Should pregnant women not eat cassava? Pregnant women should avoid raw or under cooked cassava (kamoteng kahoy). Cooking it thoroughly will make it safe to eat during pregnancy. Raw cassava contains a naturally occurring toxin called cyanogenic glycoside. This toxin is also found in bamboo shoots but in lesser amounts. If not cooked properly, these toxins can harm pregnant women as well as their growing foetus, including brain malformations in the growing baby.