Pickles in Pregnancy: How Much Is Too Much?

Eating pickles during pregnancy can prove to be beneficial in the following ways:

• Fresh pickles of various vegetables and fruits like amla, raw mango, carrot, etc. contain essential vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, iron, and potassium, which protect against diseases during pregnancy by strengthening the immune system.
• Eating pickles strengthens the digestive system.
• Minerals like sodium and potassium are essential for our body. During pregnancy, your body needs a large amount of electrolytes to meet the demands of the developing fetus. Consuming pickles in small quantities can fulfill this requirement as pickles contain a lot of sodium and potassium. 
• Pickles do not contain any cholesterol and fat. Eat low-calorie food, choose pickles in your diet that are not sweet.

(Read more - Can Pregnant Women Eat Amla?)

Eating pickles during pregnancy can have the following disadvantages:

• Most pickles contain high amounts of salt. Salt is added to pickles because it enhances the taste of pickles as an anti-microbial agent. Excessive consumption of salt through pickles during pregnancy can make a woman suffer from high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
• Most pickles consumed in India also contain high amounts of oil, which can increase cholesterol and fat in the body during pregnancy.
• Eating very spicy pickles with chemical preservatives can cause bloating or gas when pregnant.
• Excessive consumption of pickles can increase sodium levels, which can also cause dehydration.

(Read more - Should I eat mango during pregnancy?)

Eating pickles during pregnancy does not pose any risk to the woman and the baby, but it is advisable to consume pickles in limited quantities. It is not good to make pickles a part of your daily diet during pregnancy and you should also not consume very spicy pickles.

(Read more - Pregnancy diet)

Take the following precautions while eating pickles during pregnancy:

• Do not include too many pickles in your diet due to the high amount of oil, spices and salt.
• Eating pickles can cause dehydration, so consume as much water as possible.
• If a woman is suffering from gastritis during pregnancy, then pickles should not be eaten in such a case.

Eating pickles and the desire to eat pickles during pregnancy are both normal things, almost every second woman likes to eat pickles during pregnancy, but pickles should be consumed only occasionally during pregnancy. Do not make excessive amounts of pickles a part of your diet. Pickles are more beneficial if eaten in small quantities. While buying pickles from the market, it must be kept in mind that the pickles are made in an organic way without chemical preservatives. By the way, one very special and worth keeping in mind is that any food item should be consumed only after taking medical advice.

(Read more - Pregnancy Nutrition)

Eating pickles during pregnancy can be safe, but should be consumed in limited quantities. Pickles contain high amounts of salt and spices, which can cause dehydration or high blood pressure. Some pickles contain preservatives and vinegar, which can affect the digestive system, especially if the pregnant woman has acidity or gas problems. However, homemade fresh pickles, which have less spices and salt, are considered safe to consume in limited quantities. If a pregnant woman has high blood pressure or acidity problems, it is better to avoid pickles. It is always important to have a balanced diet and consume any food item only as per the doctor's advice.