The end of spring and the beginning of summer are associated with many beautiful and delicious strawberries. Its fragrant and juicy fruits are a real symbol of your favorite season. But is strawberry good for pregnancy?
Pregnant women are rather capricious in choosing food, and sometimes they want some kind of fruit or vegetables, the season of which has not yet arrived.
Do not rush and buy them in supermarkets, because the quality and freshness of foreign delicacies are in doubt. Shining with gloss, but rather tasteless fruits look especially unnatural.
The benefits of strawberries during pregnancy
For the health and safety of your and your child, it is better to eat natural products, which include the fragrant red berry in the summer months .
She won her love of herself not only with taste, but also with a large number of different vitamins and elements that make up her composition.
Is it possible to have strawberries during pregnancy? This question arises in almost all women who are preparing to become mothers, because there are very few who do not like these fruits.
Gynecologists confidently answer what is possible, but in moderation. The beneficial properties of strawberries have a positive effect on maintaining the immunity of the expectant mother and her developing baby. What exactly is strawberry useful for during pregnancy?
Valuable properties of the berry
The berry is characterized by numerous valuable properties, among which the most important:
- High iron content, which reduces the risk of anemia (anemia), reduces the feeling of fatigue and protects against dizziness. There is even more iron in strawberries than in the well-known storehouse of this element - apples.
- A large amount of a powerful antioxidant and “vitamin of good mood” - vitamin C. After blackcurrant, strawberries take the second place in its content. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, promotes the absorption of iron by the body, and also has an antimutagenic effect.
- The presence of calcium and phosphorus are important elements without which the normal development of the skeleton system of the unborn child and its maintenance in a pregnant woman is impossible.
- The content of different B vitamins, responsible for certain functions of the body. So, B1 - thiamine, positively affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems, increases the absorption of carbohydrates, activates peripheral blood circulation, prevents toxicosis; B2 - riboflavin, is responsible for the normal functioning of the heart muscle and organs of vision, B6 and B9 support metabolic processes.
- Provitamin A (beta-carotene) takes part in the formation of rhodopsin, a visual element in the retina of the child’s eyes, and also promotes bone growth.
- Strong antioxidants anthocyanins help prevent blood clots in the vessels and the development of varicose veins.
- Pectin and fiber, which are found in large quantities in strawberries, normalize intestinal motility and prevent constipation.
Given all the positive characteristics of summer berries, we conclude that strawberries during pregnancy (no more than 150 grams per day) will be useful to the expectant mother. It is worth remembering that it is better to eat it in the morning, because the berry has a diuretic effect, so the pregnant woman can avoid swelling. And what's important: you can not eat strawberries on an empty stomach.
Strawberries during pregnancy: contraindications
What is the reason for this recommendation? The fact is that strawberries are one of the few berries that contains oxalic acid , in addition to citric and malic .
Its components in the human body form esters and salts, the so-called oxalates. If there are too many of them, crystals of calcium oxalate precipitate in the body fluids , forming stones and clogging the ducts of the urinary system and kidneys.
To avoid this, strawberries should be consumed as dessert after the main meal. In this case, you must definitely combine it with any dairy product that you like (it can be yogurt, kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream).
Strawberry Allergy
A contraindication to the use of strawberries can be an allergic reaction not only to this berry (which is a hypelergen), but also to any other product.
Even if you are confident in your body and have never before noticed an allergy to foods, during pregnancy changes occur that somehow change the usual course of life and diet. In this regard, pregnant women often have to abandon their favorite treats so as not to harm the unborn baby. In order to avoid complications and diathesis in a baby, a woman in a position is sometimes better to refuse strawberries, replacing it with something safer.
It was previously noted that some of the components of the berry normalize intestinal motility. However, the berry also contains potassium, an excess of which enhances this function of the body, which can lead to a reduction in the muscles of the uterus and bronchi. For a woman in a position, this is very dangerous, so it is better to refrain from eating berries. If you really want to eat, then first you need to consult with an observing doctor who will tell you how much strawberry is safe for mom and baby.
Late pregnancy
Strawberries during pregnancy in the later stages are quite dangerous for a woman preparing to become a mother, and for her child. Starting from the 22nd week of pregnancy, the baby becomes especially susceptible to everything that the mother eats.
His condition directly depends on how the woman feels. Therefore, such an allergenic berry as strawberries can be present in the diet only after consultation with the doctor and in small quantities.
Strawberry: eat or not eat?
So what to do if you really want a tasty berry, but there are doubts about the safe effect of its components on the state of mother and baby? First of all, consult your doctor: he knows the characteristics of your body and determines by its reactions whether it is worth giving in to the temptation. In general, let’s say that strawberries during pregnancy in moderate portions will raise the mood and vitality, and its beneficial qualities will affect not only your well-being, but also the condition of your baby.