Many pregnant women like to eat acid foods during the pregnancy, as acid foods can help them alleviate the gestational responses at the early stage of pregnancy. According to the nutritional experts, acid foods are beneficial to the health of the expectant mothers and the fetuses. However, not all the acid foods are suitable for pregnant women to eat. 

The acid foods can indeed improve the physical conditions of pregnant women and their fetuses. Tart flavour can stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, increase the activity of the digestive enzyme, improve the appetite and reduce the gestational responses for expectant mothers. After 2 to 3 months of pregnancy, the formation of the bones of the fetuses can begin. Acid substances can accelerate the absorption of calcium and the growth of the bones. In addition, the absorption of iron and the hematopoiesis can also be accelerated. Although acid foods are beneficial to both the expectant mothers and the fetuses, not all the foods containing tart flavour are suitable for expectant mother. The acid foods mainly include fresh fruits and yogurt and so on.

Yogurt not only contains abundant nutrients, but also plays an important role in treating anorexia. Yogurt contains much calcium, protein, vitamins and carbohydrate, and it can improve the absorption for the human body. Many fresh fruits contain tart flavour, and these foods usually contain vitamin C which can enhance the immunity for the matrix and accelerate the normal growth of the fetuses. These fruits mainly include green apples, oranges, strawberries, grapes and cherries. However, hawthorns are not suitable for pregnant women to eat, as they can shrink the uterus. If expectant mothers eat too many hawthorns, the uterus can be seriously shrinked and even abortion can be caused. Some other acid foods like pickled Chinese cabbage and other pickled vegetables are also not suitable for pregnant women to eat. Artificial pickled Chinese cabbage and pickled vegetables contain a kind of carcinogenic substance called nitrite which can cause the tumor of various organs inside the human body. In addition, some nitroso compounds can even cause the tumor of the uterus and the fetal anomaly through the placenta.

In short, some acid foods can improve the physical situations of pregnant women and the fetuses. However, not all the acid foods can be beneficial to the health of expectant mothers. Pregnant women should choose the suitable ones like yogurt and avoid harmful ones like hawthorns.