Can pregnant women eat wild mushrooms?

> Important: this article is for information only and does not replace a consultation with a doctor. Make decisions about your diet during pregnancy together with your doctor.

Mushrooms are a tasty and nutritious food, but pregnancy calls for special attention to what you eat. The question "can you eat wild mushrooms while pregnant" worries many, and the answer isn't "yes" or "no" but "it depends on which mushrooms and how they're cooked."

Let's go over the main precautions so you can make an informed decision.

The main risk isn't the mushrooms themselves, but a mistake in identification

The biggest danger of wild mushrooms is poisoning from a misidentified species. For a pregnant woman it's especially dangerous, because toxins (such as those in the death cap) can harm both mother and baby.

So the main rule is: if there's the slightest doubt about the species, don't eat the mushrooms. On dangerous lookalike pairs we wrote separately.

Why thorough cooking matters

Wild mushrooms are hard to digest, and raw or undercooked ones can cause an upset stomach. During pregnancy, that's an unnecessary risk. So mushrooms should be:

• well boiled or stewed, not raw;
• fresh and young, with no signs of spoilage.

What's better to avoid

• Raw mushrooms in salads.
• Pickled and salted homemade preserves — because of the risk of botulism and too much salt and vinegar.
• Unfamiliar mushrooms and those picked near roads, which accumulate pollutants.
• Large portions — even safe mushrooms should be eaten in moderation.

When mushrooms are acceptable

In general, a small portion of well-cooked, reliably identified mushrooms (for example, store-bought button mushrooms or oyster mushrooms) is considered acceptable by many doctors during a normal pregnancy. But the final decision is up to your doctor, who knows your situation.

Sources

• "Field Guide to the Mushrooms of Ukraine" (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
• Mushroom poisoning on Wikipedia.
• Edible mushroom on Wikipedia.