Pregnancy is one of the most exciting yet delicate phases in a woman’s life. Every expecting mother wants to do everything right, including lifestyle and diet, to ensure her baby’s health.
However, little did you know that certain foods in your daily diet could potentially increase the risk of miscarriage.
Yeah, since childhood, we all are taught to eat a diverse variety of food to stay fit and healthy, but this approach doesn’t fit in the case of pregnancy.
It may be surprising, but some foods that are considered healthy in everyday life are strongly advised against by doctors during pregnancy. Now, the common concern raised by women is “which food can cause miscarriage?” or “what food makes miscarriage more likely?”
These are valid concerns because some food choices can directly or indirectly contribute to pregnancy complications, especially in the early months. According to research published by the National Library of Medicine, dietary factors can substantially influence the risk of miscarriage, while a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and nuts, associated with a 20-60% reduction in miscarriage odds.
Therefore, understanding the wrong food choices during pregnancy and the science behind why they pose potential risks can support your pregnancy journey significantly.
Let’s read the blog and mark some foods out of your pregnancy diet, helping your baby flourish.
15 Foods That Can Cause Miscarriage
Here’s the list of 15 foods that require extra caution during pregnancy.
1. Raw or Undercooked Meat, Poultry, and Fish
Raw or undercooked animal proteins are among the most dangerous foods during pregnancy. These foods contain harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and Toxoplasma, which can cause serious infections. Such infections can reach the fetus and may lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery as well.
Therefore, you should avoid eating foods such as raw sushi, rare steaks, or undercooked chicken during pregnancy.
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2. Unpasteurized Dairy Products
Unpasteurized dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese can carry harmful bacteria like Listeria. This bacterium is especially dangerous during pregnancy because hormonal changes naturally weaken your immune system, making you prone to infections.
Moreover, this bacterium is known to cross the placenta and infect the baby, increasing the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Even soft cheeses like brie, camembert, and blue cheese made from pasteurized milk can be risky if they’re stored improperly or contaminated after pasteurization.
3. Certain Seafood
Certain seafood, which is high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, tilefish, etc., should also be avoided during pregnancy. High mercury levels can damage the baby’s brain development and raise the risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy.
4. Unripe or Semi Ripe Papaya
Unripe papaya contains high levels of latex and papain enzyme. These elements can trigger uterine contractions, causing early labor or even miscarriage during the first trimester.
This is the reason that unripe papaya has been traditionally used in some cultures to induce abortions.
Therefore, if you want to keep your baby safe, avoid papaya, especially the unripe or semi-ripe, during the early days of pregnancy.
5. Excessive Caffeine
While a small amount of caffeine is generally safe, consuming more than 200mg or 2 cups of coffee can increase the risk of miscarriage.
The reason behind this mishap is that caffeine can cross the placenta and affect the baby’s heart rate and metabolism.
The high amount of caffeine also restricts blood flow to the placenta, reducing oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby. This can lead to growth restriction and increase the risk of pregnancy loss.
6. Sprouted Potato
Generally, potatoes are healthy carbs and good for health, but sprouted potatoes (when they sprout or turn green) have a high risk of pregnancy loss. Sprouting potatoes contain high levels of solanine (a natural toxin) that can be harmful to fetal development.
During pregnancy, solanine can also affect the nervous system and potentially trigger uterine contractions. So, you can certainly eat potatoes during pregnancy, but not the sprouted ones.
7. Animal Liver
While animal liver is considered to be very rich in nutrients like iron, Vitamin A, but this richness might be harmful for your pregnancy.
Let me simplify!
As it contains extremely high levels of vitamin A (retinol), it is considered to be toxic. High dose of Vitamin A can cause cell toxicity and interfere with normal embryonic development.
8. Drumsticks
Drumstick leaves, pods, and bark contain alpha-sitosterol, a compound that can stimulate uterine contractions and lead to miscarriage if consumed in excess during early pregnancy.
You can also understand the impact of drumsticks by the fact that it had ben used to induce menstruation and abortion in tranditional medicinal practices.
9. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has the compounds that can cause severe digestive upset, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. Moreover they can cstimulate uterine contractions and increase blood flow to the pelvic region.
Well using aloevera externally like on skin is safe, but oral intake is not recommended during pregancy.
10. Sesame Seeds
Generally sesame seeds are considered to be good for health but they are not recommended during pregnancy. Sesame seeds are rich in oils and other elements that can affect hormone levels, particularly estrogen. They are also believed to produce heat in the body and excessive consumption during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage by stimulating uterine activitiy.
11. Raw or Undercooked Eggs
Raw eggs can contain bacteria named Salonella, which can cause severe food poisoning. During pregnancy, salmonella infection can lead to dehydration, high fever, and systemic inflammation,
These conditions stress the body and trigger uterine contraction, leading to miscarriage or pregnancy loss. Therefore, food containing raw eggs like mayonnaise, raw cookie dough or undercooked omelets, should be avoided during pregnancy.
12. Alcohol
Alcohol cross the placenta immediately and affects fetal development at any stage of pregnancy. Even small amounts of alcohol can be harmful because the developing baby connot process alcohol like an adult body can.
Regular alcohol consumption increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and various birth defects. There is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
13. Unwashed Vegetables
Generally vegetables are considered to be healthy for a pregnant woman, but only when they are properly washed and cleaned. Unwashed vegetables and fruits can have harmful bacteria, parasites, and pesticide residues. Parasites named Toxoplasma can lead to serious pregnancy complications like congenital defects or miscarriage.
In addition, pesticide residues on unwashed vegetables can also accumulate in the body and potentially affect hormonal balance and fetal development.
14. Spices That Can Trigger Contractions
Some strong spices like asafoetida (hing), fenugreek (methi), saffron in high amounts, or too much cinnamon may cause uterine stimulation and increase the risk of premature labor or miscarriage.
15. Processed Foods with Additives
Processed foods often contain preservatives, artificial colors, and flavor enhancers that can be harmful during pregnancy. These ingredients disrupt the hormonal balance and increase the risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, or miscarriage.
Making informed food choices during pregnancy doesn’t mean living in fear, but rather understanding how to nourish both yourself and your growing baby safely. The foods we’ve discussed above represent those with the strongest scientific evidence for increasing miscarriage risk.
We understand that pregnancy can feel overwhelming, especially when you’ve struggles with fertility challenges.
Read Also: गर्भपात के लक्षण (Miscarriage Symptoms in Hindi) क्या होते है?
At Aastha Fertility Care, we’ve helped thousands of mothers experience the joy of a healthy pregnancy even those who struggled before.
If you’re planning to conceive or are currently pregnant and have concerns about your diet or pregnancy health, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and talk to Dr.Namita for expert guidance.
FAQs
Which foods increase the risk of miscarriage?
Raw meat, unpasteurized dairy, unripe papaya, excess caffeine, alcohol, sprouted potatoes, and some herbs/spices can increase miscarriage risk, especially in the first trimester.
What not to eat in pregnancy?
Avoid raw or undercooked meats, high-mercury fish, alcohol, too much caffeine, processed/junk food, and unwashed vegetables. Always eat fresh, well-cooked, and doctor-recommended meals.
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Which food can cause miscarriage?
Several foods including raw or undercooked meats, unpasteurized dairy products, unripe papaya, excessive caffeine (over 200mg daily), sprouted potatoes, animal liver, raw eggs, alcohol, unwashed vegetables, high-mercury seafood, aloe vera, certain spices, and processed foods with harmful additives can potentially cause miscarriage. These foods contain bacteria, toxins, or compounds that can trigger uterine contractions, cause infections, or disrupt hormonal balance necessary for maintaining pregnancy.
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