Diet and Food Guidance for Eclampsia

Food cannot prevent or cure eclampsia, but a healthy diet supports a healthy pregnancy, and a few points are worth knowing.

What is helpful

• Balanced meals. Vegetables, fruit, pulses, whole grains, dairy and enough protein.
• Calcium. The WHO advises calcium supplements for pregnant women in places where dietary calcium is low, to lower the risk of pre-eclampsia. Ask your doctor before starting, and do not take it on your own in large doses.
• Fluids. Drink enough water, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
• Healthy weight gain. Gain weight as advised. Obesity raises risk, but do not diet during pregnancy.

What to limit

• Very salty foods, pickles and packaged snacks, which add to swelling and blood pressure for some women. Do not cut salt out completely unless the doctor advises it.
• Caffeine in large amounts, and sugary drinks.
• Alcohol and tobacco, which are unsafe in pregnancy.

What does not help

• Extreme salt-free diets, fasting, or "detox" plans.
• Herbal teas and home remedies for blood pressure. Some are unsafe in pregnancy.
• Diet alone cannot manage pre-eclampsia once it has started. It needs medical treatment.