Risk of infection
The most common reason why many foods should be avoided by pregnant women is the associated risk of infection. Almost all uncooked and unwashed food can contain pathogens and is prohibited for pregnant women. For an adult, most of them are hardly dangerous, because the mature immune system can usually fight them quickly and successfully.
An unborn child, on the other hand, has only a weak immune system and is therefore helplessly at the mercy of the germs that are taken up by the mother through food. In most cases, these are so-called listeria, i.e. bacteria that are particularly common in non-pasteurized (unheated) animal products (e.g. raw milk) and can cause listeriosis (this is the name given to the disease of listeria).
To protect yourself from them, raw animal products should be avoided or cooked long enough. Also prohibited during pregnancy are foods containing raw egg (salad dressing, mayonnaise, raw cake dough, tiramisu). There is a risk that these contain salmonella (bacteria).
Just like listeria, salmonella is primarily dangerous for the foetus and can even cause miscarriage in particularly difficult cases. In addition to products that may contain harmful pathogens, food that promotes labor should also be avoided to prevent premature labor, which may lead to premature birth.This includes quinine, which is mainly found in tonic water and bitter lemon. Furthermore, some sugar substitutes can trigger premature contractions due to their laxative effect.
They are mainly found in sweets and diabetic products. The consumption of an unripe papaya is also said to cause contractions of the uterus and thus light contractions. One spice that should be consumed as little as possible during pregnancy is cinnamon.
Due to its strong contraction-promoting effect, it should only be taken at the end of pregnancy to induce contractions when the calculated date of birth has already been exceeded significantly. In this case, however, the midwife should be contacted first. The following spices are also said to have a similar effect: Curry, marjoram, thyme, cloves, ginger and coriander.
A small consumption of coffee during pregnancy is not strictly prohibited, unlike the consumption of alcohol. However, it should be done in moderation, i.e. not more than two cups of caffeinated coffee per day (300mg caffeine per day). If other caffeinated drinks (green or black tea, cocoa, caffeinated soft drinks) are also consumed, the daily coffee dose must be reduced accordingly, because it is not the coffee but the caffeine it contains that is dangerous for the foetus.
It can cross the blood–placenta barrier, i.e. the area where maternal and child blood come into contact, and thus enters the child’s bloodstream unfiltered. The exact extent of the damage has not yet been researched or proven; however, a connection has been established between low birth weight and heavy coffee consumption by the mother. For this reason, pregnant women are advised to keep their coffee consumption to a minimum or, if possible, to avoid caffeine intake altogether.
