Poppy seeds come from an opium poppy, the same plant from which morphine and codeine are produced. The edible poppy seeds are thought to contain only traces of these substances. However, a 2006 study by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, a scientific agency of the Federal Republic of Germany, indicated that the morphine levels in edible poppy seeds can vary considerably and have increased in recent years.
Lack of Reliable Information
While most organizations continue to state that eating one or two poppy seed muffins while pregnant will probably cause no harm to the fetus, no real data supports this claim. The 2006 Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Germany produced a more scientifically based report on the actual risks of eating poppy seeds while pregnant.
Variability of Morphine Levels in Poppy Seeds
Many factors contribute to the amount of morphine or codeine levels in poppy seeds, including the type of poppy, harvesting time and geographical origin. It is quite possible that therapeutic levels of morphine can be ingested from food items, although this is not always the case.
Effects of Alkaloids
Poppy seeds contain the alkaloids morphine and codeine. Adverse reactions to morphine include nausea, vomiting, light-headedness, respiratory depression and cardiovascular effects, although individual sensitivity can vary. In animals, morphine negatively affected reproduction and was harmful to the developing fetus. Mutagenic effects were also recorded. If certain poppy seeds were to unknowingly contain therapeutic amounts of morphine levels, eating these seeds while pregnant could be detrimental to the fetus.
Increasing Levels of Morphine in Poppy Seeds
Edible poppy seeds are only likely to contain trace amounts of morphine, one of the alkaloids of the poppy plant. However, studies reported by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Germany, reported in 2001 that levels of the alkaloids vary markedly and are increasing. Contamination of the seeds with alkaloid-containing capsule fragments or with the milky sap itself are the likely cause of the increase, although changes in harvesting methods, which could cause the milky sap to contaminate the seed, may also be to blame.
Recommendations
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has suggested that until manufacturers have succeeded in reducing the morphine levels of poppy seeds, people should avoid excessive consumption of foods containing large amounts of poppy seeds, particularly during pregnancy. In worst-case scenarios, poppy seeds in edible food products containing therapeutic levels of morphine could have serious effects, including impaired consciousness, respiratory disorders and cardiovascular effects.
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