Pregnancy is a wonderful period in the life of every woman, and her closest family members who are constantly around her. It is a period in which a woman has another life in which she is responsible and for which she must take care. This means that a pregnant woman must be careful about how much she sleeps, how physically active she is, how much she eats, and how much fluid she ingests. This is because she now takes care of two organisms at once. We are all aware that pregnant women often have food cravings, but they are not always sure that they can consume exactly the food they want at the moment and whether that food can harm the unborn baby in any way.
One of the questions that pregnant women often ask is “can I eat ham while pregnant?”, so, continue reading in order to remove any possible doubts.
A Definite Answer to the Question “Can I Eat Ham While Pregnant?”
I Ate Ham During Pregnancy – Is That Wrong?
We all know that meat and meat products are an excellent source of protein that is crucial for the proper functioning of the human body; this is especially true for the body of the pregnant woman and her unborn baby. However, great care should be taken in terms of what place is consumed because meat can also be a carrier of bacteria and parasites that if they enter the body of the pregnant woman, they will enter the body of the unborn baby that in as a last resort it can have many negative consequences and even fetal loss.
The other day I ran across a comment in which a pregnant woman stated; “I ate ham during pregnancy, is that wrong?”, and the answer is – well, yes but not always! Most pregnancy experts say that pregnant women should avoid processed meats such as ham, prosciutto, salami during pregnancy, as well as any smoked or cured meats. This is because such meats can contain Listeria or Salmonella bacteria and even toxoplasma bacteria.
What Are The Possible Negative Consequences of Eating Ham During Pregnancy?
As we said before, the answer to the question of can I eat ham while pregnant depends on the circumstances which will be explained in the next part. Now in this section, I want to point out the possible consequences of consuming ham during pregnancy and what actually enters your body with the intake of this type of meat. As we have said, ham can contain listeria, salmonella, or toxoplasma parasites. But what does that really mean? Let’s start from the beginning. Listeria causes listeriosis, Salmonella causes food poisoning, and toxoplasma parasites cause toxoplasmosis. Listeriosis is a rare type of food poisoning. Women are the most susceptible to this type of poisoning. They are up to 20 times more vulnerable than all other people; this is because their immunity is low during pregnancy and that is why they are very susceptible to this infection.
Listeriosis can be very dangerous for the health of the unborn baby. It can result in premature birth or in an extreme case it can also result in abortion. Once a baby is born, this infection can affect his or her health, leading to pneumonia, meningitis, or sepsis. Toxoplasmosis can also be very harmful to the health of the unborn baby. This infection leads to a condition called congenital toxoplasmosis, a process of infection of the placenta and baby. If you have been exposed to this infection for a long time then abortion is very likely. Babies who survive this infection usually have no visible consequences immediately after birth. But after a few months, they may experience symptoms such as eye damage, hearing loss, or brain damage that can further lead to learning difficulties.
Can You Eat Ham on Pizza When Pregnant?
As we have seen, the introduction of ham into the body as well as meat that is of a similar nature can have huge negative consequences for the mother and the unborn baby. But what if you get a ham on your pizza and ask yourself the question can you eat ham on pizza when pregnant? Then the answer to this question will be that you can eat ham on a pizza. This is because this ham is processed or heat treated. Ham and meat of a similar type tend to be safe for consumption when cooked at a certain temperature.
This is because the parasites and bacteria found in meat cannot withstand high temperatures and are destroyed. In this case, all you have to do is make sure that the meat is processed at a temperature of at least 75 degrees; the higher the better (just be careful not to burn the food).
Once you have prepared the meat, start eating immediately. As the temperature of the punk decreases, so will the chances of returning the parasites and bacteria that we do not want to bring into our body. Also, avoid reheating your food several times; that way, it loses its nutritional value and is susceptible to other bacteria and infections.
Conclusion
During pregnancy, every woman is extremely careful with the food she inserts into her body. This is because everything she consumes can have a negative impact on the unborn baby. Most of the different foods may not have an adverse effect on the average adult; however, they can have an adverse effect on the health of the unborn baby and ultimately cause miscarriage.
That is why many pregnant women ask themselves this question – can I eat ham while pregnant? The short answer to this question is yes; ham can be consumed during pregnancy, but only if it is heat-treated. This means that ordinary ham is not recommended to be consumed. This is due to the possible presence of bacteria and parasites in it that can cause huge damage to the existence and health of the unborn baby. But if the ham is additionally heat-treated at least 75 degrees, then it is safe to consume.
