Can You Eat Honey While Pregnant?

Many women are not sure which foods they can eat during pregnancy and which foods are not safe for them. It is very important to have a healthy diet during pregnancy, in order to ensure a good health of your baby.

Pregnant woman are usually advised to make changes in their diet, so they should avoid certain foods. In this article we will talk about honey and its impact on pregnant women. It is known that children younger than one year should avoid honey, but what about unborn babies and pregnant women? Is honey also harmful to them or they can eat this food without any risk?

In this article you will find out whether honey is good during pregnancy or you should avoid it. But, first we will tell you some basic things about honey.

More about Honey

As we all know, honey is a sweet food that is made by bees that are foraging nectar from flowers. This is a type of honey that is collected by beekeepers and consumed by people.

Honey has a great sweet taste, so many people prefer honey to sugar. Honey has many health benefits for people and it can help in treating many diseases and other medical conditions such as burns or wounds. But, can pregnant women eat honey? Read along and you will find out.

Is Honey Safe For Pregnant Women?

This is a question that doctors usually get from their patients. If you are also wondering if honey is safe for you during pregnancy we have good news for you. You can safely eat honey during pregnancy. There is nothing in honey that could affect the fetus, so we can say that honey is perfectly safe to eat in pregnancy.

It is important to know that honey can pose a risk to infants that are under one year old. Honey contains spores of bacteria that can cause botulism or food poisoning. It is known that the acidity of a baby’s digestive tract is low, so it is not able to break down and destroy the bacteria.

On the other side, the acidity of an adult digestive tract is very high and it can kill the spores. It means that a pregnant woman who eats honey will not put her baby at any risk. But, there is one important thing you should know. Honey is safe for pregnant women as long as it is pasteurized. Experts recommend that pregnant women should avoid unpasteurized honey, as well as all other unpasteurized foods.

Health Benefits of Honey During Pregnancy

Not only is honey safe for pregnant women, but it is also very beneficial to them. Honey is rich in nutrients and it acts like a natural antibiotic. Also, honey can reduce allergic reactions in pregnant women and it can inhibit the growth of the bacterium H. Pyroli that can cause ulcers. It is also known that honey is very healthy, so you can use it as a natural sweetener. This way you will keep your weight in check during pregnancy.

Also, some studies have shown that honey contains large amounts of flavonoids and antioxidants, which can prevent heart disease and reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.


As you have seen in this article, honey is perfectly safe for expectant moms. Also, honey is loaded with nutrients and it can help in preventing and treating many health issues. As you can see, honey is very healthy for pregnant women, but it is imortant to consume only pasteurized honey, because unpasteurized foods can cause many health issues. Most honey that you buy at a grocery store has been pasteurized, but you should be careful if you are buying honey at a fresh market. You should always check the label before buying honey. This way you will be sure that you have bought honey that has been pasteurized.

Although there is no medical literature saying that honey is harmful during pregnancy, you should be careful. It is best to consult your gynecologist and to do an allergy test before consuming honey. This is also important if you are changing a brand of honey that you usually use.