Foods that Pregnant Women Should Avoid
When sugar is metabolized in the body, it consumes a large amount of calcium. Calcium deficiency during pregnancy can affect the development of the baby's teeth and bones. Oxalic acid in the body can affect the absorption of calcium and zinc in the intestines. Consuming too much spinach can lead to calcium and zinc deficiency in pregnant women, which can affect the development of the baby's bones and teeth. Zinc deficiency can cause loss of appetite in pregnant women, resulting in inadequate nutrition intake for the baby and affecting their normal growth and development. Most pickled foods contain a large amount of salt, sugar, and nitrites. Some fermented pickled foods may also contain a carcinogen called aflatoxin, which is extremely harmful to pregnant women and the baby. In addition, excessive consumption of salt during pregnancy can cause water and sodium retention, leading to or worsening of pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Foods that Pregnant Women Should Avoid
1. Crab
Crabs are delicious, but they have a cold nature and have the ability to invigorate blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Therefore, they are not good for pregnant women, especially crab claws, which have a significant abortifacient effect.
2. Soft-shelled Turtle
Although soft-shelled turtles have the effect of nourishing yin and tonifying kidneys, they have a salty and cold nature and have a strong ability to promote blood circulation, disperse blood stasis, and dissolve blood clots. Therefore, they have a certain abortifacient effect, especially the abortifacient effect of soft-shelled turtle shell is stronger than that of soft-shelled turtle meat.
3. Coix Seed
Coix seed is both a medicinal herb and a food. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that it has a smooth and slippery quality. Pharmacological experiments have shown that coix seed has an excitatory effect on the smooth muscles of the uterus, which can induce uterine contractions and potentially cause miscarriage.
4. Purslane Juice
Purslane juice is both an herbal medicine and a vegetable. It has a cold nature and a slippery quality. Experimental studies have shown that purslane juice has a significant excitatory effect on the uterus, causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of uterine contractions, which can easily lead to miscarriage.
5. Canned Foods
Canned foods contain a certain amount of additives during the production process, such as artificial synthetic colors, flavors, and preservatives. Although these additives have little impact on the health of adults, excessive consumption by pregnant women is not good for their health. In addition, canned foods have low nutritional value and the vitamins and other nutrients in the food have been partially destroyed after high-temperature processing.
6. Spinach
Spinach is believed to be rich in iron and has the function of enriching blood, so it is considered a good vegetable for preventing anemia during pregnancy. However, spinach contains more oxalic acid than iron. Oxalic acid can affect the absorption of zinc and calcium. Reduced levels of calcium and zinc in the body of pregnant women can affect the growth and development of the baby.
7. Chocolate
Excessive consumption of chocolate can make pregnant women feel full, which affects their appetite. The result is weight gain without adequate essential nutrients. Pregnant women tend to enjoy sour foods, and hawthorn becomes a preferred fruit. Hawthorn has an excitatory effect on the uterus, and excessive consumption by pregnant women can cause uterine contractions and potential miscarriage, so it is best to consume it in moderation.
8. Pig Liver
Finland and the United States have advised pregnant women to consume less pig liver. This is because modern animal feed used for rapid fattening of livestock contains excessive amounts of growth promoters. As a result, the liver of these animals accumulates a large amount of vitamin A. Excessive consumption of pig liver by pregnant women can easily lead to a high intake of vitamin A, which has a great harm to the development of the fetus and can even cause malformations.
9. Potatoes
Potatoes contain alkaloids, and the longer they are stored, the higher the alkaloid content. Excessive consumption of such potatoes can affect the normal development of the fetus and cause fetal malformations. Of course, individual differences vary greatly, and not everyone will have abnormalities after consumption. However, it is still better for pregnant women to avoid eating them, especially long-stored potatoes.
10. Spicy Condiments
Pregnant women who consume spicy condiments such as star anise, Sichuan pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, and five-spice powder tend to consume less intestinal water, resulting in reduced gastric and intestinal secretions, dryness in the intestines, and constipation. After experiencing constipation, pregnant women tend to strain and hold their breath to defecate, increasing abdominal pressure and compressing the fetus in the uterus, which can lead to fetal restlessness and premature birth.
