Banana during pregnancy: benefit and harm

In our country, bananas have long been considered an exotic and inaccessible fruit, despite the fact that they grow far beyond its borders. Malaysia is the birthplace of bananas, but now this culture is cultivated in many countries of the world.

Bananas are very tasty and healthy, they are given as complementary foods to small children, they are used for diseases of the intestines and stomach. Do not prohibit the use of this product and pregnant women, except in some cases.

Bananas during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a special period in the life of every woman. And, of course, during this period, the expectant mother thinks about what foods can be eaten, and what use is better to refuse. After all, not always exotic fruits and intricate desserts, however tasty they are, are useful for the body of a pregnant woman. And many doctors do not recommend eating exotic fruits in large quantities. Doubts in women and causes such a fruit as a banana. Let's try to understand whether there is any benefit from the use of bananas during pregnancy and what is possible from them harm.

Can pregnant bananas

Most gynecologists believe that eating a banana during pregnancy is very useful. This is especially true for women who suffer from toxicosis. It is this fruit that can become their salvation. The banana pulp contains almost all the vitamins and trace elements that a woman needs during pregnancy. Also this fruit is rich in proteins and carbohydrates.

It is necessary and, undoubtedly, you can eat bananas during pregnancy during a strong toxicosis. Due to a slight and unobtrusive smell, it is very well tolerated at a time when eating for a future mother becomes a real torture, and sharp smells cause new attacks of nausea and vomiting.

It is also important that the banana, getting on the mucous membrane of the stomach, helps to eliminate attacks of heartburn, which are often found in pregnant women.

Calorie content of a banana

Banana is a very nutritious fruit. Eating a day a banana during pregnancy, a woman provides her body with a daily intake of virtually all vitamins and nutrients. And this helps the baby to fully develop inside the uterus. The caloric content of one banana is approximately 100 kcal, this provides about 3% of the daily requirement of a pregnant woman for energy.

How many bananas are allowed to eat during pregnancy?

You can consume a banana during pregnancy during an early toxicosis in an unlimited number, if more a woman is not able to eat anything. Thus, she can support the body's strength. In the second and third trimester, bananas should be reduced to one fruit per day.

Bananas in Pregnancy: Benefits

In addition to protein, banana is rich in carbohydrates, iron, zinc, folic acid, as well as B vitamins and vitamin C.

Protein is the basic building material, which ensures the full development of the fetus in the womb of the mother. In order for the pregnancy to proceed safely, the expectant mother should consume about 15 grams of protein per day, and the flesh of one fruit provides the body of a pregnant woman about 1.5 g of protein.

Carbohydrates stimulate the production of serotonin, better known as the hormone of happiness. Thanks to that, the future mother feels a rush of energy and an uplift of mood.

However, this is not all that a banana is useful in pregnancy, the fruit contains a number of trace elements and vitamins:

• Zinc - improves the condition of the hair and nails of a pregnant woman, provides early healing of cracks in the skin and small wounds.
• Folic acid - a lack of this substance in the body of a future mother, especially in the first weeks of pregnancy, can lead to disturbances during the formation of the neural tube in the embryo. The consequence of this may be a possible pathology of the intrauterine development of the baby.
• Magnesium - prevents the possible occurrence of seizures in the calf muscles of a pregnant woman, and also stabilizes the nervous system and improves mood.
• Fiber - a banana is especially rich in this substance. Using bananas for constipation during pregnancy, the expectant mother will be able to forget about this problem for the entire period of bearing the baby.
• Calcium - the lack of this substance in the body of a pregnant woman leads to disturbances in the formation of the fetal bone system, as well as the destruction of the enamel of the future mother and possible night cramps of the calf muscles. Just using one banana per day will help a woman maintain the level of calcium in the body at the required level. And if you complement the fruit with curd or milk, you can get not only a super-useful dessert, but an incredibly delicious treat.

Contraindications to the use of bananas during pregnancy

The use of a banana is undeniable. But there are also cases when the use of it can inflict irreparable harm on the pregnant woman's body.

It is not recommended to eat bananas, if the future mother:

• Diabetes mellitus - in this case, the amount of sugar and carbohydrates contained in the pulp of the banana can provoke a sharp increase in the blood glucose level in the woman, which will only lead to a worsening of her condition.
• Food allergy. Despite the fact that bananas are not an allergenic product, with a burdened allergic anamnesis, it is worth noting the use of this fruit while the baby is waiting.
• Overweight in a pregnant woman: it should be remembered that bananas are a high-calorie product, and future mothers who have problems with excess weight should limit themselves to eating this fruit. After all, each extra kilogram collected during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of injury during labor, as well as possible gaps in the perineum in the parturient woman.

To buy a banana should also be approached with all seriousness, it is necessary to choose a ripe fruit. An unripe fetus can cause stomach upset and abdominal pain during pregnancy.