Bananas in pregnancy

Bananas during pregnancy are a great alternative to store-bought desserts, is that true? What are the benefits of this popular exotic fruit, and are there any contraindications to its use?

These questions may worry expectant mothers. The fact is that a wonderful period in the life of every woman – bearing a child – always brings its own adjustments to the diet of the pregnant woman. You have to be careful with the choice of products, because mistakes in the mother’s diet will certainly affect the health of the child. When faced with familiar products as if for the first time, a caring mother asks herself: “Can I eat this now?” Bananas often become the subject of such doubt.

Can you eat bananas during pregnancy?

You can and should eat bananas during pregnancy.

The talk that bananas contribute to weight gain is far-fetched. If you eat one or two bananas a day in moderation, it will not affect the weight of the fetus in any way, but will add energy to the expectant mother. In addition, in the early stages of pregnancy, these fruits can become a "magic wand" for a woman with heartburn and nausea: the tender pulp of bananas envelops the mucous membrane, eliminating unpleasant sensations, and the unobtrusive smell does not cause vomiting in the pregnant woman.

Warnings about eating bananas apply only to green and overripe fruits, because they can cause bloating and discomfort in the stomach. You should also refrain from drinking banana-milk cocktails, because this combination leads to weight gain. It is better to eat bananas during pregnancy with sweet fruits: apricots, plums, sweet varieties of pears, or with cream.

Note also that bananas are contraindicated for people suffering from diabetes due to the high glycemic index of this fruit. If a pregnant woman suffers from this disease, she should not risk increasing her blood sugar level – it is better to abstain from bananas.

Dried bananas during pregnancy

When talking about such a delicacy as dried bananas, let's first clarify what we're talking about. Dried bananas are two types of sweets: dried bananas ("banana figs") and banana chips.

The first ones, as a result of drying, significantly decrease in size, while retaining their useful properties. When buying such bananas, pay attention to the label: they should not contain preservatives, dyes, GMOs and sulfur dioxide. You can prepare dried bananas during pregnancy yourself, for this you need to peel ripe fruits, cut them into pieces 4-5 cm thick, put them on a baking sheet and dry for about 3-5 hours at a temperature of 30-40 degrees. At the end of drying, the bananas will acquire a rich brown color. The only thing that pregnant women should take into account is that the calorie content of bananas dried in this way increases approximately five times, compared to fresh fruits. It is important to observe the measure and monitor the amount of the delicacy eaten.

As a result of frying, you get another kind of sweets - banana chips. From my own experience, I can say that you can eat a lot of these chips in one sitting. And even when your hunger is satisfied, your hand continues to reach for the sweet, crispy pieces of dried banana. But don't be fooled: they are not much healthier than their potato counterparts. The main danger of banana chips is that they are fried in palm or coconut oil, which contain a large amount of saturated fats. The latter do not dissolve well in the body and settle on the walls of blood vessels, which leads to the development of atherosclerotic processes. It is also worth remembering that palm oil is a strong carcinogen. A pregnant woman should vividly imagine all this "splendor" if she suddenly wants to eat banana chips.

Benefits of Bananas During Pregnancy

Bananas have beneficial properties due to the presence of the following substances:

1. Carbohydrates. The average daily requirement for carbohydrates is 350 g. A regular peeled banana weighs approximately 100 g, which contains about 21 g of carbohydrates. Thus, by eating two bananas a day, a pregnant woman consumes 12% of her daily carbohydrate intake. Of course, this may seem like a huge result, but the diet is not limited to two bananas.
2. Proteins necessary for the growth and development of the fetus, uterus, placenta, mammary glands, increasing the volume of circulating blood and amniotic fluid. Sufficient protein intake is especially important in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy - 14 g per day, with 1.3 g easily obtained from just one banana.
3. There are only up to 0.5 g of fat in one banana, and even that is represented by easily digestible vegetable oil. At the same time, we note that a pregnant woman can consume up to 85-90 grams of fat per day.
4. Vitamin B6. A deficiency of this useful substance can lead to toxicosis, anemia, allergies, glycosuria and oligohydramnios in the mother, which will also have a negative impact on the fetus. Pyridoxine is a water-soluble vitamin, its supply must be replenished every day. The daily norm of vitamin B6 for a pregnant woman increases to 2.0-2.2 mg. Bananas, which contain vitamin B6, help to meet the growing needs of the body of the expectant mother.
5. Vitamin B1, which plays an important role in energy metabolism. The amount of vitamin in one banana is about 0.04 mg. At the same time, the daily requirement for this substance during pregnancy is 2 mg.
6. Vitamin B2, which acts as a component of tissue respiration coenzymes and activates the action of B6. The daily requirement of a pregnant woman for this substance is 3 mg, one banana contains about 0.06 mg.
7. Bananas also contain vitamins PP, C, B12 and B9. All of them are necessary for the formation of a healthy child.
8. Microelements: potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron.

Potassium, balanced by sodium, affects the normal functioning of cell walls. In addition, it interacts with magnesium, the main nutrient of our heart. The daily requirement of a pregnant woman for potassium is 2 mg. A generally recognized source of potassium is, in particular, bananas, containing a microelement in the amount of 0.6-1.48 mg / 100 grams.

Calcium, which plays an important role in the functioning of bone and muscle tissue, myocardium, nervous system, skin, should also be constantly supplied to the body of a pregnant woman. The daily requirement is 1300 mg. By eating one banana, a woman approaches the norm by 3.2-13.8 mg.

Phosphorus, which regulates metabolism and forms bones, teeth, muscles and nervous systems of the child, is difficult to overestimate. Its content in one banana ranges from 16.3 to 50.4 mg, this is not much, but considering that pregnant women need 1.5 grams of daily phosphorus, one or two extra bananas will definitely not be unnecessary.

The intake of iron in the body of a pregnant and lactating woman should be 33-38 mg/day. It has been proven that young children whose mothers suffered from iron deficiency during pregnancy have a shortage of this microelement. The consequence of this can be a disruption of the functions of four important systems: blood, nervous system, immune system and adaptation system. One banana will replenish the microelement supply in the body of a pregnant woman by 0.4-1.50 mg.

It should also be noted that eating bananas during pregnancy helps to increase the calorie content of the diet, which is also necessary for a woman in position.

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Reviews of bananas during pregnancy

While working on this material, the author asked the opinion of six of her friends who had already been "in an interesting position." All the girls, except one, who suffered from severe toxicosis in the first months, ate bananas throughout their pregnancy. All six girls gave birth to children of normal weight. By the way, they gave some good advice: you must always wash bananas with water before eating, because they can be treated with dangerous "eshki": preservatives E232, E231 and E230, to maintain their marketable appearance.

On forums, most girls also sing the praises of the yellow fruit, some even write about the unthinkable quantities of bananas they eat in the first months of pregnancy. Of course, we understand that such "fanaticism" can be dangerous. Eat bananas during pregnancy, remembering that good things come in moderation, and be healthy!