Spices and Herbs to Avoid During Pregnancy

In this article, we will briefly cover all major and relevant aspects of different Spices and Herbs to avoid during pregnancy. Ten different questions that arise in our minds after reading the title will be discussed in the paper one by one in possible short words.

What is Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a process or series of changes, the time in which a fetus grows in a woman’s womb or uterus. It is for almost nine months or else usually lasts about 40 weeks.

When the elements of a potent sperm merge with those of a fertile ovum or egg, an individual is created. The chromosomes merge and divide in a process term mitosis. Fertilization occurs in the uterine tube. The time passes, it reaches the uterus; it has become a mulberry-like solid mass known as Morula.

Differentiate between Spices and Herbs

Spices	Herbs
Extracted from the root, stem, seed, fruit, flower, or maybe from the bark of tree i.e., cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, etc. The majority of spices grow from tropical or subtropical regions like the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia & India. Seasonings used to add flavour and colour in our foods and often used as remedies for some ailments. Only dry in texture	A green, leafy part of a plant i.e., thyme, basil, oregano, etc. Also popular throughout the tropical regions can be grown in higher temperatures & often arid climate and found in abundance throughout North America, Mexico & Central America. Herbs can be classified into culinary, medicinal, and those used for pest control. It may be dry or fresh.

What is the best diet during pregnancy?

A balanced and nutritious food could be the best advice for a pregnant woman. Low calories or salt-restricted diet can harm the chances for a healthy mother and child. The pregnant woman should limit her use of oil in any food because an excess of oil is highly non recommended during pregnancy.

They must use a variation of:

• Fully nutritious food like meat and grains.
• Energy Producing Food like Fruits and legumes

A minor behavioural change could result in huge nutritional improvement.Only visible fat (cooking oil) is a matter of concern, but the hidden fat is also a challenge. No doubt meat is a good source of protein, beef, chicken & fish provides 20g, 12g & 17g of protein and contains 4g, 9g or 5g of fat per 100g. So, bringing up a balance of the diet is very necessary and critical at the same time. Biological quality of nutrients and their bio availability must also be considered.

Milk and dairy products are a strong source of Ca, so it also needs to be consumed.

Are the Spices and Herbs safe during Pregnancy?

After the summary, now comes the major question of this article, focusing on the percentage of spices and herbs safe for pregnant women.

The case for both spices and herbs could be contraindicated in pregnancy when consumed in concentrated doses, but considered safe when used in a specific limit.

The following herbs could be more likely safe through gravidity:

• Rosy raspberry foliage
• Peppermint greenery
• Auburn origin
• Oily elm bay
• Oats or oat grass

Some common spices that could be intake during pregnancy are:

• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Black pepper
• Cardamom
• Chives

One fact that has to be noted spicy food doesn’t harm the child or mother if spice is used in a minor limit, but if too much spicy food is eaten, that could be harmful.

What herbs and spices help to prevent miscarriages?

Vitec (Chaste tree berry) is traditionally used by herbalists and midwives in the first trimester of pregnancy to prevent miscarriages; It solves the problem associated with corpus luteum insufficiency.

Mace is nourishing food for the endocrine system and can affect key hormones in both men and women.

Moreover, a combination of cramp bark, black hawk, partridgeberry & oat flower herbs could help prepare the uterus for implantation and support the uterus going through the pregnancy.

Besides, ginger is good herbal treatment during pregnancy, cranberry, valerian, bitter kola, red raspberry, chamomile, clary sage, anise, thyme, coconut, Echinacea and many more could be beneficial to prevent pregnancy.

What foods kill the baby when pregnant?

It is crucial for pregnant women to eat fruits and vegetables during pregnancy, as they are essential, but some have to be avoided at the same time, i.e., pineapple and papaya.

The number of foods that came even kill the baby while consumed in pregnancy is as follows:

• Crabs
• Sesame seeds
• Animal liver
• Aloe Vera
• Drumstick
• Raw Dairy product
• Caffeine
• Mercury rich fish
• A few –herbs
• Wild apples
• Processed meat
• Raw sprout
• Alcohol
• Junk food
• Processed meat
• Unpasteurized milk, etc.

Herbal Teas to be Avoided

Some special kind of teas is unsafe during pregnancy because, may comprise PMS, diet, cleaning plus decontamination infusions in addition to the basil’s dark cohosh, navy cohosh, dong pier as well as others only organic tea approved should be consumed. Many herbals could be beneficial during pregnancy, but there are some herbal teas to avoid while pregnant:

• Green tea
• Anise tea
• Lychee tea
• Barberry tea
• Aloe Vera tea
• Chamomile tea
• Ginseng tea
• Hibiscus tea

These are some teas that can lead to preterm birth and miscarriage, so better be avoided.

Is Paprika Safe during Pregnancy?

Paprika is not mentioned harmful for a pregnant woman yet as it is not considered much spicy than red chilli. Spicy food is harmful to the mother and the child during this period, replacing your spicy seasoning with paprika could be the alternative to avoid spice completely.

Paprika is normally safe for a pregnant woman but could be harmful if consumed in large quantity as mentioned above that creating a balanced diet is very important.

A list of Spices and Herbs to be Avoided in Pregnancy

Certain spices like:

• Fenugreek
• Asafetida
• Garlic
• Angelica
• Peppermint is best to be avoided during pregnancy

These spices can stimulate the uterus and result in contractions and miscarriage. Certain herbs that need to be avoided:

• Black walnut, nutmeg
• Motherwort
• Henbane
• Horsetail
• Liquorice root
• Comfrey
• Senna
• Kava, etc. while pregnant

Intake of much spicy food or certain herbs can harm the development of the baby. So, it should be better to consult your doctor or nutrition person to ask for a balanced diet chart for the good health of both mother and child.

In a Nutshell

According to this research, some spices and herbs are beneficial during pregnancy, but at the same time, some spices and herbs must avoid during pregnancy. All one’s need is to create a balance between the intake of spice or herbs. Nutrition and well-balanced food consumption is very crucial as well as essential for a pregnant woman. For the sake of precaution, it is better to take advice before consuming any particular herb or spice, from a doctor or herbalist. Intake of spices could be much harmful, but if taken in much more quantity, it may kill the baby, so all need to create a balance to proper nutritional development of a baby or to avoid miscarriage.

Just a good balance is required!