Can I eat raw lotus seeds when I am pregnant?

After a woman becomes pregnant, her hormone levels will change, so her taste will also change, and she may like to eat foods that she hated before. However, family members cannot just follow the pregnant woman's temper and should pay more attention to her diet during pregnancy. Many pregnant women ask whether they can eat raw lotus seeds after pregnancy. The answer is that it is not recommended. This article introduces the specific reasons for you, and expectant mothers can refer to it.

Can pregnant women eat raw lotus seeds?

The answer is yes, pregnant women can eat lotus seeds, and the medicinal functions of lotus seeds are still acceptable for pregnant women. Lotus seeds nourish the heart, but it is not advisable to eat too many. It is recommended that you put lotus seeds into porridge when eating, the effect will be better. And remember, when adding lotus seeds, it is best to put them in moderation, not too much. Lotus seeds can be eaten raw, but for pregnant women, it is best to eat cooked lotus seeds, which have high nutritional value and are conducive to absorption. If you don’t want to make porridge, you can also use lotus seeds to mix with water and drink it. This effect is also good, but pay attention to the amount of water you drink. Don’t drink too much, which will lead to frequent urination and loss of potassium in the body. Pregnant women are not recommended to eat fresh lotus seeds. Instead, they need to eat fully cooked ones, so that the porridge they make will taste better. You can also add lotus seeds when making soup.

Many pregnant mothers have heard that eating fruit is good for the fetus, so they keep eating more fruit, and even replace regular meals with fruit. This is a wrong practice. Compared with vegetables, the fiber content in fruits is actually not high. Excessive intake of fruits without eating vegetables will directly reduce the intake of fiber for pregnant women, which can easily lead to constipation in pregnant women. In addition, fruits are low in protein and fat. If eating more fruits affects the intake of vegetables and regular meals, it will be detrimental to the development of the uterus, placenta and breasts.

There are also disadvantages if pregnant women eat a lot of fruit while ensuring regular meals. Pregnant women exercise less and their weight continues to increase. Many fruits have a high sugar content. If they are consumed in large quantities after a meal, it is likely to cause high blood sugar and metabolic disorders in pregnant women, which may lead to gestational diabetes, which is serious harm to both the mother and the fetus. Therefore, it is best for pregnant women to eat fruit in moderation.

What fruits are good for pregnant women?

1. Early pregnancy: grapefruit, apple, grape, orange, banana

In the early stages of pregnancy, it is best for expectant mothers to choose neutral fruits, such as apples, grapes, oranges, lemons, guavas, bananas, pineapples, wax apples, sugar cane, olives, etc. If you want to eat hot fruits, you must eat them in small amounts, and it is best to eat them with cold fruits, so that they can neutralize the cold and heat. You should also be selective when it comes to cold fruits like watermelon, grapefruit, and pear.

It is very good to eat some grapefruit during this period to supplement folic acid, as grapefruit contains natural folic acid. Folic acid is not only very important for early pregnancy, but is also essential throughout pregnancy.

2. Second trimester: lemon, cherry, kiwi, orange, pear, crabapple

In the second trimester of pregnancy, the expectant mother's appetite increases, the fetus is growing rapidly, and needs more nutrients. During this stage, pregnant mothers can eat fruits such as lemons, cherries, kiwis, grapes, loquats, apples, crabapples, etc. to supplement vitamins and folic acid.

Cherries are an ideal fruit for pregnant women. Cherries are rich in iron. Eating about 12 cherries a day can effectively increase the absorption of iron, prevent expectant mothers from iron deficiency anemia, and is more beneficial to brain health.

Kiwi fruit is rich in vitamins C, A, E as well as potassium, magnesium, cellulose and other nutrients. Expectant mothers can eat a kiwi fruit every day, which can stabilize their emotions, improve sleep quality, and effectively prevent constipation during pregnancy.

Apple is the most popular fruit in daily life. It is rich in sugar and vitamins, trace elements, especially zinc. Eating an apple a day is not only beneficial for expectant mothers to absorb nutrients, but also for babies.

Crabapple is a fruit rich in folic acid. It has the effects of promoting salivation and quenching thirst, strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea, and can treat indigestion. It is a good choice for pregnant women. However, crabapples taste sour, so pregnant women with gastric ulcers or excessive stomach acid should avoid eating them.

3. Late pregnancy: kiwi, orange, pear, grape

In the late pregnancy, pregnant mothers can eat more fruits rich in vitamins such as kiwi, oranges, and pears. Pregnant mothers with a hot constitution should eat less oranges to prevent the ingredients in oranges from causing excessive pigmentation in the body, which is harmful to the skin. Oranges are high in vitamins, so pregnant mothers can eat more of them.

If expectant mothers consume a certain amount of grapes every day, not only can they achieve a good effect on stabilizing the fetus, but there is also a saying among the people: if expectant mothers eat more grapes, the baby's eyes will be very beautiful. However, it should not be consumed in excess, and you cannot drink milk immediately after eating grapes.

Oranges are rich in vitamins and minerals, and have excellent functions of softening and protecting blood vessels, lowering blood lipids, etc.

In the late pregnancy, many expectant mothers have trouble sleeping and are easily irritable and restless. They can eat some pears appropriately. Pears are rich in water, B vitamins and other substances, which can effectively calm the nerves and prevent pregnancy edema and high blood pressure.