What to eat for high blood pressure in late pregnancy

We all know that women have a very hard time throughout the entire pregnancy period, especially in the late pregnancy when they are about to face the birth of the fetus, which often makes many expectant mothers very nervous. However, this is often prone to lead to various phenomena, such as edema or gestational diabetes due to diet in the late pregnancy. Among them, what mothers worry about most is high blood pressure in the late pregnancy. If such symptoms occur, it also has certain risks. Let's learn about what to eat for high blood pressure in the late pregnancy.

What to eat for high blood pressure in late pregnancy

Pregnant women must have a scientific and healthy diet to safely pass through pregnancy. Generally speaking, there are two situations that cause hypertension in pregnant women, one is physiological factors and the other is pathological factors. But no matter what kind of factors, they all increase the risk of childbirth.

1. Pregnant women with hypertension in the late pregnancy should reduce their intake of animal fat. It is best to use vegetable oil as the main oil for cooking, 20 to 25 grams per day. The heating energy of saturated fatty acids (such as lard, beef tallow, coconut oil, palm oil, etc.) should be less than 10%.

2. Excessive energy intake in the late pregnancy and rapid weight gain per week are risk factors for hypertension. Therefore, the energy intake of pregnant women should be enough to increase their body weight by 500 grams per week. For pregnant women who are already obese, it is advisable to gain 250 grams of weight per week.

3. Controlling sodium salt intake plays an important role in preventing and treating hypertension. If you consume too much sodium every day, it will cause blood vessels to constrict and cause blood pressure to rise. Therefore, pregnant women with high blood pressure should limit their sodium intake to 3 to 5 grams per day. At the same time, stay away from foods with high salt content, such as: sauces, pickled products, smoked and dried products, pickles, pickled vegetables, canned products, fried foods, sausages, ham, etc.

4. Do not consume too much soy sauce. 6 ml of soy sauce is approximately equal to 1 gram of salt. If a pregnant woman is accustomed to salty taste, she can use low-sodium salt instead of regular table salt to improve the taste of low-salt cooking.

5. Pregnant women with hypertension often suffer from hypoproteinemia due to excessive protein loss in urine. Therefore, high-quality protein, such as milk, fish, shrimp, eggs, etc., should be consumed in time to ensure the normal development of the fetus. The amount of protein supplemented daily can be up to 100 grams.

Dietary taboos for pregnant women

Do not overdose on vitamin A. If pregnant women consume too much vitamin A, it will lead to premature birth and incomplete fetal development, so they can only consume 400-1250 micrograms of vitamin A per day. Pork liver is extremely rich in vitamin A, so pregnant women should avoid excessive consumption.

Limit your intake of caffeinated beverages. Consuming too much caffeine can affect the fetus's bone growth, causing possible finger and toe deformities, and can also increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight. It is best to avoid drinking caffeinated beverages. If you must drink them, do not exceed 2 cups of coffee or 3.5 cups of strong tea per day.

Avoid drinking alcohol. If you drink too much alcohol, it will cause fetal deformities and affect the fetus's IQ and physical development, so it is basically best to avoid drinking. 2 beers or 1 glass of wine is the limit.

Avoid eating too much high-sugar, high-fat food. Foods such as soda, sugar, and potato chips can make pregnant women overweight, which increases the risk of gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension. In addition to increasing the chances of developing diabetes and high blood pressure in the future, it can also cause difficulties during childbirth.

The above is an introduction to what to eat for high blood pressure in late pregnancy. After understanding it, we hope that expectant mothers must pay special attention to their diet. In addition, they must do regular prenatal check-ups and go to the hospital for check-ups in time if they find any discomfort in their body. This will better ensure the health of themselves and the fetus.