Health Myths And Facts: Can Papaya And Pineapple Be Consumed During Pregnancy? See What Experts Say

ABP Live sought the opinions of experts who busted the myths regarding the consumption of papaya and pineapple during pregnancy.

Health Myths And Facts: Can Papaya And Pineapple Be Consumed During Pregnancy

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New Delhi: Pregnancy can be an extremely lovely period, especially for the mother. During this time, the most frequent instructions given to them are regarding the food items they should eat or avoid. Coming to papaya or pineapple, pregnant women were mostly asked to avoid them. But, with scientific breakthrough, moms are now questioning the consumption of these fruits during pregnancy. It has been found that if the papaya is ripe, then eating it during pregnancy is safe. 

In this regard, ABP Live sought the opinions of experts who explained why it is okay to consume fully ripened papaya during pregnancy while raw papaya is not good. Also, speaking about pineapples, the experts said that it's completely okay to have pineapples during pregnancy.

Why Is Raw Papaya Not Good During Pregnancy?

The research-proven fact is that ripe papaya is okay but unripe papaya is not safe to be consumed by pregnant women. According to Dr. Leena Sarkar who is a Gynaecologist, at Samaritan Hospital, Kolkata, "Raw papaya in large volume on regular consumption may induce contraction of the uterus because of the high concentration of latex, but this evaluation is based on only animal experiment done on pregnant rats, not on human beings. So, proper studies on a human being with confirmed conclusions are yet to come."

Dietician Garima Goyal also spoke about why latex should be avoided in pregnancy telling that it triggers pre-term labour and uterine contractions. 

She said, "Unripe papaya has green skin and contains latex and papain. Latex in raw papaya should be avoided in pregnancy as it triggers preterm labour and uterine contractions. Also, papain in unripe papaya is not healthy in pregnancy as it weakens the vital membranes supporting the foetus and is also sometimes mistakenly thought of as prostaglandins by the body to induce labour. In addition to that, papain is a common allergen too and can trigger an inflammatory response in the body."

Ripe papaya has yellow skin and is a great source of beta carotene, fibre, folic acid, potassium, vitamin B complex, vitamin C etc and hence it can be consumed during pregnancy. Also, it contains lower levels of papain which cause less harm.

Can Pineapples Be Consumed During Pregnancy?

Pineapple is a safe and nutritious pregnant food. If someone has been advised to avoid pineapples during pregnancy, that is because it can trigger miscarriage or labour. This, however, is a myth. There is no scientific proof that pineapple is harmful during pregnancy. The pineapple rumours are totally anecdotal.

According to Garima, "The discontinuation of pineapple during pregnancy is not backed by any scientific evidence. So it is completely healthy and safe to have pineapple when pregnant as it is densely packed with vitamins and minerals such as iron, folate, magnesium, manganese, copper etc."

"Pineapple can be consumed during pregnancy as it is full of fibre and supportive of the digestive system when you’re facing constipation during pregnancy. It boosts immunity as well which is good for the cardiovascular system, has a good healing effect and is good for your bones also.", added Dr Leena.

However, talking about bromelain, Richa Anand - Chief Dietician, Dr. LH Hiranandani Hospital, Powai Mumbai said, "Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which, in large amounts, could potentially cause uterine contractions. But, the bromelain levels in ripe pineapple are generally not significant enough to pose a risk. Therefore, consuming moderate amounts of ripe pineapple is generally considered safe during pregnancy."

To this Garima added that Bromelain is mainly present in the core of the pineapple and not much in the flesh and the amount is not significant enough to cause any problem. Also, a moderate amount of pineapple is safe for a developing baby as the vitamins in pineapple support foetal health and development.

In conclusion, it's critical to use caution and make informed decisions when consuming papaya and pineapple during pregnancy. Fully ripe papaya can be eaten in moderation, however unripe or semi-ripe varieties may have greater quantities of papain, which may cause contractions and pose a risk to pregnancy. Similarly, in the case of ripe pineapple, which contains bromelain, moderate consumption of this fruit is generally regarded as harmless. In addition to that, you can eat a variety of fruits while prioritising your health and the health of your baby. To make sure you eat a balanced and nutritious diet, it is advisable to speak with your healthcare practitioner before making any dietary choices during pregnancy.