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Many women have questions about the types of food that are safe to eat during pregnancy. It is actually
much easier to talk about the types of foods you should not eat while
you're pregnant than it is do discuss what is safe to eat.
There's a lot of food to avoid during pregnancy because they may be harmful to you or your developing baby.
Foods To Avoid While You're Pregnant:
- Deli and Processed Sandwich Meats – These meats are sometimes contaminated with
listeria, a potentially deadly bacteria that can result in miscarriage or even a stillbirth.
While listeria is relatively harmless to most ordinary people, it can be life threatening for your unborn baby. Pregnant women are more susceptible to listeria because of their lowered immune system.
If you want to eat deli meats, be sure that you cook them until they are steaming hot, which will help kill any bacteria that might be present.
- Raw meats – Like deli meats, raw meats should be avoided because they can carry bacteria that are harmful for both mother and baby.
- Some types of fish – While most fish is healthy, there are certain kinds of fish that contain high levels of mercury, which
can harm your unborn baby’s brain. Consuming too much mercury during pregnancy can result in developmental problems and even brain damage.
The types of fish that contain the highest levels of mercury include:
- swordfish
- shark
- king mackerel
- tuna
- sea bass
- tilefish
- Raw eggs – Like raw meat, raw eggs have the potential to carry bacteria,
especially salmonella. Believe it or not, raw eggs are in a number of various products including some forms of Caesar
salad dressing, mayonnaise and even ice cream.
If you're unsure about whether or not something you are eating contains raw eggs, avoid it unless you can find out for
sure whether or not it is harmful.
- Unpasteurized soft cheeses – Some cheeses that are imported also have the potential to carry life threatening
listeria if they haven't been pasteurized.
The most common types of cheese that carry this risk include certain forms of Brie, Camembert, feta, Gorgonzola and Mexican cheeses like queso. If these cheeses are pasteurized however they should be safe to consume.
- Unpasteurized milk or juices – Remember that any type of milk product or juice that has not been pasteurized has the potential to carry
listeria and other bacteria that may be harmful to you and your baby during pregnancy.
- Alcohol - You should also avoid the consumption of alcohol while you're
pregnant. There simply is no known safe amount of alcohol that can be recommended during pregnancy.
There are numerous fetal abnormalities and birth defects as well as developmental problems that have been associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. Alcohol should also be avoided during
breastfeeding because it can pass through the breast milk.
About the Author:
Beverley Brooke is the author of "Ensuring A Healthy Safe Pregnancy For You And
Your Baby". You're invited to visit
PregnantHealth.com for more
information on pregnancy foods and pregnancy diets.
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