Anjeer in pregnancy: is it safe, how many and when to eat it

For most pregnancies, eating anjeer in normal amounts, about 2–3 figs a day, is safe and can be helpful, mainly for constipation. It is a food, not a supplement: it does not replace the iron or folic acid your doctor prescribes. If you have gestational diabetes or any condition that affects your diet, ask your doctor or dietitian first.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Your doctor knows your pregnancy best.

What anjeer offers during pregnancy

Fibre for constipation. Constipation is common in pregnancy. NHS pregnancy guidance recommends a fibre-rich diet, plenty of fluids (around 1.9 litres a day), regular activity, and fruit, including dried fruit, for dessert (Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, NHS Wales). Dried figs have 9.8 g of fibre per 100 g (USDA), so two or three soaked figs add about 4–6 g. Our guide to anjeer for constipation has a simple routine.

A little iron, not a lot. Pregnant women need about 27 mg of iron a day (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). Three Jumbo figs give about 1.2 mg, under 5% of that. Plant iron is also absorbed less well than iron from meat, though eating it with vitamin C foods such as lemon, orange or tomato helps. So anjeer supports iron intake but never replaces prescribed iron tablets.

Calcium and potassium. For a fruit, figs are unusually rich in calcium (162 mg per 100 g) and potassium (680 mg per 100 g), both useful alongside milk, curd, dal and vegetables.

How many anjeer to eat

About 2–3 a day. The NHS counts 30 g of dried fruit, about 2 figs, as one portion of fruit (NHS). More than that adds sugar and calories quickly, and too much fibre at once can cause gas and bloating, which are already common in pregnancy.

How to eat them

• Soaked in the morning is gentle on digestion: how to soak anjeer.
• With a meal rather than as a snack, which the NHS advises for dried fruit to protect your teeth.
• Chopped into curd, oats or porridge, or simmered in anjeer milk.
• From a sealed, clean pack. Rinse before eating, and throw away any fig with fuzzy mould or a sour smell. Our storage guide shows how to tell harmless sugar bloom from mould.

Common myths

"Anjeer is garam (heaty) and harmful in pregnancy." There is no scientific evidence that normal amounts of dried figs harm a pregnancy. The traditional idea of "hot" and "cold" foods is not something research supports.

"Anjeer brings on labour." There is no reliable evidence that eating figs starts labour. Do not use any food to try to induce labour; talk to your doctor or midwife.

Check with your doctor first if

• you have gestational diabetes or high blood sugar: figs contain natural sugar, and portions need planning. See anjeer and diabetes.
• you have been told to limit weight gain, or you have kidney problems that limit potassium.
• you take blood-thinning medicine, since figs contain vitamin K.
• you have IBS or get bloated easily: start with one fig.

Our Jumbo anjeer 500 g is packed in sealed food-grade pouches with the pack date printed and never sulphured. It holds about 25 figs, so 10–12 days at 2–3 a day.