Metallic Taste in Mouth During Pregnancy

If you’ve been eager to welcome a little bundle of joy into the world, you might be surprised to find that some pregnancies can leave a bad taste in your mouth—literally.

Dysgeusia, or the alteration of your sense of taste, affects some 93% of pregnant women, causing a sour or metallic taste in their mouths. This condition is most pronounced in the first trimester and often (though not always) accompanies those tell-tale bouts of morning sickness.

Having metallic mouthfeel shouldn’t be cause for alarm—it’s a byproduct of the hormonal whirlwind needed to support the most crucial stages of your baby’s development. That said, there’s no need to ride out the unpleasantness until your due date! With a few techniques, you can soften that tangy taste and make those next few months a bit sweeter.

What causes a metallic taste in mouth during pregnancy? 

There are plenty of strange side effects that come with pregnancy, and dysgeusia may be one of the most mysterious. In addition to feeling a metallic taste in the mouth, pregnancy dysgeusia can also cause:

• Other random mouth feels, like sweet, sour, and bitter taste
• Lowered intensity of natural flavors
• Disgust at foods you normally love
• A sense that a food has gone rancid (even if it hasn’t)

Scientists haven’t reached a consensus on why dysgeusia arises during pregnancy. One working theory sees taste hypersensitivity as a kind of pregnancy superpower—that it helps mothers identify and avert rotten foods or toxins, thereby shielding both mother and baby-to-be from poisoning or illness. 

Whatever the evolutionary explanation, research suggests our pregnancy hormones play a major role in dysgeusia. Because the tastebuds in your mouth contain endocrine receptors, they’re sensitive to elevated hormonal activity, which can change the way we perceive taste.

Other Causes Of Dysgeusia 

While dysgeusia is perfectly normal to experience during pregnancy, distortions of taste (the sense scientists refer to as gustation) isn’t strictly a pregnancy phenomenon.

If you aren’t pregnant and persistently experience dysgeusia, here are other possible causes behind your symptoms:

• Nutrient deficiencies – Lacking certain nutrients, chiefly zinc and B vitamins, can lead to taste changes or sensitivities in some people. For instance, if you maintain a vegan diet, you may be more likely to experience a vitamin B12 deficiency. On the flip side, some vitamin supplements—including your prenatal ones—may also affect your sense of taste (but we’ll dig into that later!).
• Medications – Common antibiotics like amoxicillin can cause changes to gustation, as can the diuretics used to treat kidney disease. If you’re taking any sort of over-the-counter drug or prescription medication, check in with your healthcare provider to see if dysgeusia may be a side effect. 
• Mouth conditions – Infections, gingivitis, and even the common cold can transform our experience of the food we eat. When bacteria, viruses, or funguses reside in the mouth, they set off an inflammatory reaction. This restricts blood flow to every taste bud, which can drastically alter our sense of taste.
• Metabolic conditions – Disorders like diabetes and hypothyroidism influence the metabolism, which may lead to changes in both gustation and olfaction (smell). Fortunately, people who suffer from metabolic illnesses can restore their sense of taste with adequate treatment, medication, and care.

6 Tips For Dealing With Dysgeusia 

While experiencing dysgeusia during pregnancy is usually a sign that things are progressing as they should be, that spare-change-in-your-mouth feeling is certainly not enjoyable to deal with. Often, these metallic tastes are accompanied by bouts of nausea, which affects 70% of pregnant women.

The good news is that most mamas-to-be get over the bump after their first trimester—but there’s no reason you should have to grin and bear it until then.

Check out our 6 tips for quelling that metallic taste and reclaiming your appetite to make your pregnancy journey just a bit tastier.

#1. Keep Sour Snacks On Hand 

Often, the best way to purge your mouth of a funky taste is to treat it to something different. Interestingly, some flavors may be better at distracting your taste buds than others—in particular, sour ones. 

In addition to helping dispel that metallic taste, some research shows that sour flavors actively combat the tell-tale nausea of early pregnancy. To knock out two birds with one stone, try noshing on these nibbles the next time dysgeusia sneaks up on you:

• Tart, sweet green apples or cherries
• Creamy Greek yogurt or kefir smoothies
• Vinegary pickles (or vinegar French fries!)
• Savory fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut
• Citrusy beverages like orange juice or lemonade

And if pregnancy has reinvigorated your penchant for childhood snacks? You have our full permission to treat yourself to a pack of chewy sour candies.

#2. Eat Some Ginger 

Ginger’s signature spicy taste can work wonders for distracting your mouth from the metal tang caused by dysgeusia. 

What’s more, research shows that ginger is proven to provide relief from the morning sickness that often accompanies dysgeusia. Taking 1500 mg of ginger powder daily can help curb bouts of nausea without posing any adverse health effects to you or your baby.

That said, if you don’t want to add an extra pill to your regimen, there are many delicious ways to incorporate ginger into your diet. Try making ginger tea or picking up some sweet ginger-flavored candies on your next supermarket run.

#3. Brush Up Your Oral Care Routine 

If dentists had their way, we’d all be brushing between every meal rather than twice a day.

This is because bacteria thrive on the carbohydrates left on our teeth and gums after each meal or snack we eat. If you’re experiencing dysgeusia, stepping up your brushing regimen could give your mouth a fresh start between meals.

Bacteria and odd tastes can also crop up on the tongue—one part of the mouth many people neglect in their oral health routine. The next time you feel a bout of dysgeusia coming on, try brushing, flossing, and then scrubbing at the back of your tongue for a refresh that can ward off funky tastes.

#4. Cleanse With A Homemade Mouth Rinse 

In addition to taking your dental hygiene up a notch, consider incorporating a mouth rinse into your daily routine. By making your own mouth rinse, you can effectively deal with your dysgeusia without spending money on bottle after bottle of a store-bought brand.

For an effective and safe homemade mouth rinse, you’ll need:

• ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 cup of warm water

Stir your salt and baking soda into a glass until evenly distributed. Then take a swig, swish it around in your mouth for about 1 minute, and spit. 

You can use your homemade mouth rinse before meals to preemptively dispel any dysgeusia that can arise after them. If your dysgeusia still won’t budge, try brushing your teeth and tongue after each meal, then using your mouth rinse to dispel any tangy or unpleasant taste.

#5. Hydrate The Right Way 

Drinking more water can do wonders for moderate metallic or odd tastes in your mouth—but certain kinds of water do a better job than others.

If you’re a fan of carbonated waters, the truth is that many bubbly brands include minerals in their recipes that lend themselves to bitter, tangy tastes, heightening any persistent metallic taste you may already be experiencing. 

So, the next time you’re shopping for a crate of your favorite flavored seltzers, scan the ingredient label for:

• Potassium sulfate
• Sodium chloride
• Disodium phosphate
• Sodium bicarbonate

If your seltzers include any of these minerals, it’s best to avoid them and opt for plain soda water instead, as soda water doesn’t usually include these same minerals. 

Not only can soda water provide that same effervescent tingle you love, but it can also be tremendously helpful for assuaging morning sickness.

#6. Switch Out Your Prenatal Vitamin 

If you’ve been taking your prenatal vitamins dutifully, you might swap your current one for another contender. Some prenatal supplements are formulated with vitamins and minerals that can aggravate dysgeusia’s signature metallic taste.

That said, remember that being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals can also exacerbate that foul taste in your mouth. When in doubt, choose a supplement that’s full of zinc and vitamin B, as these compounds won’t aggravate dysgeusia’s signature metallic taste. In fact, studies show that supplementing these nutrients (especially when deficient) can help recover taste in those with dysgeusia.

Choosing the right prenatal vitamin for you will ensure your baby stays nourished during the 9 months ahead—without making you feel like your mouth is full of loose change in the process.

Sweeten Up Your Pregnancy With SneakPeek 

While the next 9 months will bring their fair share of unpleasant side effects, one of the best parts of being a pregnant woman is learning to read our bodies’ cues. By listening to what it’s asking for, you’ll be giving yourself—and, by extension, your baby—the care and attention you both deserve.

With all things pregnancy, the more knowledge you claim ahead of time, the better. Get to know your future newborn with the At-Home Early Gender SneakPeek Test, the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home Gender Blood Test, which lets you discover your baby’s sex as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy. No other test can tell you sooner! 

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At SneakPeek, we’re setting the bar for knowing what (and who!) to expect when you’re expecting.

Sources:

1. What To Expect. Metallic Taste During Pregnancy (Dysgeusia). https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/metallic-taste.aspx
2. Cleveland Clinic. Dysgeusia. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22047-dysgeusia
3. Oxford Academic. The Impact of Pregnancy on Taste Function. https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article/42/4/279/3045928
4. Nature. The endocrinology of taste receptors. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrendo.2015.7
5. National Library of Medicine. Diabetic Tongue – Could it be a Diagnostic Criterion? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4209693/
6. Cleveland Clinic. Morning Sickness (Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16566-morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy
7. Cleveland Clinic. Morning Sickness? 12 Remedies That Really Work. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/morning-sickness-10-tips-to-tame-your-turbulent-tummy-day-or-night/
8. National Library of Medicine. Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6341159/
9. The New York Times. Morning Sickness During Pregnancy: What to Do and How to Cope. https://www.nytimes.com/article/morning-sickness.html
10. Healthline. Club Soda, Seltzer, Sparkling Water, and Tonic Water: A Comparison. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/club-soda-vs-seltzer#definitions
11. National Library of Medicine. Zinc gluconate in the treatment of dysgeusia–a randomized clinical trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15615872/ 
12. National Library of Medicine. Oral manifestations in vitamin B12 deficiency patients with or without history of gastrectomy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884371/