JOIN USPregnant? Eat these fruits now!
Every expecting mother wants to provide the best nutrition to her unborn baby. However, the food that we eat may not provide an expecting mother and her unborn child the required nutrition. Thankfully, we have fruits. Fruits are good sources of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. Here are the fruits pregnant women must eat:
• Orange: Oranges are a great source of folate, a type of Vitamin B that helps prevent brain and spinal cord defects in the baby. Oranges are a great source of Vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage. It also helps your body absorb iron and keeps it hydrated.
• Lemon: Lemons are deemed effective in alleviating pregnancy-related nausea. They are also full of Vitamin C that helps stimulate the digestive system to relieve constipation.
• Avocado: Avocado has the highest concentration of folate and is also a great source of vitamins C, B, and K, fibre, iron, choline, magnesium and potassium.
Potassium and magnesium may help relieve leg cramps while choline promotes the baby’s brain and nerve development.
• Banana: Eating a banana will fill your stomach; it is also a good source of potassium, Vitamin B-6 which is deemed to be effective in relieving nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, Vitamin C and fibre.
• Berries: Any kind of berry such as strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, or mulberry contain phytonutrients like flavonoids and anthocyanins. They are a rich source of carbohydrates, Vitamin C, fibre and folate.
• Pomegranate: Pomegranates provide Vitamin K, calcium, folate, iron, protein, and fibre. Drinking pomegranate juice may help decrease the risk of injury to the placenta.
• Apples: Apples are high in fibre; they are good sources of vitamins A & C, and potassium. Eating apples during pregnancy may also reduce the chances of your baby developing childhood asthma and allergies.
(The author is executive nutrition & dietetics department, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad)