Spicy Food During Pregnancy

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Eating spicy food during pregnancy is safe. There have been no harmful effects reported from including spicy foods in your pregnancy diet.

You might experience the feeling of slight discomfort from eating spicy foods especially towards the last trimester of your pregnancy. The most commonly reported complaint from pregnant women eating spicy foods is heartburn.

Studies also show that your baby can also taste the spicy food that you eat. A lot of cultures around the world subscribe to spicy foods and pregnancy has never stopped women from changing their diets loaded with peppers, chilies and curries. For women who are not used to eating hot food, it is advised to consume spicy foods in moderation. Excessive eating of spicy food might incite acid reflux flares.

Spicy Food Craving

Cravings for spicy food during pregnancy are common among women who love eating hot dishes. Spicy foods ranked third after sweets and salty foods in the most craved tastes amongst pregnant women. No scientific explanations to cravings have been established yet. But several studies have linked specific cravings to a certain need or nutritional deficiency of the body that doesn’t necessarily match.

A pregnant woman’s craving for chocolate could mean a significant magnesium deficiency in her body. Another subject in the study was a woman who ate loads of peaches to address her body’s need for proteins.

This goes the same with pregnant women’s sudden aversion to certain smells, drinks and foods. Examples are alcoholic drinks, the smell of cigarettes, coffee and sodas. Pica or the non-food cravings of a pregnant woman has been linked to iron deficiency. 

Spicy Food Benefits

Eating spicy food during pregnancy can even work to your advantage as spicy foods are also source of vital nutrients needed by pregnant women.

Researches have proven that spicy foods are helpful in blood circulation, food digestion and improving sleeping patterns. The spiciness will stimulate secretions in the stomach and in turn will increase the mucous lining and blood flow effectively combating ulcers.

Spicy foods are also known to boost the production of serotonin or the feel-good hormones. This could help out depression and stress connected to pregnancy. Spicy foods could also be included in the pregnancy super foods list as they are good for the heart too. Hot peppers help improve your heart’s health by improving your body’s ability to dissolve blood clots. Hard to dissolve LDL or the bad cholesterol has
effectively been reduced when chilies were added to the diet during a scientific study.

Scientists have proven that capsicum, that are found in jalapeno peppers is instrumental in preventing cancer. It attacks mitochondria or the cancer cells.

Turmeric, a spice found in curry powder has been established to slow down cancer spread and tumor growth in the study conducted by the American Association for Cancer Research. It is also known to reduce joint inflammation, help maintain bone density among pregnant women and alleviate arthritic pains.

You can also benefit form the weight loss properties of spicy foods in maintaining your ideal weight. Spicy food during pregnancy is beneficial to your health.

Spicy Food During Pregnancy Dangerous?

Several claims on the negative effects from eating spicy food during pregnancy, proven or otherwise have been circulating.

Eating spicy foods do not induce labor or premature contractions. The fact is that excessive intake of spicy foods, especially by someone who’s not used to eating hot dishes can stimulate and irritate the digestive system, thus resulting to diarrhea and some gas pains.

Diarrhea in turn causes dehydration and one of the side effects of dehydration among pregnant women is contractions. This can easily be solved by sufficient water intake when eating spicy foods. You can also alternate or complement your hot dishes with cool and soothing  foods.