5 foods to avoid during pregnancy

Raw meats that are not properly cooked should be avoided at all cost to avoid the invasion of microbes such as salmonella, coliform, or toxoplasmosis in the body. Some of these could result in food poisoning, miscarriage, or fetal death during delivery. Some raw fish are exposed to industrial pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls that can be hazardous to the health.

Many fish such as shark, swordfish, mackerel, and many more are supercharged with high levels of mercury and should be avoided. The reason is that mercury could negatively affect the health of the baby, cause brain damage developmental delays.

Raw, or undercooked, eggs can contain harmful bacteria, known as salmonella, which can cause food poisoning. A salmonella infection could result in vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, diarrhea, and high temperature.

Herbal teas are medicinal and help in the proper functioning of the body's systems. However, the reverse can be the case during pregnancy. Herbs such as pennyroyal, mugwort, angelica, fenugreek, ginseng, aloe, nettle, chamomile, dandelion, and others could have adverse effects on the mother and unborn baby. The consumption of herbal teas during pregnancy can lead to uterine stimulation and miscarriage.

Processed foods and fast foods contain a high level of trans-fats and can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, and preterm labor. These foods can include cookies, fried foods, crackers, frozen pizza, and others. Sugar-rich food is unhealthy and could cause weight gain, heartburn, constipation, preeclampsia, preterm labor,, metabolic syndrome in babies, birth defects, and gestational diabetes.