Meghan Markle turned to Ayurveda during pregnancy: Are mushrooms safe for expecting moms?

The year 2025 has been very special for Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, who has not only launched her own Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan", but also launched her lifestyle brand "As Ever." Recently, the 43-year-old also launched her podcast in April, titled 'Confessions of a Female Founder'.In the latest episode of her podcast, Meghan was joined by Hannah Mendoza, the founder of the plant-based superfood latte and tea brand, Clevr Blends, where Meghan is also an investor. The two founders were discussing alternatives to caffeine, and Meghan shared her views on taboos around mushrooms and other adaptogens, also revealing that she had an Ayurvedic doctor when she was pregnant."During my pregnancies, I had an Ayurvedic doctor, and so much of it was about seeing food as medicine," said the Duchess on the show."I think a lot of people, when they hear mushrooms, they go, 'Okay, she's talking about being hippie dippie and grounded in all these things.' And if you aren't familiar with adaptogens, you can go to this place of, 'Oh, it's feeling a little psychedelic and super woo woo,' but what we're talking about is, in some ways, is food trends, which you were ahead of the curve on," she said.She shared how 10, 15 years ago, even Quinoa was not known to many, but now it's one of the most popular healthy foods in the world. "So there are these items and ingredients that have been part of our natural ecosystem and dietary system for a long time, whether acknowledged or not, that somehow you say 'Mushrooms' and now people have a connotation attached to it, but it's really just a food trend that I believe you were far ahead of in terms of saying, 'Hold on, these have properties that can in some way make you feel differently, in a really safe way.'" she added.While she defended the consumption of adaptogens during pregnancy, the statement was also a move to promote the brand Clevr, which uses adaptogens across its products.According to Cleveland Clinic, adaptogens are plants and mushrooms that help the body respond to stress, anxiety, fatigue and overall well-being. They are non-toxic and help the body cope with stress and maintain its balance as mentioned in a published in the journal Science Direct. Some ayurvedic adaptogens include ashwagandha, Indian gooseberry, tulsi, liquorice and certain mushrooms.While these are generally advised for consumption, during pregnancy, many people avoid them. While there is limited scientific research on the effect of adaptogenic mushrooms on pregnant women, most adaptogenic food is advised to be avoided. Adaptogenic items such as ashwagandha are known to cause uterine contraction and lead to miscarriage. Additionally, those such as Reishi mushrooms can cause liver damage.In general, it is understood that adaptogens can influence hormone levels and interact with medications, posing risks to not only the pregnant mother but also the unborn child.Thus, it is usually advised to consult a doctor before beginning to use adaptogenic supplements during pregnancy, which Markle seems to have done.