Can You Eat Spicy Food While Pregnant? Myths & Facts

Your sudden cravings for unusual or exotic foods may leave you wondering what not to eat, what is safe, and how to eat healthy during pregnancy. Many pregnant women find themselves craving Mexican, Thai, or Indian cuisine while wondering, “Can you eat spicy foods while pregnant?” 

Eating spicy foods while pregnant is entirely safe if you know which spice may cause trouble if overeaten. Pregnant women can generally tolerate cravings for Mexican, Thai, or Indian food safely with few modifications.

There are plenty of cultural myths surrounding spicy foods. One common myth is that craving spicy foods means you will give birth to a baby boy. Scientifically, there is no proof that this myth has any basis of truth to it.

 Let’s examine the safety, benefits, and cultural myths surrounding these foods. While exploring these concepts, we will propose theories about why spicy food cravings develop.

Safety of Spicy Food While Pregnant

Typical spices for cooking hot foods include capsaicin, turmeric, garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, chili powder, chipotle (jalapeno chili pepper), and green chilis. Animal studies have determined that turmeric^[1] and cumin^[2] are both safe to eat during pregnancy. Admittedly, more human studies on spices are needed despite presumed safety.

Capsaicin is the spice most responsible for the hot taste associated with many spicy dishes. It is abundant in the spice, cayenne pepper, and chili peppers. The other spices add the unique taste and flavor associated with various cultural versions of spicy foods. 

However, pregnant women should view some spicy foods with caution. Oregano, specifically, may induce uterine contractions^[3] if a lot is eaten, but eating it as a condiment in moderation will likely be of no harm.

 Pregnant women who have gastritis, ulcers, or heartburn should limit or avoid spicy foods and include them in a balanced diet with adequate fluids. Fluids help dilute the concentration of irritating elements like capsaicin.

Side Effects Of Hot Foods

Although spicy foods may be safe in moderation, they also may cause undesirable side effects.

Such side effects are usually gastrointestinal, such as heartburn, upset stomach, diarrhea, gas, and bloating. Heartburn is one of the most frequent complaints, affecting between 17% and 45%^[4] of pregnant women.

Changed hormones and delayed gastrointestinal transit time can cause heartburn during pregnancy. The stomach sphincter becomes more relaxed, allowing acid to reflux back through the esophagus. In the third trimester, abdominal pressure from the growing fetus causes acid reflux. So, spicy foods significantly aggravate^[5] a commonly occurring complaint.

Another common complaint worsened by spicy foods is nausea. Generally referred to as morning sickness, this is bothersome only in the first trimester. Pregnant women may either crave or avoid spicy foods during this time.

 You should report persistently occurring gastrointestinal symptoms to your physician if cutting down on spicy foods does not help.

Despite the gastrointestinal side effects commonly experienced with spicy foods, health professionals have determined that they are safe in moderation, even beneficial, to eat during pregnancy. Of course, if they worsen your gastrointestinal symptoms, you should limit or avoid them, depending on the severity of your symptoms and your physician’s advice.

Benefits of Eating Spicy Food While Pregnant

Spicy foods can offer a host of therapeutic opportunities for pregnant women. Some of the benefits are listed here.

Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a type of high blood pressure in pregnancy so severe it may impair organ function. It happens in 2%-8% of women^[6]. Black cumin has been used in animal models to treat preeclampsia, suggesting its safety in food and therapeutic usefulness.

 Another spice found commonly in spicy cuisine is thyme. Researchers recently found thyme to be beneficial^[7] in animal models of preeclampsia. 

Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antihyperlipidemic Properties

Some spices, like turmeric, have anti-inflammatory^[8], antihyperlipidemic (lowers blood fats) and anti-microbial properties.  These properties make them particularly valuable in pregnancy, where inflammation^[9] and infections occur more frequently. For example, blood triglycerides increase^[10] by two to three times prepregnancy values, and the risk for some foodborne illnesses increases by as much as ten times^[11] those of nonpregnant women.

Turmeric, being an anti-inflammatory, may help prevent neurodevelopmental disorders^[12] in the fetus associated with chronic maternal inflammation.

Oxidative Stress

Garlic may have a favorable effect on oxidative stress^[13], a common problem in pregnancy. Oxidative stress may lead to maternal/fetal complications, such as low plasma concentrations and disruptions in placental function.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes affects the mother’s health and the offspring’s future health. Capsaicin^[14], present in chili peppers, has improved fasting blood sugar, elevated insulin levels, and postprandial blood sugars in women with gestational diabetes. Furthermore, it reduces the chances of a large-for-gestational-age infant.

Decreased Risk Of Heart Disease And Excess Weight Gain

Some research indicates that capsaicin intake can reduce the risk of heart disease and have a weight-loss effect. While weight loss during pregnancy is inadvisable, slowing down excessive weight gain is recommended. Capsaicin may help significantly slow down weight gain while being good for your heart.

Effects Of Eating Spicy Food While Pregnant

Spicy food containing capsaicin increases blood flow and body temperature, which in turn causes sweating to cool the body down. It is a gastrointestinal irritant that aggravates the mucous membranes, causing a runny nose and a burning tongue. If you have a full-blown spicy food reaction, the lungs may react, causing a hiccup attack.

Peristalsis is increased in the gut, potentially causing cramping and diarrhea. As discussed previously, not all effects are adverse, as positive metabolic changes may occur with ingesting spicy foods.  Most of these effects result from capsaicin, although garlic, thyme, and turmeric play roles in systemic effects. 
If you suffer from a spicy reaction from hot foods, reach for some milk. The casein protein in milk will bind with the fatty molecule capsaicin and harness the chemical reaction.

Myths Associated With Spicy Foods

One prevalent myth is that craving spicy foods means you will have a baby boy. Eating specific foods has been successful in ovulation timing studies, increasing the success rate from 50% to 90%^[15]. However, no research could be found that suggested a correlation between any type of food craving and sexual identity at birth. 

Another myth that contains an element of truth is an infant’s taste preference. While some research shows maternal sugar intake^[16] may affect an infant’s taste preference at birth for sweet foods, there is limited evidence for infants craving spicy foods because of maternal ingestion.

One 2022 study supporting the above myth^[17] states that maternal consumption of foods (e.g., garlic) may flavor the amniotic fluid. This flavored amniotic fluid may make the fetus prefer those tastes as the infant grows and matures into childhood and adulthood.

Approximately 12% of women report ingesting^[18] something to induce labor. The myth that spicy foods (particularly capsaicin) can induce labor is unsupported by scientific evidence. The only correlation between this myth and the truth is that spicy foods can stimulate intestinal contractions, which, in turn, may cause uterine contractions.

Another myth is that spicy food cravings result from the mother needing to cool her internal temperature. Spicy foods tend to induce sweating, which cools the body down. Pregnancy increases body temperature, and proponents of this theory suggest that spicy food cravings are the body’s way of cooling itself down naturally.

Why Am I Craving Spicy Food During Pregnancy?

In one study, 39% of the 609 participants^[19] reported food cravings. The study concluded that the origin of food cravings is unknown and suspected to be related to the physiological and hormonal changes associated with pregnancy. Anecdotal evidence suggests that increased energy and nutrient needs drive food cravings through changes in taste and smell.

Cravings may also indicate that your body needs certain nutrients, such as iron or vitamin C. Chili peppers are high in vitamin C, potassium, beta-carotene, copper, and B6. In addition, and line with this theory, the positive metabolic side effects of eating foods high in capsaicin, garlic, or turmeric may drive cravings for spicy foods.

Conclusion

Eating spicy foods during pregnancy as part of a balanced diet is safe. However, these foods should be limited or avoided if you experience heartburn, ulcers, or gastritis. The spices used to prepare spicy cuisine are often healthy and beneficial to pregnancy when consumed with various other whole foods from all food groups and sufficient fluid. 

The many myths surrounding food cravings associated with spicy foods are primarily unfounded, except for the myth that eating spicy foods affects the infant’s food choices as aging and growth occur. This myth carries scientific validation. Foods eaten during pregnancy may affect the baby’s food choices as growth occurs.

So, put the myths aside and enjoy your spicy food cravings without guilt.