During pregnancy, most women change their taste preferences, and this is completely normal, given that the hormonal background is also rearranged, involving all organs and systems of the female body in this process. Apples are considered one of the favorite foods of expectant mothers. These fruits are able to satisfy any gastronomic whim: sweet, sour and even salty, if the apples are soaked. Moreover, the product can be eaten without the risk of gaining weight. And yet, there are some restrictions and rules that you need to adhere to when eating apples during pregnancy.
Benefits for pregnant women
If you want apples during pregnancy, then this is not surprising - the female body especially needs vitamins during the period of gestation, and the fruits of the apple tree are rich in them. Apples contain a large amount of organic fruit acids, tannins, mineral salts. A special advantage of the fruit can be considered a high content of vegetable fiber and pectins.
Fruit acids help to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, increase their elasticity, reduce the risk of blood clots and the development of varicose veins. Mineral salts are involved in the processes of hematopoiesis and in the work of the nervous system. Apples are rich in easily digestible iron, and therefore these fruits will help reduce the likelihood of developing anemia in pregnant women, which almost all women are exposed to. especially in late gestation.
Magnesium in apples contributes to the maintenance of good mood, and also participates in the maintenance of natural normal muscle tone, and this is important to prevent uterine hypertonia.
Vegetable fiber is a unique natural structure that is not digested by the human body. Almost unchanged, fiber passes through the digestive tract, gently stimulating the fiber receptors in the intestinal walls. This triggers a backlash - intestinal peristalsis increases.
Together with pectins, fiber helps not only to prevent constipation, but also to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, particles of undigested and rotting food in the intestines that emit toxic substances.
Systematic eating of apples before meals contributes to additional active secretion of gastric juice, increased appetite, and this is very important for women who suffer from toxicosis and almost cannot eat well. An apple will relieve an attack of morning sickness, help to quickly satisfy hunger between meals.
Vitamin C will help support the woman's immunity, which is always noticeably weakened during the period of gestation. At the same time, a woman may not worry about gaining extra pounds - the calorie content of apples is low, they do not provoke weight gain... Fruit acids contribute to fat burning processes, lipid metabolism improves.
Not only fresh, but also baked fruits and dried apples are useful. When baked, the main value is not vitamins, which are destroyed during heat treatment, but pectin and fiber. In this form, apples perfectly help to cope with constipation, can be used to prevent exacerbation of hemorrhoids. Dried apples are rich in mineral salts to a greater extent, and this property must be taken into account in gestosis, obesity, anemia. In this form, the fruits are useful for edema, heartburn.
During pregnancy, it is advisable to eat apples together with the seeds, since the seeds of the fruits are rich in iodine, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. To get a daily dose of iodine, it is enough to eat only about 7-9 apple seeds.
Apples grow even in the northern regions, and this fruit is considered one of the most affordable sources of vitamins. They are perfectly stored in winter, and therefore can satisfy the needs of a pregnant woman for nutrients, even if the pregnancy fell out during the cold season. Moreover, in winter it is almost the only source of vitamins for residents of most regions of Russia.
Apples rarely cause allergies, so the product is suitable for most expectant mothers.
All these advantages, however, apply only to ripe fruits that are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers in your geographical area. Unripe, imported apples, generously treated for long-term storage with chemicals and wax-containing compounds, can harm the body of a future mother and her baby.
Potential harm and contraindications
With all the numerous and varied benefits of apples, there are some contraindications that a woman in a position should definitely be aware of. There are not so many situations in which apples are contraindicated.
First of all, it is aggravated allergic history of a pregnant woman. If a lady belongs to the category of allergy sufferers who suffer from pollen and food allergens, then red and yellow apples should be avoided, since it is the coloring pigment in their peel that most often acts as an antigen. Some people think that the problem can be solved simply - you just need to peel the apple from the skin. We hasten to debunk this myth - an allergenic pigment is also present in the pulp and juice of bright red apples. Therefore, it is better for expectant mothers with allergies to pay attention to green apples, and they should also be eaten carefully, in small quantities.
Women suffering from bloating, increased intense flatulence are not recommended to eat sour and fresh apples, it is better to replace them with baked ones. Acute forms of gastritis, pancreatitis are a direct contraindication for eating apples. Gastritis with increased acidity of gastric juice is a contraindication for eating sour fruits, but you can eat baked ones.
Dried apples are contraindicated in women with diabetes., since when dried, the concentration of sugar in the fruit increases, and the liquid decreases. Unripe apples can irritate the intestinal walls excessively. This is fraught with severe diarrhea, vomiting, up to dehydration and metabolic disorders.
How to spend a fasting day?
A fasting day on apples, apples and kefir, or apples and cottage cheese is a popular recommendation for pregnancy. Usually it is recommended to arrange such days for expectant mothers who have pathological weight gain, obesity. With an excessive increase, the likelihood of metabolic disorders in the mother and the fetus increases, and the risks of developing gestational diabetes increase.
A fasting day for apples and gestosis is recommended. Late toxicosis is dangerous with serious complications for both the mother and the fetus, and therefore the task of doctors and the pregnant woman herself is to prevent them by all means. For this it is recommended special drinking regimen, diet with limited salt and fasting days.
You can not spend such days for pregnant women with underweight, chronic metabolic ailments, for example, in diabetes mellitus, including a diagnosed gestational type. It is not recommended to carry out unloading on apples and pregnant women with ailments of the heart and blood vessels.
The fasting day is usually introduced at the end of the second trimester, not earlier. Before making such a decision, consultation with a doctor is required. Throughout the day, a woman eats only apples and the second product recommended by the doctor: cottage cheese or kefir, drinks a sufficient amount of pure water. It is recommended to spend such days no more than once every two weeks.
How to choose and use correctly?
Despite the fact that apples are very healthy for pregnant women, you should not eat them in unreasonably large quantities. Neither in the 1st, nor in the 2nd, nor in the 3rd trimester there will be no benefit from overeating, most often it turns into diarrhea. The optimal average serving of apples per day for a pregnant woman is 3-4 medium-sized fruits.
You will get more benefit from fruits if you eat them before your main meal, in about half an hour. This will help the production of gastric juice and improve digestion.
In the early stages, as well as at the end of pregnancy, apple juice is especially useful. It should be made independently from fresh fruits and eaten immediately, without waiting for oxidation. Store-bought juices are not suitable for mothers-to-be because they contain a large amount of sugar and preservatives, and the harm from such a drink will be much more than good.
The most useful apples for pregnant women are the fruits of green varieties. They are more rich in iron and also hypoallergenic. If possible, purchase just such. Often green fruits, for example, "Granny" varieties and others, are, unfortunately, imported. therefore it is important to thoroughly wash the fruit before eating and be sure to peel it off... It is the peel of the fruit that concentrates the maximum of chemicals used for long-term storage.
If you are lucky enough to buy a green summer variety grown in your area, then there is no need to peel off the peel, it contains a lot of useful elements. The fruit must be thoroughly washed with a brush, after which it can be eaten.
When adding these fruits to a pie, compote, baking them, remember that vitamin C is destroyed when heated, like most other vitamins... But fiber and pectin are perfectly preserved. Frozen apples also provide some vitamin benefits, but can be used for compotes.
If you like dried apples, be sure to cook homemade compotes. But remember about the dangers of sugar and that dried fruits are quite sweet, and therefore do not add additional sugar to the drink. Drinking this will help quench your thirst and relieve swelling.
For the beneficial properties of apples, see the next video.
