Kiwi fruits came to Russia just a few decades ago, but they immediately fell in love. This is not only a beautiful product that can be used to decorate desserts and fruit salads, but also a very healthy fruit. Is it possible to use it for pregnant women and how to do it correctly, this article will tell.
Benefits for expectant mothers
Kiwi is originally from China, although the fruit got its name due to the external resemblance to the body of the kiwi bird that lives in New Zealand. Very juicy fruits with unusual green flesh are rich in vitamins, among which the real leader is vitamin C. Until now, botanists argue where to attribute kiwi to berries or fruits. And doctors all over the world unanimously insist that the fruit has numerous healing properties, and therefore it is quite possible to use it to feed pregnant women.
The calorie content of the product is low - 100 grams of the product contains 61 kcal. The fruit contains carbohydrates, a small amount of protein, but almost no fat. Vitamins are represented by almost the entire galaxy B vitamins, high amounts of ascorbic acid - more than 93 mg per 100 grams of product. Among the minerals in the pulp and juice of the fruit contain calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, in small amounts - iron. One medium fruit weighs about 75 grams, while large fruits can weigh twice as much.
Kiwi can be eaten fresh during pregnancy, and this will be as beneficial as possible. You can make jam, make jelly, add to fruit salad, or make a smoothie.
As a source of potassium, kiwi fruit helps stabilize blood pressure, and the fruit is useful for iodine deficiency. It is believed that the systematic consumption of kiwi reduces the risks of developing cancer, as well as pathologies of the heart and blood vessels. Women often use it for weight loss, since one of the properties of kiwi is effective fat burning. Kiwi in a woman's diet reduces the underlying risks of thrombosis.
You can use the fruit not only for food - it nourishes the skin, rejuvenates it, and therefore is often included in homemade cosmetic masks. Such a mask during pregnancy will help to reduce the brightness of pigmentation, freckles, and will also promote collagen production, which is important for the prevention of stretch marks.
The fruit with green pulp and small seeds is useful for cleansing the body of toxins, it gently stimulates the intestines and can be an excellent means of preventing hemorrhoids, helps with constipation, increases appetite. But in case of anemia, there is little benefit from kiwi to increase hemoglobin, it is better to choose apples or other fruits and berries, which are famous for their high iron content. Kiwi helps to cope with nausea with toxicosis.
The allowable amount for pregnant women is a couple of average sized fetuses per week. If there are no wounds in the mouth and the stomach tolerates the product well, it is worth eating kiwi with peel - it is especially rich in antioxidants. Unpleasant lint can be removed with a brush.
Speaking about the benefits for the body of a pregnant woman, the following points should be noted:
- fruits, thanks to potassium salts, help to remove excess fluid from the body, which helps to cope with mild edema;
- a woman's mood rises and stabilizes due to the presence of a large amount of magnesium and B vitamins;
- iodine deficiency is replenished, the thyroid gland functions normally;
- ascorbic acid increases and maintains immunity, helps to strengthen blood vessels;
- the level of calcium in the blood plasma is sufficiently maintained, which is important for both the baby and his mother;
- folic acid in the composition is a means of preventing congenital anomalies in the formation of the fetal neural tube.
Contraindications and possible harm
If a woman has never eaten kiwi, then during pregnancy it is not worth starting - the risk of allergic reactions is not excluded, since the fetus is still exotic. Even if a woman was not allergic to this product before pregnancy, then after conception it is worth trying the fruit carefully, starting from small pieces, carefully observing your condition. After the onset of pregnancy, the work of the immune system changes, and any substance that was previously perceived by the body normally can become an allergen.
It is not recommended to eat kiwi for women who suffer from a burdened allergic history - in the past there were bouts of allergies to food, plants, house dust.
It is impossible to introduce a fruit with green pulp into the diet if the woman's gastrointestinal tract is disrupted - during periods of exacerbation of chronic diseases, during periods of intestinal infections, poisoning, manifestation of pancreatitis, with gastritis with high acidity of gastric juice. In this case, the fruit will certainly aggravate the existing problem.
Kiwi is not recommended if a woman has urolithiasis, since a fruit rich in organic acids can provoke increased salt settling. Also, a temporary ban is imposed on the use of the fruit during an exacerbation of cystitis.
Other women can add fruit to their diet. If in doubt, you should definitely consult your doctor.
Use by trimester
In the early stages (in the 1st trimester), the organs and systems of the fetus are formed, the placenta is laid. It was during this period that a woman's need for folic acid is high, in the content of which kiwi is only slightly inferior to broccoli. Therefore, the product is very useful for the expectant mother and child, if there are no contraindications described above.
You need to be more careful with provitamin A. Kiwi contains quite a lot of it. If a woman is taking synthetic vitamins, you should not eat a lot of kiwi, as an overdose of retinol in the early stages can cause fetal abnormalities.
In the second trimester, a woman, if she loves this fruit, can safely increase the amount of fruit consumed. In addition to all the benefits, kiwi will help regulate body weight. Often women in the middle of pregnancy (in the 2nd trimester), when their health improves, begin to experience a strong appetite, and here kiwi will come in handy, especially if a woman eats a lot of meat. Plant-based enzymes will help break down fats and will help you digest food faster.
In the later stages, when the third trimester is underway, the fruit will help to cope with mild edema, constipation, which often torment women before childbirth.
Remember that you should not take kiwi at the same time as a laxative, you can get too strong an effect, and then diarrhea cannot be avoided.
Useful tips for use
In order for kiwi to be beneficial and not harm, you should adhere to some simple rules:
- do not eat fruits on an empty stomach - an abundance of fruit acids can cause a change in the acidity of gastric juice, provoke digestive disorders;
- if you don't like fresh fruit, do not force yourself to eat it, you can make a fruit smoothie, make mashed kiwi with honey, if you are not allergic to honey (note that when freezing, adding kiwi to other dishes, the beneficial properties of the fruit are almost not lost);
- do not exceed the recommended amount, overeating can cause indigestion, allergies.
When choosing kiwi for a pregnant woman's diet, preference should be given to small and medium-sized fruits. Their peel should be even, undamaged, without dents, scratches, cracks.
An unripe fruit increases the likelihood of disturbances in the functioning of the stomach and intestines, and therefore only ripe kiwi should be taken. They are dense, dark green or slightly brown in color. Do not forget to smell the fruit - if it is good and ripe, then a delicate citrus scent will be clearly distinguishable. Overripe fruits smell like fermented gooseberries, and unripe fruits almost do not smell of anything.
The stalk of a good fruit remains dry; the villi slightly peel off when you run your finger over the peel. If the fruit does not meet these requirements, it is better not to take it in order to avoid negative consequences.
Kiwi of foreign production is not worth buying in Russia... These fruits, of course, are more beautiful and larger, but for a longer storage they are treated with chemicals. Therefore, such fruits can be dangerous, especially if the woman prefers to eat the fruit with the skin.
Better to give preference to fruits that are grown in the Krasnodar Territory. There is no need to process them due to the proximity to the places of sale. Moreover, in the Krasnodar Territory in recent years, truly record harvests of delicious and juicy fruit have been collected, which will bring a lot of benefits to mother and future baby.
