Eggplant and the Color of your Baby

Traditional Filipino Belief: " Do not eat eggplants while pregnant because it will make your baby dark-skinned". First of all the color of your baby depends on you and your husband's genetic make-up and no amount of eggplant can change that. It is not true that when you eat burnt food will also affect the color of your baby but of course it is not good to eat burnt foods.

Eggplants(Aubergine) are rich in fiber, folic acid and potassium there was one study that states that eggplants helps lower down cholesterol and is effective in the treatment of high blood pressure. However, eggplants has also a bad side. Eggplants are rich in nicotine, a harmful substance found in cigarettes. A 9 kg of eggplant contains nicotine equivalent to 1 cigarette stick. It is actually minimal compared to passive smoking that is why eggplants are still not considered harmful during pregnancy since the amount of nicotine is negligible.

Another myth about eggplants is that some claimed it induces labor. When you say induces labor, it is something that starts labor. The myth about eggplants inducing labor started in an Italian restaurant in Georgia called Scalini where women goes into labor after eating their Eggplant Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmesan) and their children were called Eggplant babies. It is not true that eggplants induces labor. Eggplants has no properties that would induce labor but it is the spices in the Parmigiana that causes labor- Oregano and Basil being two of them.

Oregano and Basil are considered emmenagogues, herbs that stimulate blood flow to the uterus hence promoting uterine contactions. This is the reason why if you eat foods rich in these herbs it will start labor but always remember there should be good timing for every thing. You don't want your babies be born premature and if your cervix is not ripe, no amount of uterine stimulant will help the baby get out. The baby will get out when the uterus is ready, and how will you know if the uterus is ready? you have to consult your obstetrician.