5 foods to avoid during pregnancy
as soon asa woman discovers that she is pregnant, there is an awareness that she is no longer taking care of only herself.
This means that she needs to avoid anything that puts her and her baby at risk. With this in mind, here are five foods women should not eat during pregnancy.
1) Raw fish
One food that a pregnant woman should avoid is raw or undercooked fish. This includes the likes of sushi and any other seafood that is not well cooked.
This is important because these foods can contain harmful bacteria for both mother and baby.
2) raw eggs
Although eggs are high in protein, contain all the essential amino acids needed by the body, and are good for consumption by pregnant women, there should be a limit when they are raw.
Eating raw eggs exposes a pregnant woman to the risk of Salmonella infection. Pregnant women should avoid some foods that also contain raw eggs. These include the likes of homemade ice cream, cake frosting, etc.
3) alcohol
For a healthy pregnancy and baby, alcohol is one drink that all pregnant women are advised to avoid. According to some studies, alcohol intake during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Some researchers even say that a small amount of alcohol during pregnancy can negatively affect a baby’s brain development.
4) caffeine
As soon as a woman is pregnant, she should also limit her intake of anything that contains caffeine.
This is because caffeine is easily passed to babies through the placenta when ingested by the mother, and since babies do not have the necessary enzymes to metabolize caffeine, it negatively affects them.
5) Organ Meat (Liver)
Another food that pregnant women should avoid is liver. This particular food contains high levels of vitamin A in the form of retinol, which is dangerous and toxic to a developing baby.
Excessive intake of vitamin A in this form during pregnancy can lead to birth defects in the form of mutations and even lead to the development of cancer cells.
In addition to the above, it is also recommended that pregnant women limit their intake of sugary foods and processed junk food, as these can also be harmful during pregnancy.