Pregnant women, as a special group, should not only pay attention to strengthening nutrition in their daily diet, but also be aware of food taboos. It is allowed for pregnant women to eat a moderate amount of nutrient-rich food, but excessive consumption should be avoided. In terms of dietary structure, cooking methods, food hygiene, and food choices, the following 12 taboos should be observed to promote the healthy and intelligent development of the unborn child, and contribute to better pregnancy outcomes.
※12 Taboos for Pregnant Women's Diet※
1. Avoid high-fat diet:
Prolonged consumption of high-fat foods during pregnancy increases the risk of reproductive system tumors in the fetus. While fat itself does not cause cancer, long-term consumption of high-fat foods can increase the concentration of bile acids and neutral cholesterol in the colon, which can lead to colon cancer. In addition, high-fat foods can increase the synthesis of lactation hormones, which can lead to breast cancer and pose a threat to the health of both mother and baby.
2. Avoid high-protein diet:
Excessive intake of protein can lead to physical weakness in pregnant women, slow fetal growth, delayed postpartum recovery, and other symptoms. Excessive intake of protein can lead to the production of harmful substances such as hydrogen sulfide and histamine in the body, which can cause bloating, loss of appetite, dizziness, fatigue, and other symptoms. Additionally, excessive protein intake can increase nitrogen levels in the blood and cholesterol levels, putting pressure on the kidneys' glomerular filtration. Excess protein accumulates in connective tissues, which can cause degeneration of tissues and organs and increase the risk of cancer.
3. Avoid high-sugar diet:
Medical researchers have found that pregnant women with high blood sugar levels have a higher risk of giving birth to overweight babies and developing preeclampsia compared to normal pregnant women. On the other hand, during pregnancy, the kidney's ability to excrete sugar may be reduced to varying degrees. If blood sugar levels are too high, it can increase the burden on the kidneys and be detrimental to pregnancy health. Excessive intake of sugar weakens the body's immune system, reduces the pregnant woman's ability to fight off infections, and is not conducive to a healthy pregnancy.
4. Avoid high-calcium diet:
Some pregnant women consume excessive amounts of calcium, which is harmful to the fetus. Excessive calcium supplementation during pregnancy can lead to hypercalcemia in the fetus, which not only hinders healthy growth and development after birth but also affects the facial beauty of future generations. Generally, pregnant women do not need to specifically supplement calcium. It is enough to consume a reasonable amount of calcium from daily diet.
5. Avoid excessive salt consumption:
Pregnant women should not consume excessive amounts of salty foods. It is well known that "pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome" is a special disease in pregnant women. The main symptoms are edema, high blood pressure, proteinuria, and in severe cases, headaches, dizziness, chest tightness, and other self-aware symptoms, and even eclampsia, which endangers the health of both mother and baby. Therefore, excessive salt consumption during pregnancy can easily lead to pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome. To maintain the health of pregnant women, the daily intake of salt should be around 6g.
6. Avoid acidic diet:
Pregnant women should avoid excessive consumption of acidic foods, as excessive intake of acid-producing foods during early pregnancy can accumulate in fetal tissues, affecting the normal division, proliferation, and development of embryonic cells, and can induce genetic mutations, leading to fetal malformation. In the later stages of pregnancy, as the fetus develops, the acidity of the tissue cells becomes similar to that of the mother's body, reducing the harmful effects. Therefore, pregnant women should try to avoid acidic foods during the first two weeks of pregnancy.
7. Avoid excessive consumption of warming tonics:
Pregnant women should not excessively nourish themselves. Due to the reduced secretion of gastric acid and weakened gastrointestinal function, pregnant women may experience loss of appetite and constipation. In this case, if pregnant women frequently consume tonics such as ginseng, deer antler glue, longan, deer antler, deer placenta, lychee, and walnut, it can lead to imbalances in Yin and Yang, causing disorders in the pregnant woman's qi, excessive qi consumption, heat in the blood, high blood pressure, constipation, and even miscarriage.
8. Avoid consuming moldy food:
Pregnant women should not consume food that has become moldy. If pregnant women consume agricultural and sideline products and food contaminated with mold toxins, it can lead to acute or chronic food poisoning, and even harm the fetus. Mold toxins are powerful carcinogens that can cause liver cancer, stomach cancer, and other cancers in both mother and fetus. In addition, pregnant women may experience symptoms such as coma due to food poisoning, affecting their own health and the growth and development of the fetus.
9. Avoid long-term vegetarian diet:
Pregnant women who adhere to long-term vegetarian diets for the sake of their perfect figure can impair fetal development. Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy due to insufficient protein supply can lead to a decrease in the number of fetal brain cells, affecting future intelligence and causing fetal deformities or malnutrition. Inadequate fat intake can lead to low birth weight babies, lower infant resistance, and lower survival rates. For pregnant women, this may result in anemia, edema, and other symptoms.
10. Avoid consuming stimulating beverages:
Pregnant women should avoid consuming highly stimulating beverages. Drinking alcohol allows alcohol to pass through the placenta into the fetus, directly impacting fetal development. This can lead to slow fetal growth and can cause certain organ deformities and defects, such as microcephaly, small eyes, short chin, narrow and flat brain, short body, and even heart and limb deformities. Some infants may exhibit delayed intelligence after birth. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid consuming stimulating beverages.
11. Avoid drinking strong tea:
Tea contains a large amount of tannin, which can combine with protein in food to form insoluble tannic acid salts. This can aggregate and precipitate the nutritional components of food, affecting the absorption and utilization of nutrients by pregnant women and fetuses, leading to malnutrition. Additionally, tea contains a high amount of tannic acid, which has an astringent effect and can affect intestinal peristalsis, leading to constipation in pregnant women.
12. Avoid consuming cold drinks:
After becoming pregnant, pregnant women often experience dryness of the mouth, especially in summer when the heat is unbearable. Frequent consumption of cold drinks and cold food can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea, affecting the health of pregnant women and fetuses.
The above are dietary taboos for pregnant women. These guidelines are applicable to most pregnant women. However, some pregnant women may have different constitutions and circumstances, so individual differences should be taken into account. The pregnancy period is an important time for every woman, and it is crucial to pay attention to dietary taboos for the well-being of both the pregnant woman and the baby.
