Can Pregnant Women Eat Honey?
Why Honey is Safe for Pregnant Women
You're probably scared of infant botulism for your baby, but don't fear! Pregnant women can consume honey without any risk to their developing baby, as the spores do not affect a developing fetus in the womb. This is largely in thanks to the placenta.
How the Placenta Helps
Okay here's the scientific answer.
Your placenta acts as a protective barrier during pregnancy by physically separating the maternal and fetal circulations. This prevents direct contact between your bloodstream (where the botulism spores could be present) and your baby's bloodstream.
Your placental barrier is selectively permeable, which basically means it lets some stuff in and keeps some stuff out. So nutrients and oxygen can come in, while bacteria and their toxins get filtered out.
The risk of transmission of Clostridium botulinum through your placenta is so low that you shouldn't need to worry about it.
Still worried? Stick with pasteurized honey.
Pasteurization of honey is raw honey that's been heated up to a certain temperature. The honey stays at that temperature for a set period to remove crystallization, and it'll destroy harmful bacteria and spores, including those of Clostridium botulinum.
But Avoid Fake Honey
We've talked extensively about fake honey on previous blog posts, but the imported honey you find on the grocery store shelves can often contain artificial sweeteners and fillers (i.e. high fructose corn syrup) in order to keep costs down. When you're buying honey, make sure to either buy from a reputable online brand or from a local honey seller.
