Every woman who is expecting a baby is trying to eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible in order to enrich the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals. Among the whole variety of plant products used by a lady during this period, watermelon is not the least. Is it possible to eat a watermelon for pregnant women, because it is a diuretic and in excessive amounts gives an additional burden on the kidneys?
Watermelon Properties
Watermelon has a lot of useful properties. Its main component is water. It takes up to 80% of the total weight of the fetus. The pulp is rich in vitamins A, C, B1, B2, PP, B9 (folic acid), easily digestible sugars, pectin substances. There are also trace elements and minerals indispensable for human health. These are sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, iodine, fluorine, cobalt and others. The product contains a large amount of fiber, organic acid and lycopene.
The most important substances in a watermelon for a pregnant woman are folic acid (B9) and iron. Vitamin B9 plays a particularly important role in the first trimester. Affects the formation of the fetus. 150 grams of the fetus contains its daily norm. Iron affects the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Responsible for oxygen enrichment of internal organs. Its deficiency can lead to oxygen starvation of the unborn child.
Indications for use of watermelon
Can pregnant women eat watermelon? Doctors unequivocally answer “yes”, but provided that there are no contraindications for its use.
The striped berry has a lot of useful properties and has an excellent taste. As a result of these features, pregnant women increase their mood, irritation and stress disappear. The fetus has diuretic properties, removes excess fluid from the body, cleanses of toxins and toxins. Eliminates flatulence and normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract. Doctors advise eating berry in iron deficiency anemia. Watermelon is good for pregnant women with edema and constipation.
The berry improves the endocrine system, positively affects the heart, blood vessels, kidneys. Doctors recommend consuming watermelon as an aid in the treatment of kidney disease.
Is watermelon useful for pregnant women? Undoubtedly. Indeed, in addition to the above characteristics, it saturates the body of the expectant mother with all the necessary nutrients, removes from it everything harmful and unnecessary. But, despite the positive qualities, the berry should be consumed sparingly, and it is better to consult your gynecologist on measures.
Is watermelon useful for pregnant women?
Watermelon is not only tasty, but also a useful berry, which has a tonic, diuretic, choleretic, antipyretic, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effect.
Is it possible for pregnant women to eat watermelon with excess weight? Not only possible, but necessary. It is low-calorie and is just a godsend for pregnant women who are overweight. 100 grams account for only 27 kcal. Nutritionists recommend watermelon during pregnancy . The berry is especially useful on hot days when, together with sweat, the body loses not only moisture, but also vitamins and microelements. The berry restores the water-alkaline balance and replenishes the supply of nutrients.
Why can't pregnant women eat watermelon?
The berry is mainly composed of water. And to the question whether it is possible to watermelon for pregnant women with edema, some gynecologists give a negative answer. There were recorded cases of deterioration in well-being in women with edema after its use. This fact has not been scientifically proven. The berry may be banned if the pregnant woman has malfunctions during the outflow of urine, there are kidney stones, and colitis is disturbing.
Experts advise using the product with caution in diabetes, as well as diseases:
- gastrointestinal tract;
- pancreas;
- the stomach;
- the kidneys.
When and why pregnant women should not eat watermelon, despite its benefits? If the internal organs are unstable, it will do more harm than good. In this case, any other fruit should be preferred. For example, melon, which is also tasty and healthy, but has completely different properties.
How to choose a quality watermelon?
Can a watermelon be pregnant? Yes, it is possible, but on condition that it will be ripe and of high quality.
So, you should not buy a product until mid-August, as an earlier fetus, as a rule, is crammed with chemistry and can cause poisoning.
You can’t buy berries at roadside outlets, there it is of poor quality and the rules for storing the product are violated. In a few hours by the road, a watermelon absorbs so many heavy metals that all its useful properties are completely nullified.
Watermelon should be carefully examined before buying. The peel must maintain its integrity and should not be dented. No signs of rotting, microcracks. Bacteria, which multiply rapidly, easily penetrate through any damage. As a result, the berry becomes sour and rot.
With light squeezing, a good watermelon crunches slightly, and when tapped, it makes a loud sound. Its pulp on the cut should be red, smooth and not have rough bulges, yellow veins. In the latter, nitrates often accumulate. When placing a slice of watermelon in a glass with water, a high-quality berry does not stain the liquid in color, but only makes it cloudy, in contrast to a poor-quality liquid pumped with nitrates.
How to eat watermelon for the benefit of the body?
It is important not only to choose a ripe fruit that will benefit the body, but also to eat it so that it does not cause side effects.
Is watermelon harmful to pregnant women? No, if you buy a quality product, it will only benefit. A bad berry will cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sharp pains in the stomach.
Watermelon should not be sour. And it should be stored in a cut form in the refrigerator for no more than a day. You do not need to use it together with other food products, especially with brown bread. This combination can cause flatulence and colic in the intestine. With the simultaneous consumption of berries with salty foods, fluid retention in the body occurs, which leads to edema. Do not combine watermelon with drinks. This causes excessive gas formation and disrupts the intestines. Pregnant women may experience lower abdominal pain. The berry stimulates the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, which provokes diarrhea, dehydration of the body.
The fruit will bring pleasure and benefit if you use it one hour before and after a meal. Do not eat watermelon at night. In this case, there is a chance to spend the whole night in the toilet. During pregnancy, the daily intake of berries should not exceed 700 grams per day.
If you feel unwell or feel sick after eating a watermelon, you should drink activated charcoal and at least one and a half liters of water. If the condition worsens, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Watermelon is undoubtedly useful for a pregnant woman, and in a moderate amount it can deliver both benefit and pleasure to the body.