Originally published October 20 2005
Specialist talks about food cravings during pregnancy
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, advises women on what cravings to obey and provides a list of foods that pose health risks for developing babies, including herbal teas and raw meats.
For many women, powerful food cravings for certain foods come with the territory during pregnancy.
You've probably heard tales of loved ones being dispatched at all hours to search for a certain brand of bacon double cheeseburger or rocky road ice cream to quell an expectant mom's desire.
"Some experts say cravings, and their flip side, food aversions, are protective, even if there is no scientific data to back up that theory," says Siobhan Dolan, MD, assistant medical director of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and women's health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
For example, you may not feel like drinking alcohol when pregnant, which is beneficial since avoiding beer, wine, and other spirits fosters your baby's mental and physical development.
Others think a pregnant woman's preference for certain foods such as salt-laden potato chips is nature's way of helping her meet her daily sodium quota.
"It's possible that women who are feeling nauseous, bloated, tired, or crabby due to the effects of pregnancy hormones look for foods to increase their comfort level," says Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
By eating small portions of the lower-fat versions of her favorite foods.
"When I wanted those foods, I really wanted them, so I gave in, always mindful of how much I was eating," she says.
When Dolan was pregnant, cranberry juice was all she wanted to drink.
Fortified cranberry juice can be an excellent source of calcium or vitamin C and contains an array of other nutrients necessary during pregnancy.
No matter how strong your desire, steer clear of foods considered health risks for pregnant women and developing babies.
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