Can You Eat Pepperoni Pizza While Pregnant, It is Safe?

Hi Mommy, welcome to PregnancyMommy. In today's post we will talk about "Can You Eat Pepperoni Pizza While Pregnant, It is Safe?", because there are so many Mommys who like Pepperoni PIizza but are still a little afraid to consume it when pregnant. May be useful

Pizzas are safe to eat in pregnancy, as long they are cooked thoroughly and are piping hot.

Mozzarella is perfectly safe but be cautious about pizzas topped with soft, mould-ripened cheeses such as brie and camembert, and soft blue-veined cheeses, such as Danish blue. These cheeses contain more listeria bacteria than other cheeses.

If you become infected with listeria, you may get listeriosis. This is a rare illness that causes flu-like symptoms, often several weeks after you’ve been exposed to the bacteria. Though listeriosis is a fairly mild illness for you, it can cause serious health problems for your baby.

However, if you’re craving a pizza that’s topped with these cheeses, you can make it safe to eat by thoroughly cooking it at a high temperature, until it’s piping hot. This should kill the bacteria. Once it has cooled down, bacteria can start to grow again, so you shouldn’t eat it cold.

Can You Have Pepperoni When Pregnant?

Many women have questions regarding pepperoni and pregnancy like is it safe to eat pepperoni during pregnancy. Eating pepperoni is not advisable during pregnancy as it has high fat, added sugar, spices and salt content. The main reason to avoid pepperoni sticks while pregnant is the nitrates and nitrites used for preservation of pepperoni for curing. These preservatives used to react with the meat and can produce some carcinogenic agents. So craving pepperoni while pregnant due to its spicy and distinct taste is normal; however, it should be consumed occasionally after taking the advice of the doctor.

Pepperoni is a good source of essential minerals, proteins and vitamins. Some of the benefits of having pepperoni during pregnancy are:

•     Pepperoni has a high-fat content. So in cases where the pregnant woman is too thin or lean, the doctor can advise eating pepperoni for its high-fat content to gain weight.
•     Pepperoni has selenium, an important mineral known for its antioxidant properties. Selenium strengthens the immune system by fighting free radicals.
•     Pepperoni contains the right amount of vitamin B12, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and Niacin. So foods containing vitamins and minerals are good for the health of pregnant women.
•     Pepperoni has a high content of zinc and manganese. Zinc boosts cell formation and strengthens the immune system. Manganese protects the body cells from damage and improves metabolic activity.

Possible Side Effects Of Pepperoni During Pregnancy

Think before you extensively add pepperoni to your diet. The ingredients and preservatives used in it could affect you and your baby.

1.     Pepperoni is a high-fat food that offers around 141 calories and 13g fat in a one-ounce serving (2). They are mostly saturated fats that may result in unhealthy weight gain and other problems such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and heart disease.
2.     Cured and salted meats contain nitrite and nitrate They could react with meat components and produce nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic (3).
3.     The spicy content of pepperoni is likely to cause heartburn.
4.     One ounce of pepperoni contains around 443mg sodium (2). It increases the salt content in the body, and a study has found that high sodium intake during pregnancy can adversely affect the fetal renal functions (4).If you are worried about the side effects of taking pepperoni, you may try some alternatives.

Safer Alternatives To Pepperoni

•     Go for pepperoni made of turkey as it contains fewer fats and saturated fats.
•     Read the label before you buy commercial pepperoni. Take the one that has no nitrates and nitrites.
•     Make your pizza with whole-grain tortilla or pita, and substitute pepperoni with lean meats such as grilled chicken breast and lean ground turkey.

Next, we answer some common queries raised by our readers about pepperoni and pregnancy.