Every expectant mom knows there are certain foods that should be avoided during pregnancy to protect the health of their unborn baby. The list, however, has become so long and so controversial that it’s difficult to know which foods/drinks actually pose a health risk and which ones are actually safe for consumption. When it comes to pregnancy, there are certain foods that should most definitely be avoided. Foods that are too high in mercury or Vitamin A can pose a health risk to your baby, as can foods that are known to cause food borne illness such as Listeriosis and Salmonella poisoning. If you’re worried about your diet, talk to your doctor to find out exactly what foods you can or cannot eat. In the meantime, you should definitely avoid eating the following 10 foods which have been proven to be the most dangerous when it comes to pregnancy. If you don’t cut anything else out of your diet during your pregnancy, make sure you remove the following foods:
1. Feta Cheese
Feta is a popular form of cheese, used in many salads and pastas and adored by food connoisseurs all over the world. If you’re a cheese lover who craves it even more during pregnancy, it’s important to know what cheese is safe. Unfortunately, this type of cheese (along with other soft, unpasteurized cheese which we talk about later in this article) has been linked to foodborne illness. The most popular foodborne illness linked with this particular type of cheese is Listeriosis. In general, if you aren’t pregnant, consuming foods with Listeria would cause flu-like symptoms and not have any lasting effect or damage to your health. But if you are pregnant, avoid any cheeses that have “unpasteurized” on the label and opt for safer choices like mozzarella cheese instead. When infected with Listeriosis, there’s risk of a miscarriage, premature labor, and severe illness. Interestingly, some meats are also a risk to pregnant women because they may contain listeria. Keep reading to learn about these meats.
2. King Mackerel
King mackerel may be a healthy source of omega-3 fatty acids for average individuals but the high level of mercury in this particular fish (and a few others on our list) can be potentially dangerous to your unborn baby. Too much mercury can damage your baby’s developing nervous system. The risks of consuming king mackerel fish while pregnant far outweigh the benefits, especially when there are a lot of other fish you can eat instead. For those who really like mackerel, there are some other types of mackerel that are okay in moderation, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Ensure you get the right amount of omega-
fatty acids by eating healthy, safer types of fish like salmon, tilapia and shrimp and staying within the recommended guidelines for mercury consumption (as noted in slide 9 of this article). To be safe, skip raw fish when you order sushi – there are tons of rolls and other dishes available to you that are much safer to eat and don’t pose a risk to your unborn baby.
3. Caffeinated Coffee/Tea/Pop
The amount of caffeine a pregnant woman can safely consume has been widely argued by many experts. Caffeine can cross the placenta and affect your baby’s heart rate. Common sources of caffeine include, but are not limited to, coffee, tea and pop. Many doctors recommend that pregnant women consume no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. On average, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains approximately 95 milligrams of caffeine, an 8-ounce cup of tea contains about 47 milligrams and and a 12-ounce pop contains about 29 milligrams. If you’re unsure about how much caffeine is safe, it’s best to avoid it altogether until you talk to your doctor. Some doctors don’t think it’s a big deal to have caffeine in moderation while others advocate that caffeinated drinks should be avoided completely. So get the information you need from your doctor to make an informed decision about caffeine during your pregnancy.
4. Brie Cheese
Brie cheese, similar to feta cheese, is commonly unpasteurized and can pose potential health risks to you and your unborn baby. These types of soft cheeses are commonly linked to foodborne illnesses such as Listeriosis. Listeriosis can be incredibly dangerous for pregnant women. Even a mild form of this infection can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or severe illness in newborn babies. Always check the label and avoid any foods that indicate that they are “unpasteurized.” Some doctors say that if the unpasteurized cheese is cooked, it is okay to eat, but you shouldn’t take this chance until you’ve spoken with your doctor. Unpasteurized means that the milk the cheese is made with is raw, which is what gives it the potential to contain the disease, Listeria. Cheeses that use pasteurized milk have a very low chance of carrying the disease. There are a surprising amount of cheeses that are commonly thought to be pasteurized but aren’t, so make sure the product label explicitly says it’s pasteurized to cover your bases. If you aren’t sure, don’t risk it.
5. Deli Meats
Deli meats are a staple lunch item in households across North America. They’re convenient and cheap, make filling sandwiches, and children generally like them, but their safety related to pregnant women has been a controversial topic for years. In general, processed deli meats should be avoided during pregnancy. These meats have been linked to causing Listeriosis – a dangerous foodborne illness that can cause miscarriage, severe illness and even stillbirths. The average person would feel mild flu-like symptoms but the disease is much more severe for women who are pregnant. Listeria is a rare disease, but pregnant women are more susceptible to getting the virus, and unborn, developing babies are at a higher risk of developing complications from the disease. Foods in this category include any processed deli meats (ham, turkey, chicken, salami etc) as well as uncooked hot dogs and bologna. Either cook these meats until they are steaming hot – or avoid them altogether
.6. Liver Liver
and most liver product (like liver pate or liver sausage) – contain hazardously high amounts of fat-soluble vitamin. an excessive amount of fat-soluble vitamin, particularly throughout the primary few months of physiological state, has been coupled to birth defects in babies. Monitor your intake of alimentation} (ask your doctor what quantity of this vitamin is safe) and avoid high-dose multivitamin supplements, fish liver oil supplements and any supplement containing fat-soluble vitamin. There are literally 2 substances that convert to fat-soluble vitamin in your body, one among that is carotene and is safe for pregnant ladies. this type of fat-soluble vitamin may be found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and doesn\'t cause a risk to unhatched babies. You don’t ought to exit of your thanks to get the great fat-soluble vitamin – a well-balanced, healthy diet that features little processed foods ought to give you with the counseled vitamins to stay your body healthy. However, per-formed fat-soluble vitamin found in liver yolks is that the sort that’s unsafe for pregnant ladies, thus steer further from it.
7. unpasteurized Milk
Much like unpasteurized cheeses (like Brie and Feta, mentioned earlier during this article) unpasteurized tin cause large health risks to your unhatched baby. Don’t drink milk (also referred to as unpasteurized milk), together with sheep’s milk or goat’s milk (that includes cheese as well). unpasteurized milk, together with raw and unwashed food, may be a vehicle for carrying pathogens that may cause you to very sick. milk is at a considerably higher risk of being contaminated with true bacteria compared to milk, which may end in the malady infectious disease. As antecedently explained, unpasteurized milk has been illustrious to cause food borne diseases like infectious disease. infectious disease may be a dangerous infection that may result in miscarriage, severe ill health and even spontaneous abortion. The danger from obtaining With pregnant ladies being at the next risk of obtaining infectious disease and unhatched babies in danger of developing serious complications from it, lots of doctors advise their pregnant patients to avoid unpasteurised milk throughout their whole term.
8. raw Eggs
Many people toss a number of raw eggs into their morning smoothies to present it a macromolecules boost however pregnant lady ought to avoid feeding raw eggs altogether. In their raw kind, eggs cause an enormous risk for enteric bacteria poisoning. whereas associate degree unhatched baby can’t have enteric bacteria poisoning (the pregnant mother can’t pass it on to the baby), there area unit many aspect effects that may impact the baby’s health and labor. a number of these embody inflicting early labor and dehydration, since enteric bacteria poisoning ends up in disgorgement and diarrhoea. Cooked eggs area unit an honest supply of macromolecules, vitamins and minerals, thus if you wish to eat eggs throughout your physiological state, simply confirm that they’re parched. once change of state eggs, the egg whites and ingredient ought to be solid. Some product to be cautious of area unit ones created with raw or partly parched eggs like some Caesar salad dressings, raw cookie dough and punch. It’s best to avoid these foods the maximum amount as doable throughout your physiological state so as to make sure the health of your unhatched baby.
9. Swordfish
It may be troublesome to be told and follow all of the foods that ought to be avoided once you’re pregnant, however several foods may end up in serious complications for each the mother and unhatched baby. What fish area unit safe to eat throughout physiological state is perhaps the foremost confusing due to what percentage fish area unit thought of unsafe. mix that with the actual fact that lots of fish area unit safe and might be a good supply of nutrients, and it’s troublesome to stay track of the great vs unhealthy. Similar to Scomberomorus cavalla, shark and swordfish will doubtless contain dangerous levels of mercury for pregnant ladies. As we tend to noted earlier within the article, an excessive amount of mercury will injury your baby’s developing system. Instead, eat healthier fish like canned light-weight tuna, salmon, shrimp or cod – however confirm you monitor your intake. Food and Drug Administration tips state that pregnant ladies will eat up to twelve ounces (340 grams) of mercury contaminated fish per week, that averages to regarding a pair of food meals.
10. bleu
Another standard sort of cheese that doesn’t create the cut of cheeses that area unit safe to eat once pregnant is bleu. bleu (and alternative soft cheeses like Camembert and Mexican-style cheeses like queso fresco and queso blanco) will result in foodborne ill health. These product (like feta cheese and Brie cheese) area unit usually created with unpasteurized milk that has typically been coupled to infectious disease. Listeriosis may be a harmful and doubtless fatal infection that may result in miscarriage, severe ill health and even stillbirths. Instead, take pasteurize cheeses like cheese and pot cheese. Or, check the labels at your native merchandiser or market as a result of it\'s doable to form bleu with milk. you\'ll deliver the goods and realize one, however confirm it blatantly says the cheese is pasteurize on the label – there’s no profit to taking the danger once the potential damage to your unhatched baby may be severe.