Having oyster mushroom during pregnancy is more than just adding extra flavor to your platter. These specific kinds of mushroom are stuffed with vitamins, iron, fiber, antioxidants and so on.
However, it’s always been a controversial topic whether it’s safe or unsafe to eat mushrooms in gestational period.
But before you avoid this rich food assuming any further problems, here are the facts!
This article will let you know if it is safe to eat this mushroom in pregnancy, its benefits, effects, tips before eating, safe recipes and obviously more.
So, without wasting time, let’s get started.
Can We Eat Oyster Mushroom During Pregnancy?
It’s completely safe to eat oyster mushroom during pregnancy. In fact, most of the culinary mushrooms like maitake, chestnut, shiitake, Portobello, white bottom mushroom are safe to eat when pregnant.
But safety measures like through washing and cooking the mushrooms are necessary.
That’s because, Consumption of mushrooms that are contaminated by bacteria can cause food poisoning during pregnancy.
This can affect the mother’s health along with the baby’s.
What Mushrooms To Avoid While Pregnant?
The following ones are the poisonous categorized mushrooms that are considered unsafe for pregnant women.
- Magic Mushrooms
- Foraged Mushrooms
- Death Cap
- False Morels
- Death Angel
- Autumn Skullcap
These varieties of mushrooms have been reported to cause life threatening effects on human health.
Magic and forged mushrooms are strictly avoided in pregnancy because of their hallucinogenic properties.
Most importantly, be aware of the mushrooms you are suspicious of.
And do not consume a new kind of mushroom cause you don’t know how your body will react to that.
Also Read: 27 foods That Can Cause Miscarriage>>
What Mushrooms Are Safe To Eat While Pregnant?
Here is the list of mushrooms that are safe to consume while pregnant.
- Shiitake
- Oyster
- Chestnut
- Maitake
- Portobello
- Turkey tail
- Chaga
- Enoki
- Crimini
Both culinary and medicinal mushrooms are considered safe to consume while pregnant.
A popular type of mushroom named Reishi is not well studied if it’s safe for pregnancy. Plus, it has been linked to liver damage. So, it’s best to avoid Reishi mushrooms during pregnancy.
Benefits of Oyster Mushroom During Pregnancy
Oyster mushroom is nutrient dense. They hold multiple health enriching elements causing several health benefits as discussed below.
1. Accelerate Baby’s Development
Oyster mushrooms hold varieties of nutrients, minerals and vitamins in them.
For example, protein, fiber, niacin, choline, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin B, D, fat and carbs.
These elements are vital to accelerate the overall growth of your baby.
Besides, only 86 grams of oyster mushrooms can satisfy 8% of your daily folate intake. Folate is crucial to prevent major neural tube defects of the baby.
2. Improve Heart Health
While being negligible in cholesterol, oyster mushrooms are packed with fibers as well as beta glucans.
Both these factors are necessary to maintain a healthy functioning heart.
A healthy heart further sharply reduces the risk of stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy.
3. Promote Skin Health
Eating oyster mushroom during pregnancy probably is the smartest way to prevent dry, wrinkled, acne skin to a certain extent.
That’s because they are rich in thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and pantothenic acid (B5).
These B vitamins are highly responsible in promoting better skin even during pregnancy.
5. Give Healthy Bones
Believe it or not, oyster mushrooms are one of those rarest foods having vitamin D.
This feature is really rare in all the food groups we consume.
Vitamin D helps in absorbing adequate amounts of calcium into the body that forms strong bone and teeth of the baby.
It also manifests excellent bone health of the mother.
6. Prevent Anemia
Along with the benefit of healthy bones, some oyster mushrooms on your platter fills the demand of iron in your body.
During gestation, your body requires more hemoglobin to produce more blood. And when there is a lack, your body is likely to face anemia.
However, the production of hemoglobin depends on your iron intake, which is widely present in oyster mushrooms.
So, add some of this food in your pregnancy diet to eliminate the risk of anemia in pregnancy.
7. Better Immune System
Oyster mushrooms are the immune boosters and they do it in several ways.,
Up the front, they encourage your overall health by giving several vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
On the other hand, they help in improving both antiviral and antibacterial effects in your body.
This factor lessens the incidence of common infections during pregnancy by improving the immunity.
8. Promote Dental Health
Pregnancy can wreak havoc on your dental health for the increased hormonal changes.
And in this matter oyster mushrooms can help. AGAIN!
Eating oyster mushroom during pregnancy provides you calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D.
These elements all together nurture jaw bone density that is crucial for holding your dental structure in place.
So, no fear of losing teeth in pregnancy.
9. Prevent Gestational Diabetes
Eating oyster mushrooms during pregnancy keeps gestational diabetes at bay for the presence of beta glucan in them.
Beta glucan is not only responsible for good cholesterol in the body but also in reducing high blood sugar levels.
Plus, protein and zinc found in oyster mushrooms maintain fasting blood sugars in the body.
Thereupon, these are the benefits of this mushroom.
Effects Of Oyster Mushroom During Pregnancy
The effects of oyster mushroom during pregnancy are rare.
They only happen when overly eaten or in the wrong manner.
But the thing is, there are some side effects of oyster mushrooms you have to be aware of.
1. Allergic Effects
People become allergic to fungi in very rare cases.
This in return, can cause allergic effects including chills, fever, skin rashes and joint pain after the exposure to oyster mushrooms.
2. Upset Stomach
Over consumption of oyster mushrooms is linked to cause upset stomach symptoms.
In general, the symptoms include stomach rumbling, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea and nausea.
3. Food Poisoning
Oyster mushrooms can be contaminated with dirt and soil.
So, eating them undercooked or without proper washing can lead to food poisoning.
This will result in abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, loss of consciousness, dizziness and serious effects on the baby.
Also be aware of wild oyster mushrooms as they can cause similar kinds of results.
Safe and Unsafe Recipes Of Oyster Mushroom For Pregnancy
The following description will clear your doubts of which recipes made out of oyster mushrooms are safe and unsafe for pregnancy.
Mushroom on Pizza
Mushrooms are a popular ingredient used in several junk foods like pizza.
And it’s safe to eat oyster mushroom during pregnancy as a topping on pizza.
However, don’t consume fast food often too much as it can result in overweight issues in pregnancy.
Mushroom Pate
Mushroom pate is a high risk food for pregnant women.
It contains undercooked mushrooms and raw egg.
These can cause food borne illnesses for which is why it is not recommended for pregnant women.
Mushroom Soup
Mushroom soup is safe for gestating ladies.
But just make sure that all the other ingredients used in the soup are pregnancy friendly.
Is Mushroom Coffee Safe During Pregnancy?
Mushroom coffee is simply the regular kind of coffee mixed with dried herbal mushrooms. However, the safety of dried mushroom blends used in coffee isn’t well studied regarding the effects they can cause.
Plus, drinking coffee even is harmful for pregnancy in case you consume more than 200 mg of caffeine a day.
So, it’s better if you avoid mushroom coffee in pregnancy.
Tips for Cooking Mushrooms
Pregnant women are advised to implement these 2 major steps before eating any edible culinary mushrooms.
1. Wash Properly
Washing is an essential part before having mushrooms as the first safety measure.
As because mushrooms often are found wrapped with soil and dirt. This sharply increases the risk of contamination.
So, they need to be thoroughly cleaned in order to remove dirt.
After they are washed, pat them to dry.
2. Cook Properly
Undercooked mushrooms can result in dermatitis and other infections.
So, cook them with the heat of 140 degree F (60 degree Celsius).
eating properly cooked oyster mushroom during pregnancy is completely safe.
Oyster mushroom during pregnancy: FAQs
Is It Safe To Eat Mushrooms During Pregnancy First Trimester?
It is safe to eat washed and properly cooked culinary mushrooms in early pregnancy and beyond. It doesn’t cause any types of harm to the developing baby in the first trimester.
Is Button Mushroom During Pregnancy Safe?
Edible culinary mushrooms including oyster, button, Portobello, enoki, maitake etc. are safe for gestating ladies.
The End Note
Oyster mushrooms show promising benefits on your health.
And the excellent thing about them is, you don’t have to be a chef to make the delicious. Just throw them into various recipes, and what, you know it’s magic.
However, make sure to wash properly and have it with a good temperature before having oyster mushroom during pregnancy.
All at the end, pregarlybody wishes you a healthy pregnancy ahead.
