Is That Safe? Eating Honey During Pregnancy
Hey mamas, we had a couple of people reach out to us after we posted this 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Bar Recipe wondering if they could eat honey during pregnancy! So we’re back with another installment of our Is That Safe series to answer: Is it safe to eat honey during pregnancy?
Is it safe to eat honey during pregnancy?
Good news, you shouldn't need to throw out your peanut butter bars because they're made with honey, and you'll find honey in a few of our recipes on the Baby2Body app — it’s often used as a natural sugar swap!
Honey is safe for healthy adults to eat, including pregnant women, although you'll want to keep it away from babies until they're over 1 year old. This is because honey can sometimes contain bacteria that may cause botulism, Botulism isn’t a concern for most healthy adults and children older than 1 year, as the digestive system is developed where it can protect against the potential bacteria.
If you have digestive abnormalities like Crohn's, honey may fall into a category of foods your doctor will recommend you limit, however you can talk to your doctor about what foods are safe for your personal situation.
Is pasteurized honey safer than raw honey?
Pasteurized honey is heated to prevent fermentation and limit the risk of bacteria contamination, although it doesn't kill botulism spores. Eating raw honey during pregnancy hasn't been studied extensively, but there's no current reason to believe it's unsafe. We recommend sticking to reputable brands that you can trust.
Are there any benefits of eating honey during pregnancy?
Honey has so many natural benefits that researchers have been studying for years to better understand.
One of those benefits is antioxidants and bioactive compounds that boost anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Polyphenols, like honey's flavonoids and phenolic acids, are a type of antioxidant that helps rid the body of oxidative stress that can cause damage to cells. They’re thought to reduce inflammation in the body thus reducing premature aging and other diseases. To get the most out of your honey, choose a darker variety of honey, as they tend to have more antioxidants than lighter ones.
What do you want to see next in our Is That Safe series? Let us know in the comments!
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