The benefits of lingonberries during pregnancy are undeniable and obvious. This northern berry is a real storehouse of vitamins necessary for an expectant mother and her baby. But getting fresh lingonberries in most regions of central Russia can be difficult, while lingonberry leaves can be bought without any problems at any pharmacy. Is it possible for pregnant women to eat lingonberry leaves and how to do it, this article will tell.
Is it possible or not?
The woman, alas, has to find the answer to this question on her own. Even among doctors, there is no consensus on whether it is permissible to use lingonberry leaves while carrying a child. If the question of lingonberry berries does not even arise - they are allowed and encouraged, then lingonberry leaf is an ambiguous medicinal raw material.
Lingonberry leaves are mainly used in medicine as an anti-inflammatory and diuretic, widely used in urology.
However, the World Health Organization does not recommend this remedy for pregnant women, despite the fact that there is no direct prohibition on this in the instructions for the drug.
The professional and authoritative edition of the Handbook of medicinal herbs by James A. Duke also discourages pregnant women from consuming lingonberry leaves.
Russian doctors do not have a consensus on this matter. Some do not mind that a pregnant woman drank a decoction of lingonberry leaves and added them to tea, others support the global opinion and prohibit this vegetable raw material for their patients. And therefore before making a decision, you should consult with your doctor, listen to his opinion and make a decision based on all the information received.
Benefits for expectant mothers
During pregnancy, large-scale changes take place in a woman's body, many changes are triggered and controlled by the hormone progesterone - a very important substance for carrying a baby. However, this hormone has an unpleasant side effect - it retains fluid in the intercellular space, and therefore edema often appears in women. It is from edema that the lingonberry leaf can help. This is an excellent diuretic that can be taken not only for edema, but also for cystitis, pyelonephritis.
The leaves of the northern berry not only have the ability to cause increased urination, but also disinfect the urinary tract.
This effect is achieved due to the content in the leaves of a special substance - arbutin. There is this substance in berries, but in the leaves it is several times more.
Arbutin acts directly on the kidney parenchyma, causing this paired organ to produce more urine. And already in the composition of urine, the substance passes through the urinary tract and conducts a control disinfection.
If a woman decides that she will not take lingonberry leaves during pregnancy, then other ways of using it should be considered. Lingonberry leaf has excellent aseptic properties, and therefore it can be used to prepare a decoction for gargling with colds, sore throats, as well as for rinsing the mouth with stomatitis, periodontal disease.
In the presence of a pustular rash, acne, wounds, scratches and burns, such a decoction can be carried out local treatment of the skin.
Traditional medicine attributes one more property to the lingonberry leaf - reduce heat... To do this, however, you will have to brew it and drink it, if your doctor and you yourself do not mind taking the drug inside.
Other indications
The instructions for use attached to the pharmacy plant raw materials indicate other conditions and ailments in which, on the recommendation of a doctor, a lingonberry leaf can be prescribed as part of complex therapy. It means that the agent cannot act as the only medicine and rather has an auxiliary function.
Lingonberry leaf, in addition to diuretic properties, has an astringent effect, promotes the production of bile, shows activity against a dangerous microbe - Staphylococcus aureus. If a woman is prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics for some reason, then taking them simultaneously with a decoction or lingonberry leaf tea enhances the effect of antibacterial drugs.
It's believed that this plant material can regulate nitrogen metabolism and enhance immunity by increasing phagocytosis.
Based on this, the lingonberry leaf can be recommended for pregnant women with nephropathy, gonorrhea, arthritis, spondylosis... Additionally, it may be recommended to drink from a lingonberry leaf for pneumonia, bronchitis, antacid gastritis and hepatitis.
Potential harm and contraindications
Lingonberry leaf can only be considered a traditional medicine with a great stretch, and this is because the concentration of arbutin in it is so high that it is comparable to an ordinary pharmaceutical preparation. Most other medicinal plants cannot boast of the same concentration of active ingredients. On the one hand, this is a dignity, because lingonberry leaves are very effective, on the other hand, even a slight excess of the dosage can cause severe intoxication with arbutin.
But experts from the World Health Organization, who in the monograph noted the lingonberry leaf as an undesirable product for pregnant women, substantiated their recommendations not even with this, but with the stimulating effect of arbutin.
Independent and unauthorized attempts to be treated with a lingonberry leaf for cystitis or edema can result in a miscarriage or premature birth, since this active substance can increase the tone of the smooth muscles of the uterus.
Another danger lies in the presence of hydroquinone. This substance can cause severe poisoning. Clinical trials have confirmed intoxication in laboratory animals. Naturally, such tests were not carried out in humans, and even more so on pregnant women. However, the presence of hydroquinone should alert and make a woman more attentive to the use of potent herbal preparations such as lingonberry leaf.
The use of lingonberry leaves for women is completely prohibited under the following circumstances.
- Complicated allergic history - earlier there were cases of inadequate immune response to plants, pollen.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, associated with high acidity of gastric juice.
- A history of urolithiasis. The pronounced diuretic effect of lingonberry leaves can lead to a violation of the static nature of the stones, their movement, which can severely injure the ureters.
- Hypotension - low blood pressure under the influence of lingonberry leaf can become even lower, which will lead to a deterioration in the well-being of the pregnant woman.
The general benefit from the use of lingonberry leaves, according to most doctors, does not exceed the potential harm, and therefore the use of this remedy requires strict medical indications and should be carried out under the supervision of specialists.
Are there any time limits?
It is believed that in the early stages it is undesirable for pregnant women to take a lingonberry leaf, since it is during this period that the risks of miscarriage and fetal formation disorders are increased. However, this limitation is rather arbitrary. And sometimes, if a woman has indications, the doctor can prescribe a remedy in a well-defined dosage.
In the later stages of the third trimester, the lingonberry leaf is strongly discouraged for women, since its use can indirectly affect the onset of premature labor.
There are no restrictions at any time of gestation for the external use of decoctions and aqueous infusions of plant leaves. A woman can wash her face with broth, rinse her throat or mouth, make lotions on wounds without fear at any time.
In all cases, when there is a need for a diuretic, it is better to consult a doctor, because there are safer herbal and medicines for cystitis, edema, and they can be recommended to the expectant mother if necessary.
Tips for correct consumption
What will be the effect of lingonberry leaves depends on how correctly a woman can brew and take it. This plant material is not a remedy for the prevention of ailments, it should not be taken just like that, in the absence of health problems. Uncontrolled and irresponsible use is fraught with extremely unpleasant consequences for a woman and her unborn child.
The taste of the drink, which is obtained from the leaves of lingonberry, is not the most pleasant, bitter. You won't drink a lot of it, and this is apparently for the best, with this taste it will be more difficult to get an overdose... But even when preparing a drink, it is recommended to observe proportions.
For oral administration, a glass of boiling water should be taken for one tablespoon of plant materials. Do not pour boiling water over the sheet immediately. In order to preserve as many nutrients as possible in the composition, it is worth pouring the raw materials with water, which stood for about 5 minutes at room temperature after boiling. You need to insist the product under the lid for at least a quarter of an hour, then strain and cool. With cystitis and edema, it is recommended to take half a glass half an hour before meals in the morning and evening.
The total amount of decoction of lingonberry leaf for a pregnant woman, according to indications, is no more than a glass per day.
To prepare a product for external use, it is recommended to double the amount of plant materials. When rinsing your mouth or throat it is important to ensure that the concentrated infusion is not swallowed.
The water infusion can be prepared in a water bath, in a thermos. The longer the lingonberry leaves with boiling water stand in it, the more saturated the product will be. It is better to prepare it in this way during pregnancy for external use and rinsing the mouth and throat.
Forms of release and price
Lingonberry leaf in pharmacies is sold in packs of 50 and 25 grams. It all depends on the specific manufacturer. There are crushed raw materials and ground into powder. For those who do not like to brew dry herb, the release forms are offered in the form of filter bags of 1.5 grams each. Their cost is low - from 55 rubles per package.
Pour the product into a linen bag or glass container and store in a dry place. without direct sunlight. Ultraviolet light destroys the medicinal properties of the plant.
