Usually, fruits come highly recommended for pregnant women as they are good for you and your baby, but on the other hand, there are certain fruits to avoid during pregnancy because they are not pregnancy-friendly and can cause harmful conditions like vaginal bleeding and in some cases miscarriage.
To ensure that you still get your required amount of fruit-based nutrients, we have made a list of those high-risk fruits you should avoid during pregnancy, and why they shouldn’t be a part of your diet.
List of Fruits To Avoid During Pregnancy
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Grapes
- Bittermelon
- Tamarind
- Dates
- Frozen Berries
- Bananas
- Peach
- Wild Apples
- Canned Tomatoes
- Watermelon
1. Papaya
Papaya is rich in vitamins and iron, and is generally a healthy fruit to eat unless of course you are pregnant then it should be avoided as it contains latex which is harmful to the baby and can induce premature uterine contractions.
Eating ripe or semi-ripe Papaya causes your body temperature to increase which is bad during pregnancy, impairs the development of a fetus, and in some cases can trigger a miscarriage.
2. Pineapple
Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that alters the cervix’s (neck of the womb) texture, inducing premature contractions, it also causes miscarriage, and diarrhea which can be uncomfortable during pregnancy and dehydration as well.
3. Grapes
It is bad to consume Grapes during your final-trimester as it can cause your body temperature to increase, which is bad for both you and your child. Grapes also contain resveratrol that elevates hormonal imbalance during pregnancy.
4. Bitter Melon (Bitter Gourd)
Bitter Melon is an irritant to the uterus and can cause premature delivery or miscarriage. It contains toxic compounds like quinine, saponic glycosides and morodicine which when absorbed into your body leads to nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rashes.
5. Tamarind
Tamarind may be recommended as a cure for morning sickness and nausea during pregnancy, but you still want to eat it in moderation as it contains high amounts of vitamin C which is bad for your pregnant body.
The extremely high vitamin C amounts in Tamarind when consumed excessively, reduces the production of progesterone which can lead to pre-term birth, miscarriage, and even cell damage in the fetus. Try to avoid this fruit in your first trimester.
6. Dates
Dates should either be avoided or moderately eaten during pregnancy (one or two a day) as they cause your body to heat up and this can lead to uterine contractions.
7. Frozen Berries
Frozen Berries should be avoided during pregnancy as the nutrients and flavor are lost when it is frozen, and eating it can be harmful to you and your baby, eat your berries fresh instead.
8. Bananas
Bananas are safe for pregnancy, but should be avoided if you are a pregnant woman who suffers from allergies, or have diabetes or gestational diabetes. This is because they contain chitinase, an allergen, a high amount of sugar, and also increases body heat.
9. Peach
Eating Peach during pregnancy also generates more heat in the body, which can trigger internal bleeding and miscarriage as well.
10. Wild Apples
Pregnant women shouldn’t eat wild apples during pregnancy, as they are acidic in nature and this can lead to the contraction of the uterus and miscarriage.
11. Canned Tomatoes
Eating fresh tomatoes during pregnancy might not do anything to you, but eating canned tomatoes or any other canned food items can be harmful to you and your baby.
This is mainly because canned foods contain high amounts of preservatives that are toxic and can lead to complications in pregnant women. Always opt for fresh tomatoes when pregnant.
12. Watermelon
Watermelon is good for you as the mother, because it keeps you hydrated and flushes out toxins from your body, but at the same time it exposes your baby to those toxins.
Furthermore, eating watermelon in excess during pregnancy can lead to some harmful effects, this is because this fruit is high in sugar and could raise your blood glucose level, it could flush out the nutrients in your body along with the toxins, and it induces cold which is all the more reason to stay away from it.
As you cut out these fruits to avoid during pregnancy from your diet, keep in mind that you need to be equally careful when eating the fruits that are healthy for pregnant women. Apply special care like washing fruits thoroughly before eating, cutting out damaged parts of a fruit, and eating fresh fruits.