Health & Fitness

7 Nutritious Fruits you should Eat during Pregnancy

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Choosing a healthy diet is essential for pregnant women as their diet is directly linked with the fetus. Healthy food choices with nutrients are crucial for growth and development.

The inclusive health of every human being is maintained by a nourishing diet. It helps body to perform its functions more effectively and boosts the immune system as well. As a result of it, the risk of fatal diseases may reduce.

As we all know that a nutritious diet includes sufficient fruits, healthy vegetables, pinched proteins, sanitary fats, and wholesome grains. But an important point to consider is that some particular fruits are specifically health-giving to pregnant women.

In this article, we are going to explain the fact why fruits are beneficial for pregnant women and which fruits women should eat during pregnancy. At the end, you will also come to know which type of fruits pregnant women may give a miss.

Why Are Fruits Important During Pregnancy?

When you’re pregnant, it’s important to avoid empty calories and eat healthful fruits during pregnancy. If you are a junk food addict, you should abandon eating junk in pregnancy as it may set up your baby for fat and sugar preference in a long-run. Then what should you prefer to eat in pregnancy?

Fruits are filled with essential nutrients and play a vital role in a healthy pregnancy. When you supplement some of them to your diet, you’ll probably get most of the vitamins, fibers, and minerals that you and your baby require.

  • Vitamin C contributes in repairing process of the body tissues and cures cuts and wounds. Vitamin C is extremely important for strong immunity.
  • Dietary fiber facilitates process of digestion and alleviates cholesterol levels. It helps to avoid constipation and reduces the risk of heart diseases. Fibers are also important in the formation of hemorrhoids.
  • Folate is involved in the production of red blood cells. It reduces the risk of neural tube problems and anencephaly in fetus.
  • Fruits contain high level of antioxidants that function in maintaining the immunity system. Antioxidants also promote the blood circulation in the body.
  • Calcium helps in the growth and development of teeth and bones in babies.
  • Potassium is important to sustain the blood pressure in the body.

With the above boons of fruits, it becomes all-important to know which fruits provide such benefits.

7 Nutritious Fruits you Should Eat During Pregnancy

Are you craving for some sugar during pregnancy? Yes! You might be. Make sure not to get into a candy bar and sugary cake to cover your sweet tooth. Fruit is the best solution to satisfy your crave. Isn’t it?

Fruits offer you the nutrients and craving sweetness at the same time. Here we are providing you the list of the best fruits which you can include in your healthy pregnancy diet. Enjoy these fruits in salads, over yogurt, and in smoothies. You can also eat them as snacks anytime.

1.  Oranges

Oranges are excellent sources of folate, vitamin C, and water. They keep you hydrated all the day.

Folate is vitamin B that helps in preventing spinal cord and brain deformities, also called neural tube defects. Such defects can result in spina bifida, when spinal cord faces incomplete growth, and anencephaly, when some part of skull and brain is missing. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) suggests using 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid each day before the conceiving stage. At least 600 mcg of folic acid are required per day during pregnancy.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that prevents cell to collapse. It also plays role in absorbing iron for body. It is tasty enough for your tooth gums.

2.  Mangoes

Mangoes are filled with vitamins A and C.

Only one cup of mango supplies 100 percent of a person’s Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and higher than a third of vitamin A RDA. Intake of Vitamin C helps to avoid constipation and other minor infections.

Insufficient quantity of Vitamin A may lead baby to suffer lower immunity level. Vitamin A deficiency also causes greater risk of postnatal deformities like respiratory infections and diarrhea. Not so common, but it can be possible to intake excess of vitamin A, as discussed by 2019 research review Trusted Source. Indeed, mangoes are fit supplement to your pregnancy diet, but take them in a balanced way accompanied with a variety of other fruits.

3.  Bananas

Bananas are rich in potassium and magnesium. They are also perfect sources of vitamin B6, vitamin C, and fiber.

We are well aware that Constipation is something very common during pregnancy. It is caused by anxiety, uterine pressure on the intestines, a low-fiber diet, iron in prenatal vitamins, and more worries. Potassium in bananas reduces the risk of constipation. Magnesium is involved in electrolyte balance. It also keeps a perfect balance in the body fluids.

Adding bananas to your pregnancy diet counts a fiber-rich diet. During early days of pregnancy, vitamin B6 facilitates in relieving nausea and vomiting. Vitamin B6 also helps in brain development and strengthens immunity power during infancy period. It plays a major role in maintaining the sodium level of body.

4.  Avocados

Among all other fruits, Avocados contain more folate. It also contains vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin K, fiber, choline, magnesium, potassium. The magnesium and potassium content help pregnant women to get rid of nausea. It is common to feel leg cramps during pregnancy. Potassium provides relief from leg cramps.

Choline plays an important role in development of the baby’s brain and nervous system. Deficiency of choline may lead to neural tube imperfections and memory impairment in a long-run. So yes, avocados are a perfect delicious and healthy diet.  

5.  Watermelon

It is important to eat watermelon in last trimester. Watermelon contains potassium, zinc, magnesium, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

There’s an actual reason of the word “water” in this fruit. It is the best source of water contents containing almost 92 percent water. If you are dealing with dehydration during pregnancy, watermelon is the best option you can avail with. It provides you both with the sweetness and water.

Zinc and folate helps against night time leg cramps and promotes your baby’s spinal development.

6.   Apples

Apples are rich with the nutrients that are crucial for a growing fetus like vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. According to a research, eating apples in pregnancy alleviates the risk of asthma and allergies in babies. Apple also contains large content of pectin. Pectin is a prebiotic that facilitates growth of good bacteria present in gut. Eating apple along with its peel is more healthful. But do not forget to wash it with water before eating.

Doctors recommend eating one apple every day. You can add apples in salad and other recipes too.

7.  Lemons

According to the study of Trusted Source in 2014, pregnant women have reported some great benefits of using lemons or lemon scent. Lemon helps to relieve the pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. Lemons are rich source of vitamin C. They are important in stimulating the digestive system to prevent constipation.

You can enjoy drinking lemon water in the morning accompanying a healthy diet.

Is there any fruit to avoid during pregnancy?

Not at all! There is no specific fruit that a woman should avoid during pregnancy. However, it is highly important for women to be well informed about the portion size. As some fruits contain high sugar content, and other forms of fruits, like juices and the dried fruits, are often sufficiently exalted in calories and sugar than their unusual complements.

When you are purchasing organic fruit, you should be sure that it has not come into direct or indirect contact with pesticides and fertilizers. This can disrupt the fruit quality. But what if organic fruit is not your choice? Then non-organic fruit is still healthier than removing fruit from your diet thoroughly.

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