Eating Spicy Food in Pregnancy: Is it safe?

Lots of women crave spicy food when they’re pregnant but worry that spicy foods will harm their baby. Consuming spicy food in pregnancy is totally safe – it won’t affect your baby whatsoever and it can even provide some surprising benefits.

Cravings during pregnancy are usually for strange combinations or ‘odd’ foods like pickles, tomato juice and even burgers topped with marmalade (!)

Cravings typically start during the first trimester and most likely to be caused by rapidly changing hormones in your body. According to research conducted by Frontiers in Psychology, an estimated 50-90% of women experience cravings for specific foods during pregnancy.

If you’re craving spicy foods when pregnant, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Start Slow

You may not be used to eating spicy food like chilies, jalapenos, or hot curries, so don’t overwhelm your digestive system with too much too soon (if you can help it). Large amounts of spicy food can cause diarrhea, heartburn and GI discomfort – especially in the third trimester.

Stay Hydrated

Spicy foods can induce sweating, which is actually really helpful during pregnancy as it cools down the body. For this reason, especially in summer, it’s really important to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water every day and if you’re experiencing indigestion, drink between rather than with meals.

Did you know that regular intake of spicy foods can change the ‘flavour’ of your amniotic fluid and influence your baby’s tastebuds? A foetus starts swallowing amniotic fluid at around ten weeks and what you eat during pregnancy could affect your child’s flavour preferences later on.

Will eating spicy food during pregnancy induce labour?

Lots of people swear that spicy foods induce labour, but there’s no evidence to suggest so. If your body isn’t ready for labour then eating spicy food won’t change this.

Recently, I published this post about warming foods and pregnancy, which talks about how naturally warming foods can help restore balance in the body and manage symptoms such as nausea and fatigue.

Not to be confused with spicy foods, warming foods warm up your digestive system and can nourish the kidneys, heal the gut and raise yang levels in the body. Chilli, garlic and ginger are all examples of warming foods that are great for pregnant women with cold hands and feet or lack of energy.

If you’d like more information about how what you eat can affect your chances of conceiving, nutritional considerations when you’re pregnant and how dietary changes can be implemented into parenthood, book an appointment with me today. I operate out of Brunswick Health on Melville Road, Brunswick.

Wondering what a pregnancy naturopath actually does? Read all about how I work here.