Q: I've heard that pregnant women shouldn't eat spicy foods. Are there medical reasons for that?
Answer from Dr. Larry L. Veltman, medical director of obstetrics and gynecology at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center: I am not aware of any scientific information that indicates spicy foods are a problem with pregnancy. You may experience a little more indigestion in pregnancy and spicy foods could exaggerate that, so for that reason you may want to eat mild foods. However, I know of no harm to the fetus from spicy foods.
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August 2002
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