So Can You Eat Shiitake Mushrooms During Pregnancy?
Although raw mushrooms may be potentially harmful when consumed during pregnancy, various mushrooms are safe to eat while you are pregnant. White button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, azuki mushrooms, porcinis mushrooms, and chestnut mushrooms are all deliciously flavored and safe during pregnancy. Pregnant women should always avoid any raw or magic mushrooms, because they may potentially kill a fetus.
Most health professionals consider it to be a terrible idea to ingest magic mushrooms when you are pregnant. When a woman becomes pregnant, anything that is placed into her body has an effect on the developing fetus inside of her uterus. This is because some substances, foods, and drinks can get to the placenta, which is the main food source of oxygen for fetuses throughout the course of a pregnancy. Because fetuses are sensitive when developing, women need to be careful about what they are putting in their bodies, and should avoid using medications while pregnant. This includes avoiding prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and illicit substances like magic mushrooms.
How different mushrooms may affect your child.
Avoid uncooked, raw mushrooms. Eating uncooked mushrooms may be extremely dangerous for your baby. Mushrooms grow in the ground or atop other plants, making them unsafe to consume unless cooked. Raw mushrooms contain carcinogens, meaning that they may cause cancer to mothers and potentially to the fetus.
Cooking the edible varieties of mushrooms makes them safer to consume, and valuable nutrients from mushrooms cannot be released until cooked well. Avoiding mushrooms in their raw state is highly recommended for your fetus’s health.
Avoid Magic Mushrooms if you’re pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Magic mushrooms contain a chemical called psilocybin, which changes the brains activity, this is thought to have serious effects on the pregnant woman and the fetus. Consuming toxic mushrooms can cause physical birth defects, and they should be avoided at all stages of life.
However, there are not enough well-controlled studies available to fully establish which types of birth defects and other deformities can occur from eating magic mushrooms while pregnant. One animal study did indeed find that an illicit substance, psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, was able to cross placental and blood-brain barriers and influence a fetus. This is just one study, and its findings cannot be confirmed until further studies are done, either on animals or on humans.
Learn more:
Does shiitake mushroom contain vitamin D?
Does shiitake mushroom extract contain AHCC?
You can find our favorite supplements containing Shiitake Mushrooms on the following page of our website to learn more.
Best Shiitake Mushroom Supplement
