Why Pregnant Women Shouldn’t Eat Raw Mushrooms

Okay, so yesterday we flipped a bunch of our menu items at work. Classic for this time of year, Jean Georges made the transition from our beautiful late summer menu to our fall menu.
Flavors like pumpkin, sage, and squash are really singing now.

One of our new dishes is a mushroom dish that had some raw sliced mushrooms in it. As chance would have it, a pregnant woman came in to eat last night and ordered the vegetarian tasting menu.
I was confused when she told me she couldn’t eat raw mushrooms when the plate came out (I’d never known that before).

Mushrooms are little mysteries that have always fascinated me.
They grow in the dark, thrive on decay, and turn the unseen into nourishment.
I also loved them when I learned in college that when two mushrooms ‘mate,’ they don’t merge whole cells like normal reproducing things.
Instead, two fungal hyphae (microscopic filaments) fuse together and share cytoplasm, but the nuclei stay separate.
This stage is called dikaryotic, meaning “two nuclei per cell.”
So instead of one cell dividing after combining DNA, they keep both nuclei hanging out side by side, sometimes for literal years.

But, I digress, as magical as they are, raw mushrooms are one of those foods that, especially during pregnancy, deserve a second thought.

I know, it sounds strange. They’re earthy, delicate, plant-adjacent. How could something so humble be dangerous?
Well, it’s not the mushroom itself that’s the villain, it’s what hides on and inside it.

The Hidden Risks in Raw Mushrooms

Turns out, there’s more than one reason to avoid mushrooms, so bear with me as I go through all of them.

Listeria and bacterial hitchhikers are probably the most commonly known risks with raw mushies.
Mushrooms grow close to the earth (duh), and that makes them magnets for bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes being the one that keeps doctors up at night.
For most people, listeria might cause a few miserable days, but during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or serious newborn infection.
Even store-bought mushrooms can carry trace contamination if not washed and cooked properly, and recent recalls of enoki mushrooms proved that point all too vividly.

They’re harder to digest than you think is another reason worth mentioning.
Raw mushrooms are built like tiny fortresses that remind me of my husband’s Minecraft world. Their cell walls are made of chitin, a tough fiber similar to what makes up insect shells. Our stomachs actually can’t break it down easily.
Cooking softens that barrier, releasing nutrients like selenium, vitamin D, and antioxidants. But if you eat them raw they mostly pass through your body untouched…like nutritional ghosts.

Wild or foraged mushrooms are not worth the risk for most people at all.
Even experienced foragers occasionally mistake one variety for another. Some toxic species look nearly identical to edible ones.
And pregnancy isn’t the time for culinary gambles, when even mild toxins can cause vomiting, dehydration, or organ stress on a system already working overtime.

And lastly, cross-contamination and spores is the final reason to avoid these little cute caps while pregnant.
Mushrooms are sponges (not literally). If they’ve absorbed something from the soil, or from a cutting board, they’ll keep it like the little greedy goblins that they are. And once a pathogen like Listeria or Salmonella takes hold, there’s no washing it away. Only heat can guarantee safety.

Cooked mushrooms are still magic

Cooking doesn’t ruin mushrooms though, it reveals them and helps to release a ton of the good inside of them.
The heat draws out flavor, softens their little hard Minecraft bodies, and unlocks the nutrients sealed inside their walls.

Stick with common culinary mushrooms like button, cremini, shiitake, oyster, or portobello from reputable stores over your local forager during pregnancy.
Give them a gentle rinse, pat dry, use a clean cutting board, and cook them until they’re steaming mad.
You’ll keep the nutrients, kill the bacteria, and still get all that umami richness that makes mushrooms taste like rain-soaked earth.

What science says

A 2024 review from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that safe, cooked mushroom intake during pregnancy is beneficial not risky at all. Obviously, with the caveats I named above.
They’re rich in B-vitamins, copper, and fiber, and may even help regulate blood pressure and weight gain during pregnancy when consumed regularly (and safely).

Another study out of China’s Zhejiang University tracked over 1,000 women who ate mushrooms before and during pregnancy.
Those who did eat the little cute suckers had lower rates of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia compared to those who didn’t.
Turns out, when mushrooms are properly cooked, they’re not just safe, they’re supportive for that unborn baby and mom alike.

The real takeaway

Raw mushrooms are beautiful but can be totally unpredictable, like many things in nature.
Cooking turns them from risky to restorative, so sauté, roast, or grill them until your heart is content. Let the heat do what it does best and transform danger into nourishment.

And if you’re expecting you don’t have to give up the flavor of mushrooms.
Just give them a little warmth first.
And maybe warn your server when you go out to eat that you also can’t have any mushrooms if they’re raw. Chances are they didn’t know that, just like me.

Because the only thing better than the smell of mushrooms cooking in butter is knowing you and your baby are safe while you enjoy them.

I’m not a medical professional, just here to spread fun facts I learn on a daily basis. Always consult your doctor or midwife about dietary choices during pregnancy.

Why Pregnant Women Shouldn’t Eat Raw Mushrooms

The Hidden Risks in Raw Mushrooms

Cooked mushrooms are still magic

What science says

The real takeaway

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