Eating Mushrooms While Pregnant: Which Are Safe and Which Should Be Avoided?

Mushrooms are a staple ingredient in countless dishes. Cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms are safe to eat in pregnancy while wild and psilocybin mushrooms should be avoided.

Mushrooms are a staple ingredient in countless dishes, like cream of mushroom soup and stuffed mushrooms. But not all mushrooms are edible and healthy. Some mushrooms can be poisonous, and others are used as recreational drugs. If you or your loved one is pregnant, you may ask a crucial question: Can you eat mushrooms while pregnant? 

Luckily, many types of mushrooms are perfectly fine to eat during pregnancy. However, you should avoid a few unsafe varieties to protect the health of the mother and the unborn baby. Read on to learn everything you need to know about safely eating mushrooms while pregnant. 

If you’re a mushroom fan, you may be concerned about the safety of eating these delicious fungi during pregnancy. Don’t worry. There are plenty of mushrooms that you can eat without harming you or your baby, so you can keep enjoying this nutritious food during pregnancy. 

Here are six common varieties of mushrooms that you can safely incorporate into your pregnancy diet. 

Cremini mushrooms 

Also known as Baby Bellas, cremini mushrooms typically have a dark brown cap and a white stem. They have a rich flavor and are often used in meat and vegetable dishes. 

Oyster mushrooms 

These visually unique mushrooms have wide, fleshy caps that resemble oysters. Their caps come in various colors, including gray, tan, white, and yellow. Oyster mushrooms are commonly grown for culinary purposes but also grow in the wild on logs and stumps. 

Portabella mushrooms

These popular mushrooms have enormous caps that make them easy to cook. They have a rich, meaty taste, so many people use them as an alternative to meat. For example, restaurants often serve portabella burgers. You can also grill these mushrooms on kebabs or use them as stuffing. 

Shiitake mushrooms

Originally grown in Japan, shiitake mushrooms are now used around the world in many dishes. These mushrooms have brown or tan caps and cream or white stems that may darken to brown. They grow on logs and digest the wood cellulose for nutrients. Shiitake mushrooms have a savory taste, and people commonly use them in stir fries and meat dishes. 

Straw mushrooms

China grows 80% of the world’s straw mushrooms. These tropical mushrooms have dark brown caps and thin stems. They have a rich umami flavor and odor and are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

White button mushrooms

Also known as common white mushrooms, these fungi have a mild but pleasant taste that makes them suitable for various dishes. For example, you can use white button mushrooms in pizzas, salads, and soups. These mushrooms are the most popular variety in America. 

With such a wide selection of safe and tasty mushrooms, you’ll have no problem satisfying your mushroom cravings during your pregnancy. 

While most mushrooms are safe for a gestational diet, there are a few varieties that you should avoid. 

Psilocybin mushrooms

Psilocybin mushrooms are also known as “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms.” They have hallucinogenic properties, which can cause delusions and alter the user’s perception of themselves, space, and time. Consuming psilocybin mushrooms can have adverse psychological effects like anxiety, confusion, paranoia, and panic attacks. The mushrooms can also impair judgment, leading to risky behavior. 

The effects of magic mushrooms on pregnant and breastfeeding women have not been studied, but it’s best to avoid these fungi during your pregnancy for safety. 

Wild mushrooms

Many people enjoy foraging for wild mushrooms in the woods. But properly identifying these fungi can be challenging, potentially leading to accidental ingestion of poisonous mushrooms. For instance, death cap (Amanita phalloides) and destroying angel (Amanita ocreata) are poisonous varieties that grow wild in some areas of the United States. 

Side effects of eating wild poisonous mushrooms include:

• Abdominal cramping
• Dehydration
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Liver damage
• Death, in severe cases 

It’s best to stick to clearly labeled mushrooms sold for culinary purposes during pregnancy to avoid unintentionally harming yourself or your baby. 

Eating safe mushrooms during pregnancy can provide numerous health benefits for expecting mothers and their babies. Potential advantages of eating these fungi include: 

Gain essential nutrients

Adding a single serving of mushrooms to your daily diet can increase your intake of dietary fiber and essential minerals and nutrients like copper, niacin, and potassium. Many people don’t consume enough nutrients, so mushrooms can help make up for dietary shortfalls. 

Prevent gestational diabetes

Medicinal mushrooms contain beneficial compounds like dietary fibers, lectins, polysaccharides, and proteins. Research suggests that these fungi may have anti-diabetic properties, which can decrease the risk of gestational diabetes. However, more research is needed to determine the appropriate dosage for preventing and treating this condition. 

Reduced risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension

A 2020 study found that women who consumed 100 grams of mushroom daily from pre-pregnancy to the 20th week of gestation had a lower risk of developing gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. 

Cooking edible mushrooms is the safest way to prepare this food during pregnancy. This technique can help prevent foodborne illness caused by bacterial pathogens. 

Here are a few practical tips for safely handling mushrooms while pregnant:

• Discard bruised or spoiled mushrooms 
• Gently scrub mushrooms with a cloth or soft brush to remove dirt and other particles
• Rinse mushrooms before cooking 
• Steam or saute mushrooms before freezing them 
• Wash your hands and utensils thoroughly after preparing mushrooms 

These techniques can help protect you from contaminated mushrooms. 

Eating raw or undercooked mushrooms can potentially cause health problems for pregnant women, unborn babies, and newborns. 

Listeria

In recent years, raw enoki mushrooms have been linked to Listeria outbreaks in the United States. Pregnant women have an increased likelihood of developing severe illness after ingesting Listeria. This infection can cause fatigue, fever, muscle aches, premature death, and pregnancy loss. Newborns can also develop a serious illness if exposed to Listeria. 

Shiitake dermatitis

While shiitake mushrooms are typically safe to eat during pregnancy, consuming this fungus raw can cause a painful skin eruption. This infection occurs when the body reacts to lentinan, a polysaccharide in the mushroom that decomposes when you cook it. 

When carefully chosen and prepared, edible mushrooms can be a nutritious addition to your diet during pregnancy. Stick to labeled culinary mushrooms for optimal safety. You can also consult with your primary care provider or obstetrician to ensure that you eat the healthiest diet while pregnant.