Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

What type of food women must consume during pregnancy?

With pregnancy comes the responsibility of taking care of your child as well as yourself. Be it during the last stages or early stages of pregnancy, what you eat is critically significant for you and your unborn baby’s health. Consuming healthy food can reduce the risk of far-reaching health hazards on your newly born. A healthy body is a key to survival; consequently, it leads to better health for your child. Let us look at some food items that pregnant women need to obtain or should consider eating during pregnancy to avoid any difficulties related to them or their babies. In this article, we will look at 10 food items, to start with we have-

1.  Folate or Folic acid is salient when conceiving a baby, it is a B vitamin which helps to generate new healthy cells in the body. This type of acid is prime for every individual and especially for pregnant women as it prevents birth defects in the child’s spine or brain. Folate helps produce enough red blood cells that carry oxygen; not enough consumption of folate can lead to the generation of abnormally large red blood cells that could tamper with the system of our body.

Foods that are high in folic acid include avocados, Brussel sprouts, green vegetables like lettuce, spinach and also garden asparagus. Chickpeas, kidney beans, and broccoli can also be counted upon while in need of folic acid for the body. Pregnant women are required to take a minimum of 0.4 milligrams of folate daily before they conceive, and even after birth for 3 months to prevent health hazards.

Benefits of folic acid – 

• Used to: treat or prevent folate deficiency anaemia 
• Help your unborn child’s skull, brain and also spinal cord to develop adequately 
• Avoid developmental issues (called neural tube defects) such as spina bifida 
• Repair and methylation – the addition of a methyl group – of DNA
• Cellular division 

 

Side effects/ precautions of folic acid – 

• High-level consumption of folic acid may lead to increased blood levels of unmetabolized folate. A recent study conducted on about 200 mothers showed that mothers with higher blood concentrations of folic acid at their 14^th week of gestation were more likely to have a baby with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 
• Intake of folic acid higher than 400 mcg, especially during the 14^th week of gestation is more likely to exhibit challenged mental abilities of their child. 
• Another study conducted for about over 1000 mothers consuming more than 1000 mcg of folic acid daily during pregnancy manifested lower scores on a test that assessed their child’s mental abilities. 
• Another vital risk of a high intake of folic acid is that it may lead to B12 vitamin deficiency.  
• The risk of cancer can also be witnessed in a study conducted showing a significant increase in prostate cancer in people who took high amounts of folic acid compared to the control groups. 

2.  Legumes are great for the body and provide an enriched source of fibre, protein, iron, folate and also calcium. They are rich in folate, benefits of which have already been mentioned; it is important to feed yourself legumes to avoid health hazards to your child, especially during the first trimester or even before.

• Soybeans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, peanuts et cetera are examples of legumes and can be added to your food during pregnancy to purify your health. 
• Legumes are extremely filled with fibres, potassium, and iron and can be obtained adequately with your doctor’s advice.

Side effects – 

• Legumes, such as kidney beans can come off as unhealthy if their intake or consumption is not within the prescribed limits.
• Kidney beans include purines that sometimes lead to gout or kidney stones and not adjusting their intake during pregnancy can lead to slow pregnancy. 
• Chickpeas sometimes also cause allergy to the mother during pregnancy and they also often lead to the issue of kidney stones. 
• High consumption of soybeans can also cause harm to the body and hamper the baby’s development process during pregnancy as it contains isoflavones – these are chemicals that mimic the hormone estrogen of the body

3.  Sweet potatoes, even though they don’t look healthy, are highly good for your health and are very tasty!

• They are enriched with beta carotene, fibre which improves our digestive system and also prevents blood sugar spikes.
• Enriched with Vitamin A, leads to the smooth development of your child.

Side effects-  

• Eating or consuming sweet potato in large quantities or not in its prescribed amount can lead to a noticeable colour change of your skin and nails from a neutral shade to a shade of orange.

4.  Meat, pork or lean beef as they are rich in choline, and iron and also provide a prominent source of Vitamin B in the body.

• All these are crucial as they provide our body with proteins; they are needed by the body in high amounts, especially during pregnancy.
• High in iron, lack of any of these food items may lead to iron deficiency and thus, risk of low birth weight of the baby.

 

Side effects- 

• High consumption of pork during pregnancy is not beneficial for health as it is high in sodium and saturated fats, which is not good for the baby’s health.
• Hu says that an accumulated body of evidence shows a clear link between a high intake of red and processed meats and a higher risk of heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and premature death.

5.  Berries are highly enriched with healthy carbs, vitamin C, fibre, water and also antioxidants.

• Berries have a relatively low glycemic index value, and so they have a low risk of spikes in blood sugar.
• Berries are great to munch on whenever the body needs something light, yet healthy as they provide nutrition but a low chance of gaining calories.

Side effects- 

• High intake of berries over the course of pregnancy can lead to high blood sugar levels; this can eventually lead to shakiness, increased heartbeat etc.

6.  Whole grains, as we all are aware of their importance for our body and how healthy they can seem to be.

• They are high in fibre, vitamins, plant compounds, and iron and provide a whole source of nutrition to the body when they are included in our daily meals.
• Oats, wheat berries, quinoa, barley, and brown bread are some of the sources that are examples of whole grains. B vitamins, iron and magnesium can be easily obtained from them and these are critically missing in women during pregnancy.

 

Side effects- 

• Even though whole grains are beneficial, eating these kinds of food leads to overeating and increased consumption is often linked to type 2 diabetes or any heart disease.

 

7.  Avocados may seem unusual and less healthy when it comes to health, but their benefits make them efficient for our health.

• Avocados are enriched with monounsaturated fatty acids, which make them tasty and help to build the tissues, brain and also skin of your unborn baby. 
• They’re also high in fibre, B vitamins (especially folate), vitamin K, potassium, copper, vitamin E, and vitamin C.

 

Side effects- 

• According to numerous studies and collected data, it is said that avocados should be avoided during breastfeeding. 
• Avocados should be taken in a limited amount during pregnancy to avoid the risk of damage to the mammary gland or upset stomach for the baby.

 

8.  Eggs, even though not all of us consider eating them, depending on our choices and staying true to our religion; apparently.

• They are extremely healthy for our body and contain almost every nutrient that our system requires, including high-quality proteins, minerals and other vitamins. 
• Eggs provide us with choline, a vital nutrient during pregnancy. It’s important in a baby's brain development and further avoids any brain abnormalities. 

 

Side effects-

• Undercooked eggs during pregnancy are not at all healthy as they can lead to food poisoning and that illness can be transferred to the baby as well. 
• Passing of the illness can gradually lead to an infection of the amniotic acid. 

 

9.  Broccoli, leafy greens; I don’t think I even need to give detailed information about how important it is for children and also adults to obtain green vegetables.

• Green vegetables acquire so many nutrients and include other necessities like fibre, vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folate, iron, calcium, proteins, and potassium.
• Due to all these nutrients that are covered, they can seem to have reduced the risk of low birth weight of your child during pregnancy. 

 

Side effects-

• Broccoli is hands down one of the best food options during pregnancy but consuming it in large amounts can backfire. 
• High or increased intake of broccoli can lead to rashes or hives on the body of the mother and also gastric problems or other stomach related issues. 

 

10.  Salmon, being rich in omega-3 fatty acids, has a lot of benefits and can seem to be tasty as well!

• These omega-3 fatty acids seem to build the eye and brain tissues of the baby and also improve gestational length.
• However, there are a few high mercury fish that you need to avoid during pregnancy, swordfish, shark, king mackerel, marlin, bigeye tuna and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico. 

 

Side effects- 

• A high intake of salmon and especially the un-prescribed ones can make you very ill. 
• Study reports show that increased consumption of salmon during pregnancy can lead to artery-clogging cholesterol and various heart diseases.

Choosing food during pregnancy can be a tough task but, getting to know the advantages and side effects of each food item is crucial. Eating the right type of food items is necessary to avoid any health hazards for the child.