Can you eat spicy food when pregnant?

Find out if it's safe to eat spicy food during pregnancy, plus precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.

The official advice on eating spicy food and curry in pregnancy

Good news! Spicy food is safe to eat in pregnancy, so you can still enjoy curry and chilli.

However, if you're suffering from heartburn, you might want to limit the amount of spicy food you're eating. Spicy food can aggravate heartburn, which pregnant women are particularly prone to.

You might also have heard the popular old wives' tale that eating a hot curry can bring on labour, but there is no medical evidence to support this.

Delicious spicy recipes

Love spicy food? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?

• Potato curry
• Thai chicken curry
• James Martin's spinach and lentil curry
• Beef and sweet potato curry
• Slow cooker chilli con carne

We like The Whole 9 Months, a week-by-week pregnancy nutrition guide, packed full of recipes and medical advice. See more details here at Amazon.

Take a look at

Foods to avoid in pregnancy: your definitive guide

Confused about what you can and can't eat during pregnancy? These are the foods and drinks you should avoid or cut down on to protect your baby.

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Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.

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CHAT: Pregnancy

Your complete A-Z of pregnancy food and drink safety

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