Is Peanut Butter Healthy to Eat While Pregnant
It's safe to eat peanuts during pregnancy – if you don't have an allergy to peanuts, of course!
In fact, peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and folate, two important nutrients that you need for a healthy pregnancy. Peanut butter can also serve as a tasty alternative to foods that are less safe during pregnancy, such as deli meat. Instead of that salami sandwich for lunch, try making yourself a peanut butter sandwich, or slathering some peanut butter on apple slices for a snack.
Does eating peanuts while pregnant increase my baby's risk of allergies?
No. It's common to worry that eating peanut butter might increase the risk of passing along a peanut allergy to your baby. Fortunately, this isn't correct. Confusion around the issue stems from the fact that, up until 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended pregnant women with allergies in their immediate family avoid eating peanuts. But the AAP subsequently withdrew that recommendation after research showed no evidence that this advice was warranted.
Data continue to support the AAP's decision. One analysis of six studies found that a mother's avoidance of peanuts during pregnancy didn't appear to have any effect on whether her child developed a nut allergy. Studies also show that avoiding peanuts and peanut butter while breastfeeding has no impact on a child's allergy risk.
Older studies that caused concern about eating peanuts during pregnancy tended to involve small sample sizes and failed to accurately report how many peanuts the mothers consumed during pregnancy.
Does eating peanut butter during pregnancy prevent allergies?
Possibly. Newer research looking at more than 70,000 families showed that children were actually less likely to have a nut allergy if their mother ate nuts during pregnancy. Eating nuts and peanut butter during pregnancy may promote immune tolerance in your child and help protect him from nut allergies.
Likewise, experts now believe that introducing peanut products and other common allergenic foods to your child as early as possible after he's born (between 4 and 6 months old) may help protect him from developing a food allergy. (If your baby has eczema or an egg allergy, talk with your baby's doctor before doing this).
There's a lot that we don't understand about food allergies, which are increasingly common. Scientists still don't know how to predict which children will develop allergies, or how to prevent them. But making yourself a PB&J during pregnancy may be a wise choice.
Is peanut butter healthy during pregnancy?
Yes. Peanuts and peanut butter are nutritious sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. In addition, nuts are rich in folate, which may help decrease risk of neural tube defects in your growing baby. So as long as you're not allergic to peanuts, feel free to enjoy some peanut butter during your pregnancy.
Don't like peanut butter? You have plenty of other options. Learn about other healthy sources of protein to eat while pregnant. Plus, get tips on meal planning during pregnancy and find some healthy recipes.
Is Peanut Butter Healthy to Eat While Pregnant
Source: https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/diet-and-fitness/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-butter-during-pregnancy_10315711#:~:text=Is%20peanut%20butter%20healthy%20during,defects%20in%20your%20growing%20baby.