10 Foods that the pregnant woman should not eat

During pregnancy, it is necessary to take special care with food, because certain foods can harm the development of the baby and the health of the pregnancy. 

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In addition to toxic substances such as alcohol and excess sugar, foods such as raw fish, fruits and vegetables poorly washed should be avoided, because they can be contaminated with microorganisms that when ingested can harm the pregnancy.

See below a list of foods that should be avoided during this phase of life:

1. Raw fish and poorly cooked meats

Raw fish such as sushi, undercooked meats, seafood, pâtés, and sausages should be avoided because they can be contaminated with the listeria bacteria, which can tire abortion or premature birth. It can also cause diseases such as cysticercosis that affects the nervous system and impairs brain function. 

Poorly cooked meats can also be contaminated with bacteria such as those that cause toxoplasmosis and salmonellosis.

2. Raw eggs

Raw and undercooked eggs should be avoided because they can contain salmonella bacteria, causing symptoms such as severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and in cases where it is not treated in time and complications occur can cause death. 

For this reason, it is also important to avoid the consumption of desserts, sauces and homemade dressings that carry a raw egg in your recipes, such as homemade mayonnaise and César sauce. Learn more about salmonella infection.

3. Unpasteurized milk

Unpasteurized milk as milk coming directly from sites or haciendas. they must be avoided because they contain a high number of bacteria that cause intestinal infections, diarrhea and discomfort. 

So you should always consume pasteurized milk or UHT milk, which undergo treatment at elevated temperatures to eliminate microorganisms that may be present in the food. 

4. Creamy and unpasteurized cheese

Creamy cheeses such as brie, camembert, gorgonzola, and Danish blue contain a lot of water and may be contaminated with the listeria bacteria, which can cause symptoms such as headache, tremors, seizures, and meningitis. It also affects the baby's nervous system and, in the most serious cases, it can even cause death. 

5. Fruits and vegetables poorly washed

Poorly washed fruits and vegetables are sources of toxoplasmosis contamination, which can cause abortion, premature birth, malformations in the fetus and in more serious cases the death of the baby. 

So all vegetables should be thoroughly washed before being consumed, avoiding the consumption of raw vegetables outside the home. 

6. Canned tuna

Fish such as tuna, mackerel, swordfish, dogfish, shark, tilefish and grouper should be avoided during pregnancy because it contains high levels of mercury, a metal that can impair the proper development of the fetus' nervous system.

For this reason, fish such as trout, herring, hake, and tuna raised by aquaculture should be preferred, because they are safer for both the pregnant woman and the baby.

7. Coffee

Some studies show that excess caffeine can cause abortions, so it is recommended in pregnant women a moderate consumption of coffee of a maximum of 300 mg of caffeine per day, this equals 2 or 3 breeds of coffee per day.

8. Foods with caffeine

Foods that contain caffeine should be avoided by pregnant women such as cola drinks, green tea, black tea, energy drinks such as red bull and mate tea.

9. Sweeteners

Although most sweeteners are safe for health, it is best for pregnant women to avoid artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate and aspartame, preferring natural sweeteners such as stevia, which is safe for the baby because it comes from a natural plant.

10. Alcoholic beverages

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Alcoholic beverages should be avoided because alcohol accumulates in the body of the fetus, which does not have the ability to eliminate this substance from the body so it can cause premature birth, stunted growth, and cardiac malformations.