Garlic

Garlic is completely safe to eat during pregnancy in all its forms — raw, cooked, roasted, or as part of sauces, soups, and other dishes. It is one of the most widely used flavouring ingredients in cuisines around the world, and there is no basis for avoiding it in pregnancy. Garlic contains allicin and other sulphur compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, as well as small amounts of vitamin C, B6, manganese, and selenium. It is also one of the more well-studied foods for cardiovascular benefit, and some research suggests it may help maintain healthy blood pressure — relevant during pregnancy, when pre-eclampsia risk is a consideration. The main practical concern with garlic in pregnancy is heartburn. Large amounts of raw garlic in particular can irritate the oesophagus and worsen acid reflux, which many pregnant women already experience due to the growing uterus pressing upward. Cooked garlic is generally more digestible than raw. Garlic supplements in concentrated capsule form are less well-studied in pregnancy than garlic as a food — stick to culinary use. Garlic bread, garlic butter, roasted garlic, and garlic-heavy sauces such as aioli (if made with pasteurised egg) are all safe.