Can pregnant women eat pepper?

Pepper is a common condiment and also a spicy food. Therefore, for people with special physical conditions such as pregnant women, they must eat less pepper or even no pepper at all. Because hot foods can cause constipation, inflammation or indigestion in pregnant women, which can endanger their health. Next, I will introduce to you the dangers of eating pepper for pregnant women!

1. Can pregnant women eat pepper?

Pregnant women should eat less or no pepper. The Sui Xi Ju Diet emphasizes that eating too much pepper can stimulate fire and dry up fluids, consume qi and damage yin. During pregnancy, pregnant women should try to avoid eating spicy and irritating foods. Hot and irritating foods will increase the heat in the human body and hinder the body from gathering blood to nourish the fetus. Eating too much can also irritate the gastric mucosa and cause congestion, affecting the safety of mother and baby.

2. The harm of eating pepper during pregnancy

Pepper is a hot food and a kind of seasoning. Neither black pepper nor white pepper should be eaten too much. Excessive consumption can cause digestive disorders such as stomach discomfort, indigestion, constipation, and even hemorrhoids.

If you maintain the habit of eating pepper before, during, or after pregnancy, on the one hand, it may aggravate the pregnant woman's indigestion, cause oral inflammation, constipation, hemorrhoids and other symptoms, and on the other hand it will also have an adverse effect on the fetus. Therefore, during pregnancy and delivery, it is not advisable to eat too much pepper.

3. Precautions for pregnant women to eat condiments

The function of seasoning is to enhance flavor and aroma. General condiments have different aromas while adding flavor to dishes, but pregnant women must use condiments in moderation. Eat less of the following condiments:

Saccharin: Eating too much saccharin can cause indigestion and increase the burden on the kidneys;

Salt: Eating too much salt will aggravate edema in pregnant women. Many pregnant women experience edema in the late stages of their pregnancy, and the skin on their ankles and calves can be seen to be taut and shiny, with depressions when pressed with the hands. The condition is more serious if they stand and walk for long periods of time or do not take a nap at noon. This is because of endocrine changes in pregnant women, which can easily lead to water retention; at the same time, the enlarged uterus compresses the veins in the lower limbs, obstructing blood return and making the lower limbs prone to edema.

Women who usually eat salty food should pay attention to not eating too salty food during pregnancy, especially not putting too much salt in soup. The daily salt intake should be between 2 and 5 grams. If you usually have a bland mouth, just follow your normal habits. If you experience lower limb edema or even pregnancy-induced hypertension, you must eat less salt as advised by your doctor.

Soy sauce: Soy sauce contains 18% salt. Pregnant women should include soy sauce in their calculation of salt intake. Soy sauce contains preservatives. Pregnant women do not have to avoid soy sauce, but it is better to eat a light diet.

MSG: The main ingredient of MSG is monosodium glutamate, which easily combines with zinc and causes zinc deficiency in pregnant women, so it should be consumed with caution.