Can your food threaten your baby during pregnancy?
When you're pregnant, everything becomes cautious. But did you know that every single food you eat directly affects your baby? My friend, who is 7 months pregnant, recently ate raw cassava and got an upset stomach. Luckily, it wasn't serious, but hearing her story shocked me. Today, I'm going to hit you with facts about foods you must avoid during pregnancy. Remember these for your health and your baby's safety!
Foods with toxins: never eat these
During pregnancy, never eat foods that are not fresh, sprouted, or undercooked. For example, raw soy milk contains trypsin inhibitors that hinder digestion, and raw cassava can produce cyanide. Sprouted potatoes contain solanine, a toxin that affects the nervous system. Fresh daylily buds (golden needles) contain colchicine, causing vomiting and diarrhea. Green tomatoes have solanine, rotten ginger contains safrole which is carcinogenic, and raw bamboo shoots have cyanide precursors. I know someone who ate sprouted potatoes and suffered headaches and dizziness. Don't take these foods lightly.
Aloe vera juice, crab, and spice traps
Aloe vera juice is known to be healthy, but if pregnant women drink too much, it can cause gastrointestinal reactions and even uterine contractions. Crab is cold in nature, lowering body temperature and causing abdominal pain. Also, hot spices like pepper, star anise, and cinnamon can deplete intestinal moisture and worsen constipation. I once had cinnamon tea in early pregnancy and suffered from constipation. Use these spices as little as possible or avoid them altogether.
Even fruits to be careful? Hawthorn and longan
Hawthorn fruit promotes uterine contractions, risking premature birth. Longan is hot in nature, aggravating yin deficiency and internal heat in pregnant women, potentially causing heat toxins to the baby. There was a case where a pregnant woman ate too much longan and got a fever and stomachache. Just because it's fruit doesn't mean it's safe, so be careful.
How to manage your pregnancy diet
During pregnancy, eat fresh and fully cooked foods. Cook fish thoroughly, and meat to an internal temperature of at least 75°C. Wash fruits thoroughly and peel them, especially avoid hawthorn and longan. Use only salt and soy sauce for seasoning, and avoid spicy seasonings. In my case, I cooked all my meals at home during pregnancy and avoided eating out as much as possible. This helps prevent unexpected risks.
Pregnancy is only 9 months, but that time determines your baby's lifelong health. Remember the foods I mentioned and have a healthy pregnancy!
