I know very well that foods could cause miscarriage, but I was not really sure how it happens. My experience, as 2021 came to a close, should be a lesson for anyone who is willing to learn.
I had looked forward to offering my family some of my palatable Christmas dishes, but I never knew those would end up as mere wishes.
Weeks before Christmas, I visited the market, bought tomatoes, vegetables and other ingredients.
But on December 12 we started a fast in my Church that lasted for almost 2 weeks.
One of the very things we were having in the evening at home was a combination of different fruits.
My husband often makes sure he gets the combination and one of them was pineapple.
All through the period, I looked forward to having these fruits in the evenings.
Really, they were good.
However, a day after the fast ended, there was still few slices of pineapple in my fridge.
I had carried on on December 23 like I was still fasting. I had supplies of products and delivery deadlines to meet. The Christmas rush was exceptional this season. Sometimes I even forget to eat.
On that day, I continued production without having any meal. At the point of feeling so much desire to have something, I opened the refrigerator and found the pineapple.
It Could Have Been A Miscarriage
Gladly, I grabbed it and chewed on it like someone that escaped a lion’s chase. I never knew I was eating what will mess my system up.
Few hours after having this pineapple, stomach upset fell on me like anointing. I could not hold back the poo pushing to come out.
I rushed to the toilet and purged like one who took purgative.
Hour after hour, I would visit the toilet and I was losing strength.
Fortunately, I am someone who gives a thought to almost everything. So I began to think back, making out what the issue could be, and I realised that my inner organs must be tender, as a result of fast.
Also, while we were consuming pineapple and other fruits during the fast, it was never pineapple alone.
The purge continued for two days and I was losing weight and strength. I fell ill like I had food poisoning.
I began to imagine if I were pregnant. Only God could have kept that baby safe from being recorded as miscarriage.
Unfortunately, I have received sad stories from women. There shared terrible experiences on how they lost their pregnancy without knowing why.
However, in the course of a question and answer session, we will discover that particular food that was responsible.
My experience, again reinforces the need for women to know some foods they should avoid with caution once they pass their ovulation time.
Yes! I said after ovulation time, because an adage in Delta State says: “It makes sense to chase a black goat in before it becomes dark”.
If you read between the lines you will understand.
Eating these foods just before menstruation could bring an end to the formation of a baby.
Foods That Could Cause Miscarriage
1. Pineapple
This is a great fruit. I said so because pineapple is believed to contain a compound that can aid implantation. However, the same fruit has a compound that has the power to make a woman lose her pregnancy.
Earlier, in an article, were shared that there is no evidence in literature that says pineapple can improve implantation process.
But there are compounds in pineapple that have triggered so much talks around pineapple and fertility.
These compounds indirectly impacts on a woman’s fertility.
The Bromelain Effect
This compound is an anti-inflammatory agent that research suggests “encourages the immune system to move away from an inflammatory state”.
According to a study, “bromelain is widely administered for its well-recognized properties, such as its anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and fibrinolytic affects, anticancer activity and immunomodulatory effects, in addition to being a wound healing and circulatory improvement agent” (1).
Sometimes, inflammation could make a woman have issues with conception. In this case, having some slices of pineapple at the right time will help.
However, this same compound could soften the cervix and trigger untimely labour contractions. This could cause miscarriage.
While little amount of this fruit could pose no such adverse effect, I will not recommend that a woman who has tried to get pregnant during her ovulation should take pineapple after ovulation.
Staying away from it is better than taking it and then go through a sad moment.
2. Caffeine
If you love taking soft drink and coffee, it is necessary that you abstain from it once you are expecting to be pregnant.
In fact, after a conversation with a woman who had a miscarriages, we found she took a drink that contained caffeine. She did not read the label and did not even know that caffeine is not good for a pregnant woman.
Remember that what could be be a small amount for an individual could be excess for another.
High intake of caffeine when you are pregnant could cause miscarriage.
Unfortunately, when caffeine gets into the placenta, the enzyme that is necessary to metabolise caffeine is absent.
As a result, high levels can build up and become trouble.
Also, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises that pregnant people limit their caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrams per day (2) .
According to a study, high caffeine consumption (more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day) during pregnancy is linked to infants being small for their gestational age (stage of pregnancy).
It also increases risk of intrauterine growth restriction—being in the lowest 10th percentile for infants of the same gestational age (3)
3. Mercury-rich Fish Could Cause Miscarriage
People who eat king mackerel, orange roughy, marlin, shark, tilefish, swordfish and bigeye tuna may be exposed to excessive intake of mercury.
Pollution could contaminate the water where this fish grow, making them have much mercury.
This will have a negative effect on the foetus.
A study says Methylmercury (MeHg) is an organic form of mercury that can damage the developing brains of human foetuses.
Women who consume methylmercury during pregnancy can bear children who have neurological issues because methylmercury has toxic effects on the nervous system during embryonic development (4).
4. Raw Sprouts
Eating sprouted foods could have adverse effect on foetus and the pregnant woman.
Raw sprouts like clover, alfalfa, radish and mung bean sprouts carry salmonella.
For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises children, older people, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system to not eat any raw or lightly cooked sprouts at all.
That includes alfalfa sprouts, clover, radish and mung bean sprouts.
Also, bacteria could hide inside the sprouts and cause issues during pregnancy.
Truth is that women are at increased risk for contracting foodborne diseases during pregnancy.
Sprouts contain listeriosis and a study says foods with this compound could affect pregnant women negatively (5).
5. Crabs
This is another food that could cause issues in pregnancy.
It is a rich source of calcium, but it also has high level of cholesterol. High cholesterol level could cause adverse consequences (6).
Studies suggest it could cause shrinkage of the uterus and lead to internal bleeding and miscarriage.
This also emphasises the need to stay away from foods that are high in cholesterol level.
6. Pawpaw (Papaya)
Pawpaw or papaya is also another fruit that could cause miscarriage.
Sometimes, women who have typhoid attempt to treat it eating unripe papaya.
Green and unripe pawpaw contains enzymes that could act as laxatives and cause miscarriage.
7. Sesame Seeds
While Sesame seeds are great for a woman who want to conceive, these seeds are also not safe for a woman who is pregnant.
The thing is, while some nutrients help a woman’s uterus contract well enough for semen to travel through for fertilisation, it becomes an issue when that kind of contraction happens again when the woman is already pregnant.
Now, you see how that happens, right?
According to studies, sesame seed contains a compound that stimulates the uterine muscles.
When this happens, it ejects the fertilised ovum.
The recommendation is that you should avoid intake of sesame seeds during the first three to four months of pregnancy.
Instead, eat other dry fruit nuts and seeds – raisins, almonds, groundnut, walnut, pumpkin seeds and more.
8. Animal Liver
Consuming a large amount of liver is what the problem is.
Basically, animal liver is high in vitamin A, but when consumed in a large quantity by a pregnant women, it promotes a gradual accumulation of retinol.
This accumulation could have adverse effect on the baby’s health.
We know that during pregnancy, vitamin A is one of the nutrients a mother needs. But a high intake could pose adverse effect on the baby.
According to a study, “excessive vitamin A intake during pregnancy can be a concern since, when in excess, this micronutrient may exert teratogenic effects in the first 60 days following conception.
“Routine prenatal vitamin A supplementation for the prevention of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality is not recommended; however, in regions where VAD is a public health issue, vitamin A supplementation is recommended to prevent night blindness” (8).
9. Aloe Vera Could Cause Miscarriage
This is one plant that greatly offers numerous health benefits.
Studies say aloe vera contains anthraquinones, a kind of laxative that induces contractions of the uterus and pelvic bleeding.
As a result, it is not recommended that women who are pregnant should ingest aleo vera.
While ingesting it is not safe, applying it on your body during pregnancy poses not adverse effect.
10. Raw Dairy Products
Some pregnant women like to take milk in their raw state – unpasteurised. Others eat cheese. These forms of dairy products contain bacteria that could cause disease.
One of such is listeria monocytogenes, which can have a harmful effect on your pregnancy.
11. Uda (Spice) Could Cause Miscarriage
This is one of the spices that could make a woman lose her pregnancy. We have an extensive article on this.
Kindly see how it could cause miscarriage.
Negro Pepper, Uda And Pregnancy: A Spice To Avoid If You Are TTC
13. Junk Foods
One of the very things a woman needs during pregnancy is a load of nutrients. But with junk foods the case is different.
Junk foods provide you no nutrients. They only load your body with high calories, fats and sugars.
This are not healthy for a pregnant woman.
You need to make constant effort to say no to them. When you are pregnant, your body will call for it, but you just have to say NO.
14. Sea Food Could Cause Miscarriage
Most seafoods from polluted waters could come with high amount of mercury that could affect pregnancy.
It is good to avoid these foods.
Too much toxins from seafoods could affect your pregnancy.
Also, seafoods like shellfish, oysters, sashimi, sushi, and prawns may be polluted with listeria and could cause pregnancy complications.
15. Unwashed Vegetables Or Fruits
When you consume vegetables that are not washed, you could be exposed to toxins in form of preservatives and pesticides.
This would have adverse effect on your pregnancy when this toxins alter your hormones.
Vegetables that are not washed possess toxoplasma gondii. This is a common parasite which causes toxoplasmosis that could cause complications during pregnancy (9).
Truly, an infected pregnant woman, could pass it to her unborn child.
16. Alcohol Could Cause Miscarriage
This is another substance that women who are pregnant should avoid.
Alcohol has negative impact on the foetus’ brain development.
Also, it increases the chances of miscarriage and stillbirth.
According to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no safe time for alcohol use during pregnancy.
Furthermore, the CDC warns that “alcohol can cause problems for the baby throughout pregnancy, including before a woman knows she is pregnant.
“Alcohol use in the first three months of pregnancy can cause the baby to have abnormal facial features” (10).
17. Meat That Is Not Well Cooked
This is one of the major sources of toxoplasma gondii (11).
Emphatically, not cooking your meat well could cause a pregnant woman to get this parasite into her system.
You To Avoid What Causes Miscarriage
It is not easy to know all the things that could cause miscarriage, but you have to do your best to make sure that you guard against miscarriage.
If you cannot not devote time to finding out something about what you intend to eat, have a health coach that understands foods and their compounds to guide you.
The health coach devotes time to studying these foods, their compounds and their effects, when to eat and when not to eat.
As a result, the health coach knows these foods better than you could.
Reach out to one if you know any. You can also reach out to us through our contact page.
Thank you so much and do not hesitate to share this article with your friends and loved ones if you find it helpful.