Organic food refers to fresh foods that are produced without any synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Experts suggest having organic food for pregnant women to ensure healthy growing children and safe maternal health.
Organic food is better in every aspect, still, some organic foods need to be excluded during the pregnancy diet charts. Some vegetables like beets, celery, lettuce, raw eggs, highly mercury-containing raw fish, uncooked meat, and smoky seafood are bad choices for your pregnancy.
What are the bad choices of organic food for pregnancy and why?
Although organic foods are the best option for pregnancy, still a “mom-to-be” should avoid some of the organic foods for the safety of her and babies health. Let’s dig the hole of why we are not suggesting avoiding some of the organic foods during the pregnancy journey:
- Herbal tea: The most hyped form of caffeine nowadays is herbal tea. Having a large portion of herbal tea increases the risk of miscarriage and affects the healthy development of the baby.
- Raw vegetables, meat, and unpasteurized milk: Vegetable is the main source of vitamins, meat provides a great amount of protein, and milk is considered the most nutritious food. Again, if pregnant women have these foods raw, there is a high chance of being affected by Escherichia coli, a bacterial parasite that can cause Urinary Tract Infections (UTI), bloody diarrhea, and pneumonia. E. coli is heat sensitive, so if the food is cooked with a high flame, the chance of infections can be narrowed down.
- Soft cheese and refrigerated smoked seafood: Cheese and seafood are delicious and during pregnancy, women usually have cravings for these kinds of food. However, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a would-be mom can be affected by food poisoning called “Listeriosis”. Listeriosis is one of the most serious types of food poisoning caused by the bacteria Listeria.
- Undercooked meat or shellfish: Every mother wants to have a healthier child. Toxoplasma gondii is a harmful parasite that is found in undercooked meat and shellfish. Due to T. gondii, Toxoplasmosis occurs, and a mother can deliver a child with blurred vision, even the mother’s brain, eyes, and other organs can be damaged due to this disease.
- Raw eggs: Raw eggs are anyway a good source of protein which might help you during your body-building journey but is harmful for your pregnancy. Food & Drug Administration claimed that raw eggs and raw dough contain Salmonella which can cause foodborne illness or food poisoning.
- Garlic and onion: During pregnancy, the woman usually experiences constipation due to hormonal changes in the body. Some people have Intermediate Bowl Syndrome (IBS) which can be explained as difficulties in absorbing carbohydrates. Monash University researched and defined some foods as fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs). Although garlic and onion are used in multiple cuisines and it has nutritious value also. Still, these are common high FODMAP foods that can trigger constipation during pregnancy.
- Banana: Banana is a healthy food which contains vitamins A to Vitamins K but still it is a high FODMAP according to Monash University study and it can increase the constipation of pregnant women.
Final thoughts
Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful experiences for a woman in this world. During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through various hormonal changes, and some unwanted sicknesses like dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and constipation naturally occur to her. Sometimes, during pregnancy, a would-be-mom chooses unsafe foods to get rid of her sickness. It is very much unhealthy for both mother and baby. Don’t take organic foods just because people say it good for health or have medicinal impacts, gather proper knowledge before taking any raw or organic food and learn which organic food is bad for a healthy pregnancy.