Reviewer: Qiong Zhang (Central South University Xiangya Hospital)
I believe that many pregnant women must be told by the elderly:
Eating rabbit meat will have harelips
Eating crabs will cause miscarriage
Eat watermelon meets red
Don’t eat leeks
Hawthorn cannot be eaten
No tea
Ice and spicy food should be avoided
…
It’s good for pregnant women to be cautious about their diet, but if you listen to these rumors, I’m afraid that only steamed bread and rice can be eaten…
Today, let’s explore the truth about the so-called “pregnancy dietary taboos”.
1. Can’t eat crabs during pregnancy?
There are rumors that pregnant women eat crabs, which can easily lead to miscarriage. There is absolutely no scientific basis for this claim.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Seafood, including crab, is rich in protein, DHA and other nutrients from a nutritional point of view. Especially DHA, which is the English abbreviation of docosahexaenoic acid, commonly known as brain gold, is a kind of polyunsaturated fatty acid that is beneficial to the human body.
DHA is essential for brain development, vision health, and cardiovascular protection[1]. Therefore, seafood is very delicious for pregnant women.
Of course, although it is delicious and has high nutritional value, it is necessary to control the amount, not to eat too much at one time, and not to eat every day, otherwise it will bring a burden to the body, such as causing uric acid Increased levels can cause gout; it may also lead to increased cholesterol and blood lipids (crab roe is high in cholesterol) [2].
It’s best to eat only one at a time, and it’s okay to eat every once in a while. As for which gestational week you can’t eat crabs, there is no taboo.
It should be noted that crabs are high-protein foods, which are easily spoiled. When eating, you must choose carefully, and it is best to choose live crabs. When eating, it must be cooked and cooked thoroughly, so as not to completely kill harmful bacteria and viruses.
Second, can’t eat rabbit meat during pregnancy?
There is a folk saying that “pregnant women eat rabbit meat, and the baby will grow cleft lip”.
This is superstition!
In fact, rabbit meat is rich in lecithin[3]. This is an indispensable substance for the development of the fetal brain and other organs. Appropriate supplementation can play the role of “brain strengthening and intelligence”.
There are also studies that show that eating more foods containing lecithin can help reduce the risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy [4].
Rabbit meat also has nutritional characteristics such as high protein, low fat, and low cholesterol, especially the protein content is as high as 70% or more, which is higher than that of ordinary meat[3]. It is easy to make people fat and easy to digest. Therefore, rabbit meat has the reputation of “children’s educational dish, female beauty meat”.
Therefore, pregnant women can eat rabbit meat.
So what’s up with the cleft lip?
Cleft lip, medically known as cleft lip, has a complex etiology, and the exact cause is still unknown. Genetics, drugs, nutritional deficiencies, radiation, hypoxia and other factors may cause cleft lip [5].
How to prevent cleft lip[6]?
Preconception screening. The cleft lip is a polygenic hereditary disease, and a comprehensive and careful pre-pregnancy examination must be carried out before pregnancy.
If one or both partners have the condition, or have a family history, the risk to the fetus is high. Therefore, it is necessary to check on time to know the health of the fetus in time.
Have a balanced meal. The mother’s body is the only source of nutrition for the fetus. During pregnancy, a balanced and varied diet is very important. Avoid foods high in sugar, salt, and processed foods during pregnancy. Avoid partial eclipse and ensure adequate intake of vitamins and trace elements (such as zinc, iron, selenium, etc.).
Reduced folic acid intake can increase the risk of birth defects such as cleft lip in babies, so you should pay attention to supplementing folic acid during pregnancy.
Use it safely. Casual medication, such as allergy medicines and certain sleeping pills, should be avoided during pregnancy. If it is necessary to take medicine due to colds, allergies, etc., it should be taken under the guidance of a doctor. Women with tumors, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, etc. who need long-term medication should consult a doctor before pregnancy.
Additional considerations. Research has shown that maternal exposure to X-rays, alcoholism, smoking (including secondhand smoke), and drugs during pregnancy may cause genetic mutations that can lead to cleft lip in the fetus. Therefore, expectant mothers should get rid of bad habits.
It is rumored that pregnant women who eat hawthorn are prone to miscarriage.
This is a misunderstanding of Hawthorn.
After pregnancy, women may experience pregnancy reactions such as picky eating and loss of appetite due to elevated levels of progesterone and estrogen. Eating sweet and sour foods such as hawthorn can regulate and enhance appetite [7].
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
However, pregnant women need to pay attention to the following when eating hawthorn:
Try not to eat it raw. It is recommended to eat cooked hawthorn, such as canned hawthorn, fried red fruit, hawthorn sauce, etc.
In order to promote digestion, choose to eat after meals.
Do not eat a lot (3-5 per day), because during pregnancy, the gastrointestinal function of pregnant women declines. Eating more hawthorn will stimulate the stomach to a certain extent, resulting in stomach pain, Discomfort such as acid reflux.
Fourth, can’t eat cold food during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, the basal body temperature of many pregnant women will increase, and the “fire” gas in the body makes pregnant women want to eat cold food, but the elderly will say, “Never eat cold food to avoid injury. fetal”.
Whether you can eat cold during pregnancy mainly depends on the physical fitness of the pregnant woman.
If you are in good physical condition and don’t feel uncomfortable eating cold food, you can eat ice cream, cold white cabbage or watermelon.
But don’t be too cold, so as not to cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
However, if you are usually sensitive to cold food, you will be prone to stomach pain, diarrhea and other symptoms when you eat it. It is recommended to avoid cold after pregnancy.
5. Can’t eat soy sauce during pregnancy?
Some people say, “Soy sauce is black. If you eat soy sauce when you are pregnant, your baby’s skin will turn black after birth”. Soy sauce wants to shout: “I’m so wronged!”
A baby’s skin color is influenced by the genetics of the parents[8] and is determined from the moment of conception, regardless of diet.
Soy sauce is a soybean fermented product. It contains a large amount of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, which are beneficial to the growth and development of the fetus. Pregnant women can eat it with confidence.
But don’t eat too much. After all, soy sauce is high in sodium, too salty, and not good for blood pressure.
6. Can’t drink coffee during pregnancy?
Recent studies at home and abroad have shown that a large intake of caffeine may lead to lower birth weight and even miscarriage and other adverse pregnancy. Therefore, it is recommended to reduce caffeine intake after pregnancy , but does not have to be completely prohibited [9].
Simply put, uncontrolled coffee consumption is not good for pregnant women and fetuses, but research also points out that this does not mean that you can’t drink coffee at all during pregnancy.
If you really feel like drinking, have an occasional drink. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that caffeine intake during pregnancy should not exceed 200 mg/day [10].
What does this amount mean? You can refer to the table below for the caffeine content of common foods.
It should be noted that milk tea, cola, tea, chocolate and other foods also contain caffeine. It is okay to relieve cravings occasionally, but you can’t eat and drink often!
In addition to the above, there are many rumored foods that are contraindicated during pregnancy, so I won’t list them one by one. In fact, diet during pregnancy is really not that particular. As long as the following principles are followed, pregnancy can also eat well and eat beautifully.
Basic principles of diet during pregnancy: balanced, moderate and safe. 1. Balanced nutrition
Avoid partial eclipse. The nutrition needed by the fetus depends entirely on the supply of the mother’s body. It is understandable that pregnant women prefer a single food (such as sour and spicy) in the early stage of pregnancy, but long-term picky eaters and partial eclipses can easily lead to malnutrition and affect fetal growth and development.
The nutritional structure should be reasonable, including meat, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits, beans, grains and other foods, so as to achieve a variety of varieties and a balanced mix of meat and vegetables.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
2. Don’t overeat
Many pregnant women believe that the baby’s hairNurturing needs nutrition, and you must eat more, which is not advisable.
Eating too much, too much, and too little exercise can easily lead to rapid weight gain during pregnancy, increasing the risk of complications such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes; it is also easy to cause fetal weight gain. Great, you will suffer when you are born.
The diet during pregnancy can be small and frequent, and each meal should not be too full, that is, there is a feeling of “holding up”.
3. Eat Safely
There are certain foods that can affect the health of you and your baby, and you must avoid them during pregnancy.
Avoid raw meat, eggs, and undercooked, contaminated food. For example, sashimi, oysters, drunk crab, mayonnaise, undercooked steak, etc.; unpasteurized fresh milk, rotten ingredients or expired food, etc. These foods may carry pathogenic bacteria, viruses, etc., which can easily lead to infection.
It is best not to eat seafood with high mercury content, such as mackerel, etc. The fetus is more sensitive to mercury and is prone to brain tissue damage, leading to cognitive impairment [11].
Generally speaking, as long as all kinds of food are safe and hygienic, and the amount is controlled, pregnant women can eat it with confidence.
References:
[1] Molfino Alessio, Amabile Maria I, Mazzucco Sara. Effect of Oral Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Supplementation on DHA Levels and Omega-3 Index in Red Blood Cell Membranes of Breast Cancer Patients. Frontiers in physiology 2017-09-06.
[2] Wang F,Lin W,Lv S,et al.Comparison of Lipids Extracted by Different Methods from Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) Hepatopancreas.J Food Sci. 2019 Dec;84 (12):3594-3600.
[3] Zhang Binbin, Li Xingyan, Xia Yangyi, et al. Changes in the functional properties of myofibrillar proteins during post-mortem maturation of rabbit meat [J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2015(4) :105-110.
[4] Li Weiwei, Ren Lina. Effects of lecithin on plasma prostacyclin and thromboxane levels in high-risk pregnant women with gestational hypertension[J]. Journal of Dalian Medical University, 2011( 03):232-234.
[5] Shi Bing, Li Chenghao, Li Jingtao, et al. A 30-year review of research and treatment of cleft lip and palate in China [J]. Chinese Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2016, 14(5): 385 -396.
[6] Gao Xiaoyan, Wu Xueli, Gao Pingming, et al. Analysis of the influencing factors of congenital cleft lip and palate [J]. Chinese Journal of Clinicians, 2016, 44(4):91-93.
[7] Liu Tian, Cui Tong, Gao Zhe, et al. Research progress of hawthorn dietary fiber [J]. Food Research and Development, 2020, 041(006): 199-204.
[8] Gong Chao. Evolution of skin color-related phenotypes in Asian and European populations and the mechanism of multigene interaction [D]. 2019.
[9] Yang Mukun, Bai Wenpei. The relationship between caffeine and pregnancy-related adverse events [J]. Chinese General Medicine, 2017(3).
[10] American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 462: moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy [J]. Obstet Gynecol, 2010, 116 ( 2 Pt 1): 467－ 468.
[11] Cai Shenglan, Lv Hongdao, Su Hailan, et al. Study on the relationship between mercury hair and fish-eating frequency among pregnant women in Wujiang area [J]. Chinese and Foreign Medical Research, 2014, 000(031): 91-92.
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