Parenting and Kids

For most pregnant women the decision to eat better comes naturally as they understand the choices they make will have implications on the health of their growing fetus. Although most future moms have the best intentions when they make food selections, many may still be unwittingly consuming foods that could pose a health risk to their baby.

From a natural nutrition point of view, the foods a pregnant woman should be consuming are those of a natural origin. These are the foods their bodies both need and recognize Therefore it stands to reason the foods these women should avoid are those that are unnatural, and consequently problematic for their health. The following foods should be avoided at all costs to prevent any health risks during pregnancy:

Processed Foods – These foods have been stripped of all nutritional value and often are manufactured using unhealthy, rancid oils. You are not giving your body anything that it can effectively use for the development of your baby, and you are likely to ingest harmful ingredients, such as free radicals, that can damage cells in your body. Processed foods may also contain other harmful ingredients such as trans fats, MSG, and large amounts of sugar.

Artificial Sweeteners – Although these products are still on the market, many nutrition experts argue they are harmful to both the nervous system and to proper organ functioning. This is particularly true for a growing and delicate fetus. These sweeteners are ubiquitous so it is important to read labels and realize they are contained in diet sodas, sugar-free desserts and gum, yogurt, and even in some vitamins.

MSG – Monosodium glutamate is a chemical that is regularly added to processed and restaurant foods to enhance their flavor. MSG is known to be a neurotoxin – a substance that is toxic to nerve tissue. Because a fetus’s nervous system is still developing, it is important to try and minimize exposure to any substance that could be damaging in any way. Some of the more immediate symptoms related to MSG consumption are hives, asthma, seizures, headaches, fatigue, and stomach upset. Longer term symptoms included learning disorders, anxiety, depression and endocrine disturbances. MSG is also known to cause people to eat larger quantities and may be responsible for unhealthy weight gain which could lead to other pregnancy complications. Unfortunately MSG is not always easy to detect because it is often hidden under many other names such as: autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, textured protein, yeast extract and flavors.

Trans Fats – By now most people have heard that trans fats are bad for them. The reason they are so harmful is they do damage to the cells inside the body and lead to health conditions such as cancers, diabetes and heart disease. In 2003 researchers in Denmark concluded that trans fats could affect fetal development and lead to low birth weight in babies. Other researchers have found that trans fats find their way, unchanged, across the placenta of pregnant women and into the growing fetus. In addition, women who consume trans fats are more likely to develop high blood pressure during pregnancy. Interestingly, Canadian mothers have been found to have among the world’s highest levels of trans fats in breast milk, as high as 7.2% of total fatty acids.

Large Fish – In theory all fish would be a great food to eat because they are an excellent source of protein and many species contain healthy Omega 3’s. However in today’s environment, due to polluted waters, high levels of the heavy metal mercury in larger fish are now present in dangerous amounts. Mercury is a proven neurotoxin and can cause damage to a developing brain and nervous system. Pregnant women need to be more careful than most since mercury crosses the placenta barrier and reaches the fetus. Because larger fish live longer, and they are higher on the food chain, they tend to have the highest mercury concentrations. Examples of large fish to avoid are shark, tilefish, swordfish, king mackerel and tuna. Sea bass, marlin, pike and halibut should also be severely restricted.

Farmed Fish – This is another category of fish that is not recommended during pregnancy. Farmed fish are often high in such chemical pollutants as dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Both are known cancer-causing agents and PCBs have specifically been linked to attention disorders, lower IQs and a decrease in memory. In addition, farmed fish are often fed antibiotics through their feed. Salmon, trout, and cod are often farmed.

If you choose to consume fish while pregnant, wild fish is a much better option. Wild fish live in their natural habitat and therefore eat their natural diet. For example, wild salmon naturally consume algae and plankton which are their sources of Omega 3’s. Consequently, wild salmon contain Omega 3’s while farmed salmon usually don’t. However just keep in mind the precautionary principle above to avoid mercury exposure and stay away from large wild fish.

Liver and pâtés – Minimize the amount of liver and pâtés you consume since they contain a significant amount of vitamin A - a fat-soluble vitamin that can build up in tissue. If vitamin A is ingested in large doses it can lead to potential birth defects.

Raw meats and fish (sushi) - All uncooked or undercooked seafood and meat should be avoided due to the high risk of listeria and salmonella poisoning. Exposure to listeria and salmonella can result in miscarriage. In addition these foods could be contaminated with parasites that could enter and inhabit the body.

Unpasteurized cheese - The camp is clearly divided when it comes to unpasteurized cheese. Although there is truth these products could contain a bacteria such as listeria that could lead to miscarriage (about one-third of listeriosis cases happen during pregnancy), many advocates of unpasteurized dairy argue the risk of this happening is quite low. Pasteurization of dairy, they argue, diminishes vitamin content leading to lowered nutritional value, destroys enzymes, and denatures fragile milk proteins. Both arguments make a good point, so we leave it up to you to decide what you choose to do.

With such a wide range of toxins currently in our food chain, what a mother doesn’t eat during pregnancy can be just as important as what she does eat. Be diligent about reading labels in stores and asking questions in restaurants. The more you do now, the healthier your child will likely be.