Should I be concerned about eating a small amount of poppy seed while pregnant?
32-year-old woman2 years ago
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I am 19 weeks and 1 day pregnant. Yesterday, I ate a full-flavored bagel and afterwards, I felt some pain in my lower abdomen. I read a few hours later that it is not recommended to eat poppy seeds while pregnant. Should I be concerned?
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Martin Payer · 2 years ago
Hello ma'am!
The concern with poppy seeds is that they contain opiate alkaloids - similar to morphine. However, the amount of these molecules found in the seeds is VERY small, even negligible. During pregnancy, we do not suggest a reduction in the consumption of poppy seeds as such, but rather, as a precaution, toavoid excess! This is true for many other foods, such as caffeine for example. To eliminate the risks we minimize consumption but a bagel here and there will not cause any problem. It is common (it seems to be the case with you here) that a full bagel will also contain other very beneficial grains, like oats, flax, etc... All grains rich in fiber.
In short, don't stop yourself from eating a bagel with poppy seeds from time to time. The risk is low when consumed infrequently. If, however, you decide to become a bagelarian (my made-up word for an exclusive bagel diet) it may be best to avoid poppies =)