Is it possible to cranberries during pregnancy?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Cranberry is a sour marsh berry. Its composition is rich in vitamins, minerals, pectin, tannins (organic flavors), antioxidants (elements that slow down the oxidation process and prevent rapid aging of the body), essential oils, and acids of organic origin. With such a set of useful components, is it possible to use cranberries during pregnancy - a question that often worries women expecting a baby.

Generally speaking, the berry mainly has a beneficial effect on the body of the expectant mother. But it must be understood that the use of cranberries during pregnancy should be limited. In addition, among pregnant women, there is a certain risk group who would like to exclude this berry from their daily diet or consume it in limited quantities.

What is the use of the berry?

Eating cranberry products during pregnancy benefits:

• General condition of the nervous system. In particular, the components of the berry normalize the sleep and mood of a pregnant woman, reduce the level of nervousness in the postpartum period.
• The state of the organs and systems of the female body (cardiovascular, genitourinary, digestive).

The main benefits of cranberries during pregnancy are as follows:

1. Prevention of viral colds and other infectious diseases during pregnancy. The high content of vitamin C helps to strengthen the immune system. It is recommended to use this berry during epidemics of diseases, as well as in the winter-spring period, during beriberi.
2. Proper development of the fetus. Vitamin B9 and folic acid help to improve the blood circulation of the fetus and the mother's body. Such components are important not only during early pregnancy, cranberries are useful in any period of gestation, since sufficient saturation of the mother's body with oxygen significantly reduces the risk of developing hypoxia (oxygen starvation) of the fetus.
3. Prevention and treatment of infections of the urinary system of the female body. Cranberries successfully prevent the retention of pathogenic bacteria on the walls of the stomach and bladder, so cranberry drinks are recommended as a prevention of gastrointestinal diseases and diseases of the excretory system, in particular, for the prevention and treatment of cystitis, urethritis and pyelonephritis.
4. Normalization of blood pressure during pregnancy. Cranberry has the ability to reduce blood pressure, which is especially important for expectant mothers suffering from hypertension.

Who shouldn't be addicted to berries?

Like any drug, cranberry has a number of limitations in its use. The most striking contraindications for adding cranberries to the diet are the following diseases of a pregnant woman:

• Acute course of diseases of the digestive system, in particular ulcers, colitis, gastritis.
• Increased acidity of gastric juice in the body of a pregnant woman. In such cases, the berry, saturated with organic acids, will irritate the mucous membranes of the digestive organs.
• Low pressure. Cranberries have tonic properties, so it is preferable to exclude or limit the consumption of this product by pregnant women suffering from low blood pressure.
• Intolerance to berry components. Individual negative body reactions to cranberries (allergies, sudden indigestion) are the reason for not consuming this product.

In addition, the abuse of berries in some cases can lead to an increase in uterine tone and a decrease in blood clotting, so it is advisable to consult a doctor before use. Do not experiment with vitamins on your own.

Different action at different timeframes

The beginning of pregnancy is often accompanied by some set of new, often unpleasant sensations for a woman. Thanks to theirThe properties of cranberries during early pregnancy can alleviate the acute symptoms of toxicosis, improve the general well-being and mood of the expectant mother.

Despite the benefits and beneficial effects on most organs and systems, the consumption of berries and various cranberry drinks must be limited, since excessive consumption of this product can provoke spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) due to increased uterine tone. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from consuming large amounts of this product in the early stages of gestation.

In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, cranberry juice, rich in vitamins and minerals, replenishes iron and calcium deficiency in the expectant mother's body.

In the later period of pregnancy, cranberry components help to normalize blood circulation, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and saturate the blood with oxygen, removing puffiness and preventing the formation of varicose veins. Such an action is useful not only for a woman, but also for an unborn child.

In order to avoid the undesirable effect of eating cranberries during pregnancy, you should control the daily amount of the product consumed:

• in the early stages, the allowable consumption rate is from one to two glasses of fruit drink during the day;
• from the second trimester of pregnancy and later, the daily allowance can be up to one liter of cranberry drink per day.

How to use cranberries for prevention andtreatment during pregnancy ?

You can introduce berries into your diet in any form. For example, prepare fruit drink or jelly, squeeze juice from a berry, consume it in its natural form with added sugar (individually to taste), add to tea or make an infusion.

Recipe for a cold

During colds, cranberries are an indispensable assistant in strengthening weakened immunity. For greater effect, you can combine cranberries with other he althy products, such as honey or other vitamin berries.

As a means of preventing and treating viral infections, you can use the following mixture: cranberries and lingonberries (about fifty grams each), combined with two teaspoons of honey. Berries must be ground manually or using a blender and mixed with honey. The resulting composition, take a tablespoon three times a day.

Cranberries for swelling during pregnancy

Often, expectant mothers experience manifestations of gestosis (complications accompanied by increased pressure and the appearance of edema). The use of a special cranberry decoction reduces the risk of such complications, normalizes kidney function and reduces blood pressure.

You can prepare such a decoction in the following way: crush one hundred grams of cranberries until juice is released, sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar and leave for a quarter of an hour. After that, pour the resulting mixture with half a liter of water and bring to a boil. Turn off the gas and cook for five minutes. Cover the finished broth with a lid and insist (about twenty minutes).

The diuretic prepared in this way is taken one fourth of a glass before meals. The daily dose of such a remedy can reach two glasses.

For the treatment of cystitis

Infusion prepared on the basis of cranberries helps eliminate inflammation of the urinary system, reduce pain during urination and normalize the function of urine output.

To prepare an infusion of cranberries, you need to crush two hundred grams of well-washed berries until juice appears and mix with a tablespoon of sugar. Transfer the resulting mixture into a thermos and pour a liter of boiling water. Before use, the mixture must be infused for several hours.

An infusion of cranberries is taken during pregnancy, half a glass twenty minutes before meals.

To restore the protective system of the future mother's body

Marsh berry is a storehouse of vitamins and many useful substances for the body of not only pregnant women, but also people with a weakened immune system. Therefore, taking cranberry-based products is useful for improving the general condition, for example in the form of cranberry juice.

Conclusion

Summing up the above, to the question of whether it is possible to cranberries during pregnancy, you can give a definite answer: not just possible, but necessary.

The main thing is that the use of this he althy berry should be in moderation. In the presence of certain complications and diseases, a woman mustyou should consult a doctor.