CLAIM: Can Consuming Pineapples Cause Miscarriage?
An X user has made a claim that consuming pineapples during the first trimester of pregnancy can induce labour, leading to a miscarriage of pregnancy. This claim was posted on October 9, 2023, with an image of a pineapple and the caption ”Did you know? Eating too much pineapple during pregnancy in the 1st trimester can induce labour? Meaning it can cause a miscarriage.”
The post had 870 views and 2 likes, as of the time this report was published. We also found similar claims on X, here.
VERIFICATION
The first trimester of pregnancy is the first 12 weeks or the first three months of a pregnancy. It is a period of significant development for the baby, with major organs and body structures forming. During this period, a pregnant person can also experience nausea, fatigue, and breast tenderness owing to various physical and hormonal changes.
Experts have debated and concluded that pineapple is a safe, healthy choice of fruit during pregnancy as there is no scientific evidence to support that consuming pineapple is dangerous for a pregnant woman. In fact, according to Redcliffe Labs, a global diagnostic service provider, “pineapple is safe [for consumption] in pregnancy. There is no scientific evidence revealing that eating pineapple (ananas) may cause early miscarriage or bring on labour. The rumours about pineapple are untrue”.
An evaluation of the role of pineapple in the duration of labour published by the Biomedical Journal of Scientific and Technical Research also supported this stance.
To further verify this claim, the fact-checker explored the impact of foods and fruits generally and its relation to the possibility of a pregnancy miscarriage.
We consulted Mr. Alfred Uko, a dietician with the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH. He clarified that; “this is a common myth, particularly in many cultures where certain foods are believed to be harmful during pregnancy”. He added that “there is no scientific evidence that eating pineapple in normal or even moderately high quantities causes miscarriage in healthy pregnancies”.
Mr. Uko went further to explain that “pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain, which is thought to soften the cervix and potentially trigger uterine contractions”. He also noted that though “lab studies have shown that concentrated bromelain supplements may affect uterine tissue. However, the amount of bromelain in fresh pineapple is very low, and most of it is destroyed during digestion”.
Corroborating this, Miss Eseoghene Gift Onomroba, a Nurse at the Yagongwo College of Nursing Sciences, Kuje, Abuja, disclosed that “pineapple is a good source of vitamin C, manganese, and fiber, which are all beneficial nutrients for maternal health”. However, she warned that “due to the bromelain enzyme and the high acid content in it, it might cause heartburn”. She concluded that “a moderate consumption is healthy”.
Mrs Otobo Eyorokpobimi, a midwife with the Federal Medical Center, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, also said that “the bromelain content in a pineapple is too small to trigger contraction, since it is just a portion of it that is eaten by the pregnant woman, not the whole fruit”. She added that “if pineapples could induce labor, medical practitioners would be feeding expectant mothers with it, for easy delivery”.
CONCLUSION
The claim that consuming pineapples during the first trimester of pregnancy can induce labor, leading to miscarriage is FALSE. Experts and researchers confirmed that consuming pineapple during pregnancy is safe. Also, medical practitioners affirmed that this fruit contains beneficial nutrients needed by pregnant women and the amount of bromelain in fresh pineapple is very low, and also destroyed during digestion. Hence, it poses no risk to the pregnancy whatsoever.
