Can You Eat Honey In Pregnancy?

Yes, it’s safe to eat honey during pregnancy. While it’s not safe to give honey to babies under a year old, eating honey when you’re pregnant won’t harm you or your unborn child. That’s because your grown-up stomach can handle the bacteria in honey that sometimes makes babies sick with a rare illness called botulism.

The short answer is yes, it is safe to eat raw honey during pregnancy. However, it will take us a bit longer to explain why there is so much concern around eating honey while pregnant, and how this all stemmed from a misunderstanding. You may have heard that you should not give honey to infants under one year of age.

Yes, pregnant women can eat honey – but it’s generally recommended that you stick to pasteurized options. While it can be dangerous for children under the age of one, for you it could even bring benefits. More on pregnancy foods:

Honey is a good food to eat while you are pregnant to help support your baby’s development. Because it contains antioxidants and other nutrients. It also has proteins that help reduce morning sickness in pregnant women.

Honey and Pregnancy Pregnant women can safely eat honey. An adult’s intestines are more acidic than a baby’s and contain beneficial bacteria that prevent the spores from developing into botulism-causing bacteria.

The official advice on eating honey in pregnancy Good news! Honey is considered safe to eat in pregnancy. Babies under the age of one shouldn’t eat honey because it can contain a specific type of bacteria, which can cause a very rare but life-threatening condition called infant botulism.

Thankfully, it turns out that if you’re pregnant and honey is your cup of tea (or a necessary part of it), it’s perfectly safe to indulge, as long as the honey is pasteurized. Pasteurization is your best friend during pregnancy—the process kills disease-causing bacteria that can be dangerous to you and even more so to your unborn baby.

Eating Honey During Pregnancy Since ancient times, honey has been enjoyed as a tasty food and home remedy for certain ailments. Before, during, and after pregnancy, you might have a taste for this natural sweetener, whether spooned into tea or drizzled over toast or yogurt.

Again, you can eat as much honey you want as a breastfeeding parent because the toxins that cause botulism do not get into breastmilk. However, if you are consuming honey, you want to be sure that your baby doesn’t accidentally digest the honey you are eating.

Honey is a great natural ingredient to reduce a cough and cold during pregnancy. Have it with ginger or lemon water to soothe a sore throat. Honey also helps in clearing mucus Eases Insomnia: Honey plus milk is the best concoction to cure insomnia in pregnancy.

• Store-bought fresh-squeezed or any unpasteurized juice
• Unwashed fruits and vegetables
• Raw sprouts
• Unripe papaya

• Raw or undercooked seafood including crabs, oysters, mussels, prawns or ceviche.
• Smoked fish or spreads that contain fish, unless contained in a dish or saucepan that has been heated to 165 F.
• Large fish, including swordfish, shark, tilefish, king mackerel and bigeye tuna.

Best foods for the first trimester

• Lean meat. A good source of iron and protein, thoroughly-cooked lean meats like sirloin or chuck steak, pork tenderloin, turkey and chicken offer all of the amino acids that act
• Yogurt.
• Edamame.
• Kale.
• Bananas.
• Beans and lentils.
• Ginger tea.

To review, we have learned the following:

• Honey consumed in moderation has the potential to being very beneficial for pregnant women.
• Women with gestational diabetes or blood sugar problems should not consume honey during pregnancy.
• Women particularly sensitive to bee-related allergies should avoid honey all-together.

Why shouldn’t babies eat honey?

Many parents are aware of the fact that babies and infants younger than 1-year-old should not eat raw honey because it carries the risk of botulism bacteria for them. Honey contains a certain type of bacteria that can lead to botulism in infants.

Benefits of Honey During Pregnancy 1 Fertility: There is some thought that preconceptional use of honey may help improve your ability to become pregnant, says Andrea Chisholm, MD, an OB/GYN in Wyoming. 2 Respiratory health: Some studies have found that eating honey may help with asthma, treat coughs, and soothe sore throats. 5 3 Antioxidant protection: Honey, especially dark-colored varieties, contains antioxidants, which may boost health by combating molecules in our bodies that damage healthy cells. 6

Under the age of 1, infants’ digestive systems aren’t developed enough to safely handle all of the bacteria in raw honey, so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that no baby under the age of 1 should have raw honey. 1 .

Honey is safe for the baby in your belly, too. Even in isolated cases when pregnant people contracted botulism, researchers have found no evidence that their babies were born with the condition. Expectant parents’ botulism infection wasn’t linked to pregnancy problems or birth defects, either. 2

That means that even if a woman eats honey and has the botulism spores in her own body, they will not reach the baby. As you can probably imagine, botulism is also very rare during pregnancy, so it has been difficult for doctors to accurately study the effects of the bacteria on pregnant women and their babies.

It is also helpful to keep in mind that honey is still primarily comprised of sugar, so if you are watching your weight during pregnancy, have been advised by a doctor to avoid excess sugar, or have a condition such as gestational diabetes, you will want to limit your sugar sources as well.

In general, honey is a safe sweet treat for you during pregnancy. So if you want to swirl some honey in your tea, use it to sweeten your baked goods, or take a spoonful to soothe a sore throat, feel free.

Where can I find unpasteurized honey?

You may find unpasteurized or raw honey at a bee farm, roadside stand, or farmer’s market . There are no studies on the safety of raw honey during pregnancy, but there’s no reason to believe it’s unsafe. Unpasteurized honey doesn’t carry the risk of listeriosis you find with unpasteurized cheese and deli meats.

The honey is pasteurized using a method similar to the one used for pasteurizing milk. It’s heated to 161 degrees F for 15 to 30 seconds and then rapidly cooled. This kills yeast cells (though not the botulism spores) so the honey won’t ferment.

Honey contains small amounts of antioxidants, minerals, and enzymes that may be beneficial to your health. It can also be used as a cough remedy or to soothe a sore throat, and some types of honey have been shown to help wounds heal. But don’t overdo it.

Adults and older children with these conditions may be more susceptible to infection from the bacteria in honey that causes botulism. Nutritionally, honey can serve as a tasty, slightly healthier alternative to sugar. Honey contains small amounts of antioxidants, minerals, and enzymes that may be beneficial to your health.

Yes, it’s safe to eat honey during pregnancy. While it’s not safe to give honey to babies under a year old, eating honey when you’re pregnant won’t harm you or your unborn child. That’s because your grown-up stomach can handle the bacteria in honey that sometimes makes babies sick with a rare illness called botulism.

In rare cases where pregnant women have become ill with botulism, the illness wasn’t detected in their babies. That said, if you have gastrointestinal problems or abnormalities, such as Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or previous gastric surgery, it may be best to avoid honey for the sake of your own health.

In fact, because it’s less processed than pasteurized honey, raw honey likely contains more antioxidants . Most honey sold in stores is pasteurized – not for safety reasons but for storage purposes and to improve appearance. The honey is pasteurized using a method similar to the one used for pasteurizing milk.

How to get rid of insomnia while pregnant?

Honey is a great reliever of insomnia because of its hypnotic effects. Mix a spoonful of honey in a glass of warm milk or water, and you will find yourself drifting off to sleep in no time at all. But be careful not to overdo it; honey releases quite a bit of heat, and too much of it will leave you sweaty and unable to sleep.

You need to be at the best of your health during the nine months of your pregnancy. Honey is, therefore, a good thing at this point, considering how pumped full of minerals and vitamins it is. Honey contains dietary antioxidants, along with riboflavin, both of which increase the antioxidant levels in your body. This helps in keeping you healthy an energetic, and keeps your baby in great health as well.

Raw honey is considered more nutritious than pasteurized honey, and it is probably true. However, even pasteurized honey contains ample nutrients that are almost as beneficial as raw honey. While it is not clear whether raw honey contains bacteria that can be potentially harmful for the baby and the mother, it is best to be safe and buy pasteurized honey instead. Pasteurized honey is bold and processed enough to ensure that no bacteria are living inside it.

Unless you are allergic to it, there is no reason to stop eating a little bit of honey every day just because you are carrying a child. But, you are carrying a child, and there is nothing more important right now than the health of the two of you. So, like everything else, it is important that you consume honey in moderation during those nine months.

No pregnant woman is a stranger to digestive and gastrointestinal issues. When drunk with water, honey can help in the regrowing of tissues and repairing damaged mucosa in the stomach lining. Apart from this, it also helps prevent gastroenteritis and diarrhea, which can become pretty common during pregnancy. Apart from this, honey also contains a little bit of dietary fiber that helps in keeping bowel movements smooth.

Steer clear of honey if you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Honey contains high amounts of sugar, which can be very dangerous in this condition. It is best not to consume any honey at all if you have been diagnosed.

Is it safe to drink honey while pregnant?

Thankfully, it turns out that if you’re pregnant and honey is your cup of tea (or a necessary part of it), it’s perfectly safe to indulge, as long as the honey is pasteurized.

You’re probably paranoid about honey because you know that the sweet, sticky stuff is a no-no for babies until after their first birthday. That’s because honey can contain bacterial spores, which can be toxic to a baby’s tiny, underdeveloped digestive system. Contamination is rare, but it happens. Thankfully, it turns out that if you’re pregnant and honey is your cup of tea (or a necessary part of it), it’s perfectly safe to indulge, as long as the honey is pasteurized.