During pregnancy, women pay increased attention to their nutrition, and this is very justified, because the health of the child directly depends on what, how and how much the expectant mother will eat. The period of pregnancy is a time of many prohibitions, and therefore every product that was previously familiar and commonplace can now raise questions - is it possible and, if possible, how much. One such product is linseed oil.
Benefits for a pregnant woman
You can take flaxseed oil for pregnant women. It is a unique product that is appreciated for its many beneficial properties. Even the legendary fish oil does not contain as much omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid as the oil obtained from flax seeds. The product helps to maintain vision, strengthens the nervous system, the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels, as well as a healthy metabolism.
Flaxseed oil during pregnancy is not only a source of valuable fatty acids, but also a storehouse of macronutrients - magnesium, potassium, phosphorus; microelements - zinc, iron, iodine, silicon, manganese and selenium. In addition, the product is rich vitamins K, C, PP, E, group B. Of particular value in the composition of the product are organic acids - stearic, arachidic and a number of others. Flax oil contains enzyme substances important for the functioning of the human body.
The taste of flaxseed oil is quite specific, and not everyone likes to take it inside. However, there are many options for using the product during pregnancy. For example, this oil is widely used from stretch marks. Stretch marks on a woman's skin are formed due to the fact that the amount of collagen does not have time to replenish due to the active growth and stretching of the tissue. Micro-tears are filled with connective tissue, which looks like a stretch. Getting rid of stretch marks after childbirth is quite difficult, almost impossible, and therefore easier to prevent their appearance.
For this, warm linseed oil is applied to the skin, massage is done with it, the elasticity of the skin increases. This in combination reduces the risk of deep stretch marks. In addition, flaxseed oil is an excellent cosmetic remedy for wrinkles on the skin, and therefore a pregnant woman can use it as a nourishing rejuvenating mask for the face and hands, either separately or by adding it to her favorite cream.
The product is famous for its unusual and unusual smell, which not every woman during pregnancy will be able to perceive adequately. If a lady loves this product, then she may well take it inside in moderation, season vegetable salads with it, add it to ready-made main courses. But if the smell of the product repels, causes an attack of nausea, then it is quite possible to replace the pure product with oil in capsules - in this form, flaxseed oil has been produced for a long time.
The use of flaxseed oil inside during pregnancy cleans blood vessels, reduces the amount of cholesterol, blood circulation improves, thereby increasing blood flow into the uteroplacental bloodstream, the baby begins to receive more oxygen and nutrients from the mother's blood.
The benefits of flax oil for women during pregnancy are not limited to the cleansing of blood vessels. The product helps to fight the eternal problem of pregnant women - constipation. The product helps relieve constipation as a natural natural mild laxative. Preventing constipation reduces the likelihood of an unpleasant and painful complication such as hemorrhoids.
Systematic use of the product, according to doctors, reduces the risk of blood clots. Metabolic processes become more intense in all tissues of the body without exception.
Drinking flaxseed oil is also useful because its composition has a beneficial effect on the formation of the baby's cerebral cortex. The vitamin composition of the product helps a woman to maintain her immunity weakened during pregnancy. The product is considered important for the prevention of such a dangerous complication of pregnancy as fetoplacental insufficiency.
Flaxseed oil will be beneficial if a woman does not have individual contraindications to its use, and she also uses it in moderation, not exceeding the recommended daily amount.
Potential harm and contraindications
When asked whether this product can harm a pregnant woman, the answer is yes. Under certain conditions, oil can indeed pose a serious danger. He has a list of side effects, the manifestation of which is highly undesirable while waiting for the child. In addition, dietitians clearly define conditions and diseases in which the product cannot be consumed.
Contraindications
- Increased allergic status of a woman, aggravated allergic history. It is especially strongly recommended to abandon the product for women who have experienced allergic attacks to food, plants, pollen, nuts for a year before pregnancy.
- Increased blood clotting in a woman according to the test results, since the oil promotes blood clotting and activates coagulation factors.
- Ailments of the pancreas and liver, both chronic and acute.
- Urolithiasis, as well as chronic diseases of the genitourinary system.
- Hypotension, as the product further lowers blood pressure.
Given that the list of contraindications is quite large, you should definitely consult with your doctor before deciding to add a product to your daily diet.
Even if a pregnant woman has no contraindications, there can still be harm from flaxseed oil, and usually it is due to improper use. So, if the permissible amount of the product is exceeded, diarrhea may begin, which in severe cases can lead to dehydration. And with intolerance to odors, which occurs with toxicosis, eating the product on an empty stomach can lead to vomiting.
The following situations can be attributed to the traditional side effects of flaxseed oil on the body.
- Nausea - may occur in the early stages due to toxicosis or when using expired oil. The product deteriorates very quickly, and the use of expired oil is not such a rare situation.
- Digestive disorders.
- Allergy - an inadequate immune response to the components of the oil may appear even if this was not the case before pregnancy. With the onset of an "interesting situation", immunity undergoes a significant restructuring, and there is no way to predict which habitual substance can suddenly become an antigen in advance.
If the intake of the product caused this, you should stop using flaxseed oil and consult a doctor.
Recommendations for use and selection
For pregnant women, unrefined linseed oil is better suited, it contains the maximum amount of nutrients. Buy such a product in a dark glass container, since sunlight destroys the composition, the product quickly oxidizes. An open bottle should be kept in the refrigerator, but not more than one month, otherwise the oil will become useless and even dangerous.
Good oil, which can be served to the future mother's table without fear in the absence of contraindications, has a golden color in a wide palette of shades - from light to brown. It should not be cloudy, contain particles and suspended matter. Slight sediment on the bottom of the bottle is acceptable.
It is not recommended to use the product for weight loss during pregnancy.... This action of the beneficial oil can be used after childbirth. In all other cases, it should be remembered that the product is very fatty. In order to prevent nausea and vomiting in the first trimester, it is recommended to drink a spoonful of oil when taken orally with water at room temperature with lemon juice added to it.
If you can't drink the product either in the 1st or 2nd trimester, try taking gelatin capsules. They should be drunk strictly in accordance with the instructions attached to the drug.
The maximum allowable amount of oil for the prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids is one teaspoon a quarter of an hour before meals for two weeks. If the product does not cause side effects, then you can slightly increase the single dose - up to one and a half or two teaspoons.
In the 3rd trimester, it is recommended to add an additional one teaspoon of the product for dressing salads, cottage cheese or other non-hot dishes to breakfast... In the later stages of gestation, from about 38 weeks, the heated oil can be used to massage the perineum, it is believed that it increases elasticity and makes childbirth easier.
Flax oil should never be heated above room temperature. When heated above it, the product loses its beneficial properties and releases dangerous carcinogens. In order for the product to be only useful, you should not drink a salad seasoned with such oil, hot tea or other hot drinks.
If a pregnant woman already suffers from constipation and is looking for a way to alleviate the condition, then she is recommended to take oil on an empty stomach in the morning in the amount of 1 tablespoon. In case of intolerance, it is better to take the drug in capsules to prevent vomiting. After taking it, it is recommended to start breakfast no earlier than an hour later.
If the product did not help, and the woman was unable to empty the intestines, you should not take another portion of the oil, it is better to use pharmacy remedies for constipation.
