Can pineapple induce labor?
Jun 29, 2024
A well-meaning friend, aunt, or even a stranger, may suggest to you to “eat fresh pineapple” to get labor going. They may even share enticing stories about this method “working” for somebody they knew. And while there is anecdotal evidence that one of the enzymes found in fresh pineapple might jumpstart labor, there is no evidence to support this. While conducting research on humans during pregnancy is lacking due to ethical concerns, research on rats did not find that pineapple causes uterine contractions. Most likely, that “somebody that somebody knew” who went into labor after eating fresh pineapple probably would have gone into labor on their own!
Rest assured, there is no harm in eating fresh pineapple in any trimester (besides the potential to increase heartburn!) But is it an evidenced-based way to jumpstart labor? The jury is still out
Source:
Yakubu MT, Olawepo OJ, Fasoranti GA. Ananas comosus: is the unripe fruit juice an abortifacient in pregnant Wistar rats? Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2011 Oct;16(5):397-402. doi: 10.3109/13625187.2011.599454. Epub 2011 Aug 10. PMID: 21827351.
This info is for a list of FAQs that I wrote for Expectful.
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