So it was a wonderful time for the baby to wait, when every expectant mother wants to give her baby all the best and most useful in the womb. Of great importance to the baby is what a woman eats. Eating peanuts during pregnancy or not is an individual matter. But what to focus on when making your choice can be found in this article.
Groundnut Vitamin Composition
All nuts are a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients, and peanuts are no exception. During pregnancy, you need to carefully select a diet so as not to harm the developing fetus. The composition of peanuts is diverse and rich in useful elements.
These include:
- Vitamin E, which is also called the vitamin of youth and beauty. It is vital for the human body. The fact is that vitamin E protects the membranes of our cells from free radicals and helps red blood cells transfer oxygen to all cells of our body.
- Vitamin PP is one of the main participants in the process of transforming fats and carbohydrates into energy, it is needed to ensure reactions in the body that are redox in nature.
- Vitamin C is a well-known fighter and assistant in the fight against bacteria, which strengthens the immune system.
- Vitamin B 1 helps prevent the formation of tumors, is a natural antioxidant.
- Vitamin B 5 is useful for mental activity, activates the brain and improves memory.
- Vitamin B 9 , or folic acid, is one of the most important elements in bearing a fetus. With its help, the correct formation of the neural tube of the embryo and its further development takes place.
Other beneficial ingredients of peanuts
In addition to its rich vitamin composition, peanuts have a large amount of protein, dietary fiber and saturated fatty acids. The beneficial elements found in peanuts (calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron) make this nut one of the most beneficial.
What harm can peanuts do?
During pregnancy, the female body undergoes a strong hormonal restructuring, as a result of which it can react unusually to some external stimuli and food. Even if before the onset of pregnancy the woman did not have an allergic reaction to this nut, then during the bearing of the baby she may suddenly occur. The first and most common harm from peanuts is allergies. Signs of an allergic reaction to peanuts during pregnancy may include the following:
- diarrhea and abdominal pain;
- lacrimation
- the appearance of itching, swelling and rashes on the skin;
- sneezing.
Anaphylactic shock can very rarely develop, this occurs in cases where the first mild allergic reaction has not been taken into account by a person, and he continues to use this nut. After all, it is peanuts that top the list of those products that can cause this life-threatening reaction of the body to an allergen.
When not to eat peanuts during pregnancy? The product should be discarded if there is mold on the nut itself. It can appear when improperly stored and transported peanuts. Aflatoxin is a danger - a product of the vital activity of a fungus that affects the liver, and sometimes can cause human death.
Other negative effects of peanuts on the body
In parallel with the growth and development of the fetus, the uterus occupies more and more space in the abdominal cavity of the pregnant woman, which complicates the digestive system. It is also negatively affected by a special hormone that inhibits intestinal motility, which is produced by the mother's body to preserve the fetus. All this leads to increased gas formation and large loads on the digestive tract. Peanuts, which have a lot of fiber in their composition, irritate the mucous membrane even more and complicate the work of the stomach and intestines.
Peanuts during pregnancy are not recommended for those women who suffer from varicose veins and increased blood clotting. This is due to the ability of a nut to slow down blood flow. Women who have kidney stones are not allowed to eat peanuts during pregnancy. You can put yourself and your unborn baby at great risk by eating a large amount of peanuts, since the oxalates found in this nut turn into crystals.
Pregnant Peanuts: Benefits
Despite all the likely negative consequences of eating this peanut, gynecologists do not place a categorical ban. Some benefits can be drawn from it. The value of this representative of the legume family lies in its rich vitamin composition, which we mentioned earlier, and manifests itself in this form:
- diabetes prevention;
- maintaining a normal amount of cholesterol in the blood;
- strengthening the cardiovascular system of the body;
- ability to remove excess bile;
- the prevention of gastritis in particular and the normalization of the digestive tract as a whole;
- strengthens the nervous system of a pregnant woman and increases the physical endurance of a woman.
- prevention of atherosclerosis.
The proper use of peanuts
If a pregnant woman does not suffer from kidney stones, varicose veins, thrombocytopenia and gastrointestinal problems, then she can eat this peanut.
However, the expectant mother should remember several recommendations:
- Choose for yourself only high-quality nuts that will be deprived of a musty smell, spots and mold on the shell.
- Do not combine with other types of nuts, it is better to eat peanuts with vegetables, sour cream, rice or with butter.
- In the last weeks of pregnancy, it is better not to abuse peanuts, as the baby may be allergic to this product, which will last a lifetime.
- If a pregnant woman suffers intolerance to this product, then she should be very careful about her diet (read the composition of dishes and constantly check in restaurants what her order consists of).
- Purchased nuts are best subjected to heat treatment, so they will become tastier, and all possible fungi will be destroyed. To do this, place the peanuts in an oven preheated to 75 degrees for fifteen minutes.
In any case, the woman herself decides whether to use her peanuts during pregnancy, the benefits and harms of which were described in this article.