pregnancy
Items that appear better to avoid during pregnancy: aspartame, animal products due to industrial carcinogens and flame retardants building up in animal fat (see videos here, here), fish due to mercury contamination (see videos here, here, here, here, here) and domoic acid, alcohol, lamb due to toxoplasma parasites, chicken due to phthalates, meat (see also here, here), licorice, a vegan diet lacking vitamin B12 (see videos here, here, here) and iodine, avocados, chamomile tea, and flax seeds (during the last 2 trimesters of pregnancy). Also, pregnant women may want to ignore health food store advice and during the summer in certain states avoid tap water due to the chlorine levels. Homeopathy appears useless for the induction of labor. Iron supplements (see also here) should probably only be taken in the context of iron deficiency anemia. Folic acid supplements should be taken during early pregnancy, but there is controversy as to whether they may do more harm than good in other circumstances. Items that are safe to consume during pregnancy: peanuts, and caffeine under a certain level (see also here).
See also the related blog post: Mercury Testing Recommended Before Pregnancy.
Topic summary contributed by Denise.
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Watch videos about pregnancy
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Meat Fumes: Dietary Secondhand SmokeThe polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the vapors released from cooking meat may be hazardous for fetal development and increase the risk of cancer.
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Diet Soda and Preterm BirthAspartame may be the reason that diet soda consumption during pregnancy has been linked to premature birth.
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Side-Effect of Fenugreek ConsumptionFenugreek seeds may protect against cancer and improve muscle mass, but they can make your armpits smell like maple syrup.
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The Wrong Way to DetoxThe reason birth order is a predictor of pollutant levels in the bodies of children is that women can pass along as much as half of their PCB burden to their fetus during pregnancy.
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How Fast Can Children Detoxify from PCBs?Based on the half-life of industrial pollutants children may be exposed to in the womb or at the breast, how many years does it take for them to detoxify their bodies (assuming they're brought up on..
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DDT in Umbilical Cord BloodAre pregnant women who eat fish, other meat, and dairy still passing along the pesticide DDT even decades after it was banned?
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CDC Report on Environmental Chemical ExposureThe latest national survey on the levels of chemical pollutants such as heavy metals, toxic solvents, endocrine-disrupters, flame-retardant chemicals, PCBs, and pesticides such as DDT in the bodies..
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Chamomile Tea May Not Be Safe During PregnancyFor the same reason aspirin should be avoided in pregnancy, chamomile has such powerful anti-inflammatory properties that regular consumption may result in a serious fetal heart problem, premature..
