricts the growth of the fetus. If you will consult a nutritionist or baby doctor, they will suggest you to strictly avoid having unripe papaya during pregnancy. However, you can still consume papaya during pregnancy if it is properly ripped, but make sure to consult your doctor first.
4. Unpasteurized Milk And Products Made By It
During pregnancy, you can surely drink pasteurised milk, but drinking unpasteurized milk can harm the growth of the baby. Make sure to boil the milk properly before drinking so that all the germs and microbes can be killed.
5. Fish And Seafood
Fish contains high levels of mercury that can be really harmful to the infant. Consuming fish during pregnancy can damage the nervous system and brain of young children, which is why it is strictly advised to avoid the intake of fish like swordfish, walleye, shark, tune during pregnancy. But as fish is rich in Omega 3 and you cannot go without it, then try to take clean fish that has a low amount of mercury in it like salmon and shrimp.
6. Caffeine
Caffeine is commonly found in tea, coffee, soft drinks and cocoa, for a pregnant woman must avoid its intake or just take 200mg of caffeine per day and not more than that. Caffeine is absorbed in the body very quickly and easily passes to the fetus as the placentas of the newborn baby does not have the enzymes that are needed to metabolize caffeine. Taking an excessive amount of caffeine during pregnancy can restrict fetal growth.
7. Herbal Teas
Herbs that are used for teas can harm both the mother and the fetus. Herbs such as Dong Quai, ephedra, Yohimbe, black/ blue cohosh, angelica, borage oil, pennyroyal and kava kava should be completely avoided during pregnancy. It is advised to take the regular tea instead of herbal teas if you really crave to have tea.
So, these are 7 food products that a pregnant woman must avoid eating. Hope you liked this article and found it helpful.