Besides having a sweet taste, bananas has many benefits for pregnant women. Some benefits bananas for pregnant women areovercome constipation, relieve nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, ward off free radicals, reduce the risk of birth defects, and help prevent and relieve leg cramps.
This yellow fruit contains important nutrients needed by pregnant women, including carbohydrates, fiber, water, protein, as well as vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and folate. This nutritional content makes bananas a good intake for pregnant women to consume.
A series of benefits of bananas for health
During pregnancy, pregnant women must be more selective in choosing food, because whatever is consumed by pregnant women will affect the health and growth of the fetus. Besides being recommended to take prenatal vitamins, pregnant women must also eat healthy foods, including fruits which are a source of vitamins.
One fruit that is highly recommended for pregnant women is bananas. Here are some of the benefits of bananas for pregnant women:
1. Prevent constipation
One of the benefits of bananas for pregnant women is to prevent constipation. This condition often occurs in pregnant women, due to slowed digestion due to hormonal changes, pressure on the intestines by an enlarged uterus, and the iron content of prenatal vitamins.
To overcome this, Mother is recommended to consume fiber as much as 25 to 30 grams per day. Bananas can be chosen as a daily source of fiber, because 1 medium-sized banana contains about 2.5 grams of fiber.
2. Relieve morning sickness
In early pregnancy, pregnant women tend to be lazy to eat. This is caused by morning sickness which can cause nausea and vomiting, resulting in reduced appetite.
Bananas are believed to relieve nausea and vomiting, because they contain vitamin B6. In addition, bananas are also easy to digest and quite filling.
3. Fight free radicals
The recommended intake of vitamin C for pregnant women is around 80-85 mg per day. Bananas contain vitamin C which functions as an antioxidant to ward off free radicals, forming collagen in bones, cartilage, muscles, skin and blood vessels; and is important for tissue repair and wound healing.
4. Reduce the risk of birth defects
Folic acid is needed by pregnant women to prevent birth defects in babies, especially defects in the neural tube and brain. This usually occurs in the early 3-4 weeks of pregnancy in mothers who are deficient in folic acid.
So, pregnant women need to eat foods rich in folic acid, such as bananas. To reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus, pregnant women are advised to consume about 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.
This intake can be met by consuming foods rich in folic acid and pregnancy supplements prescribed by a doctor.
5. Relieve leg cramps
Potassium in bananas can help relieve leg cramps that are quite often complained of by pregnant women. In addition, potassium also plays a role in maintaining electrolyte balance in the body, and helps muscles and nerves work.
now, now pregnant women already know what are the benefits of bananas for pregnant women, right? Come on, start adding this fruit to the daily menu or daily snacks. Besides delicious eaten directly, this fruit can also be processed into salads, smoothies, juice, or mixed oatmealat breakfast time.