Pregnancy safety
Avoid Borage during pregnancy
Borage leaves and flowers contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are liver toxins that cross the placenta and have no established safe intake in pregnancy, so herbal-safety references list borage as one to avoid while expecting.
This is about food safety in pregnancy, not blood sugar — it applies whatever your readings look like. Confirm it with your midwife or doctor.
Nutrition per 100g
Borage for Gestational Diabetes
Borage is a unique herb known for its vibrant, star-shaped blue flowers and leaves that carry a distinct, refreshing cucumber-like flavor. Traditionally used in European cuisine and herbal medicine, it adds a crisp note to salads, drinks, and cold soups. The leaves have a slightly fuzzy texture, which softens with cooking, and both the leaves and flowers are edible. It's important to consume borage in moderation due to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which can affect liver health in high quantities. However, in typical culinary amounts, it is generally considered safe and adds a wonderful novelty.
At a glance
Pregnancy safety
AvoidBlood sugar impact
lowCarbs / 100 g
3.1gIs Borage safe with gestational diabetes?
Borage has virtually no carbohydrate, so on blood sugar grounds alone it would be a free food. As a non-starchy leafy green it would add variety and nutrients to a meal without moving your glucose at all. Its high water content also contributes to hydration, which is essential during pregnancy. While you are pregnant, though, the leaves and flowers are ones to leave out: they contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, liver toxins that cross the placenta and have no established safe intake. Cucumber gives you the same cool, refreshing taste in salads and cold dishes, and mint or lemon balm the same lift in drinks, without the alkaloids.
How does Borage affect blood sugar during pregnancy?
Borage has a negligible impact on blood glucose levels, making it a worry-free ingredient for managing gestational diabetes. Its carbohydrate content is extremely low, and the minimal fiber it contains supports digestive health without contributing to a glycemic load. This classifies it as a 'free food' in terms of blood sugar management, similar to other leafy greens like lettuce and spinach. You can incorporate it into your meals to add volume and nutrients without the need for careful carbohydrate counting, which simplifies meal planning significantly.
What is a safe portion of Borage for gestational diabetes?
There is no portion of borage to aim for during pregnancy: the leaves, the flowers and borage oil supplements are all ones to avoid, and the concern is the alkaloid load itself rather than any carbohydrate the plant brings. If a recipe calls for it, thin cucumber slices cover the flavor in a salad, and mint or lemon balm covers it in a cold drink. Building volume into meals with non-starchy greens is still a sound strategy for satiety and glycemic control, and lettuce, watercress, rocket and spinach all do that job with virtually zero impact on blood sugar. Using those the same way leaves you free to focus on portioning your protein and healthy fat sources accurately.
How should I combine Borage to manage blood sugar during pregnancy?
To create a balanced, blood-sugar-friendly meal, pair borage with sources of lean protein and healthy fats. This combination slows down digestion and promotes satiety, preventing post-meal glucose spikes. For example, create a salad with a base of borage and other greens, topped with grilled chicken or salmon and an olive oil-based vinaigrette. You can also finely chop borage leaves and mix them into full-fat Greek yogurt with garlic and lemon to create a nutrient-dense dip for non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers and cucumbers.
Last reviewed: August 31, 2026
Important Safety Information
Every pregnancy is different, and gestational diabetes is managed differently depending on your readings, your medication and how far along you are. The ratings and portions on this page are general information — not a diagnosis, a treatment plan or a medical device — and they cannot see your results.
- Low blood sugar:
- If you take insulin or diabetes medication, eating less carbohydrate than your team planned for can push your blood sugar too low. Treat a reading below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), or symptoms such as shaking, sweating, confusion or a racing heart, with fast-acting carbohydrate immediately and retest after 15 minutes. Never use this page as a reason to skip or shrink a meal you were told to eat.
- Carbohydrate and ketones:
- Cutting carbohydrate hard to force a number down is not safe in pregnancy — it can produce ketones. Published guidance sets a minimum of 175 g of carbohydrate per day in pregnancy. Readings that stay above target for several days need your care team, not a smaller portion.
- Medication and insulin:
- The portions here are generic and know nothing about your insulin doses, your metformin, or the steroids given to mature your baby's lungs — all of which change how a meal affects you. Never adjust a dose or a mealtime based on this page.
- Food safety in pregnancy:
- Blood sugar is not the only thing that makes a food suitable while you are pregnant. Some foods with excellent glycemic numbers still carry mercury, vitamin A, listeria or alcohol risks, and those are judged separately from the ratings shown here. Check your national pregnancy food-safety guidance before adding an unfamiliar food.
- What these ratings can and cannot tell you:
- Glycemic index values, impact ratings and maximum servings are population averages taken from published tables. Two people eating the same food can get very different readings, so your own meter is the only measurement that describes you. Nutrition figures are indicative per 100 g and vary with brand, ripeness and preparation.
Contact your care team the same day if: your readings stay above target for several days; you have a reading below 54 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L) or needed someone else's help to treat a low; you test positive for ketones; or your baby is moving less than usual. Seek emergency care for confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting, or a low you cannot bring back up.
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Sources & Editorial Review
Content independently developed by Dalo Labs ApS, informed by the American Diabetes Association's Standards of Care in Diabetes, ACOG's gestational diabetes guidelines, and the IADPSG consensus criteria. Not endorsed by or affiliated with any referenced organization. · Last reviewed: August 2026
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