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As soon as you get pregnant, a list of dos and don’ts is handed over to you. Everything comes under the radar—be it the way you eat, sleep, or workout. The biggest blow, however, is faced by your eating habits. And mind it, during this time everyone has their own theory on nutrition.
You must have heard things like “drinking milk will make the child fair”, “having coffee or tea can have an adverse effect on the baby”, and the most common one is “don’t eat this or that because it can lead to miscarriage”. Let us tell you, this last one is the biggest myth. Because food cannot cause a miscarriage.
People have believe many myths strongly when it comes to nutrition and pregnancy, says Lovneet Batra, who is a clinical nutritionist. “I have seen women eating a lot of junk food while they are pregnant because apparently they are craving it. At that time they have no second thoughts about how it will impact the fetus,” she says.
Now let’s debunk the biggest myth of them all: can food cause miscarriage?
“Food eaten in moderation can never harm anyone,” explains Batra. “We need to understand that it doesn’t lead to miscarriage but it can affect the health of the baby. And yes when it comes to avoiding food then you must avoid foods like fish which are high in mercury, raw meat, raw egg, raw sprouts, and unpasteurized dairy.”
Batra also clarifies the myth about coffee leading to miscarriage. She says, “Drinking tea in moderation is ok and if you are a coffee person then instead of having two cuppas daily you can limit it to three times a week.”
Why are fruits like papaya and pineapple blamed for miscarriage?
“I don’t know why these two babies are bearing the brunt of this because they aren’t at fault”, she explains, adding that raw papaya and canned pineapple are not good for you even if you aren’t pregnant.
“Eating a few cubes of ripe papaya is never going to harm you. In fact, it will lead to better gut and bowel movement. But yes staying away from canned food is something I will also advise because the enzymes and preservatives which it has are questionable at times.”
What makes for a nutritious diet for pregnant women?
“The mantra is eating familiar stuff then may it be fruits, vegetables, or nuts. Pulses are another must-eat during pregnancy as they are packed with nutrients like calcium, protein, potassium, etc”, she recommends.
“The main reason behind a miscarriage is a dip in the progesterone levels. To boost it up you must include tender coconut, pomegranate, and figs in your diet,” she adds.
“Don’t stress it. Eat what you like, but yes follow the law of moderation and you are good to go,” Batra concludes.
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