Citrus fruits in pregnancy

Citrus fruits are so tasty and healthy that it would seem that the more you eat, the better. This is especially true during pregnancy, because a woman expecting a child needs double portions of vitamins and, in general, everything useful that tangerines, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, limes, and pomelo are rich in. Is it true that citrus fruits can be consumed without restriction during pregnancy? Let's try to answer this question.

Can you eat citrus fruits during pregnancy?

The question of whether it is possible to eat citrus fruits during pregnancy is of interest not only to women, but also to their spouses, relatives, and friends. To answer, it is necessary to understand the composition of citrus fruits, their benefits and harms for the mother's body and the future child.

The categorical ban on citrus fruits only applies to those women who have a persistent allergy to these fruits. Increased sensitivity can be passed on to the child. In all other respects, various fruits bring only benefits to a healthy person.

First of all, yellow-orange fruits are rich in vitamin C, which increases immunity, and fiber, which is good for the intestines. Essential oils of these fruits increase efficiency, relax, relieve psycho-emotional stress, and tone the body. Fresh citrus juices diluted with water are especially useful: with their help, women get rid of nausea in the first months of pregnancy.

• The most popular citrus fruits during pregnancy are lemon (lime), grapefruit, and orange.

Nutritionists recommend starting the day with lemon, drinking a cup of warm water with the juice of a quarter of the fruit on an empty stomach. The drink will cleanse the digestive tract, regulate the acid-base balance, and remove toxins from the body. Lemon juice diluted with water relieves a pregnant woman from heartburn, eases stool, preventing constipation.

Grapefruit is a natural storehouse of vitamins and microelements. It has a beneficial effect on the development of teeth and the skeleton of the fetus, on the renewal of the cells of the future child.

Orange is also rich in vitamins and microelements that strengthen the immune system and increase the body's resistance, improve the functioning of the digestive organs. An important component is folic acid, which ensures the normal course of pregnancy.

It is useful to season meat dishes and salads with citrus juices instead of mayonnaise and fatty sour cream. Such a reduction in the caloric content of the diet prevents excessive weight gain in the expectant mother.

There are, however, contraindications. Thus, citrus fruits are not recommended for pregnant women who have been diagnosed with diseases of the digestive and other organs: gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, gastritis, cystitis, hepatitis, acute and chronic liver pathologies, as well as diabetes.

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Benefits and harms of citrus fruits during pregnancy

Good nutrition during pregnancy is the most important factor for the well-being of the mother and the correct development of the fetus. The diet should contain enough natural proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, be balanced and varied. This is not easy, given the changes in tastes characteristic of this condition, but it is still possible.

The main suppliers of vitamins, especially in winter, are fruits of the citrus family. What are the benefits and harms of citrus fruits during pregnancy?

• The benefit is that citrus fruits during pregnancy strengthen the immune system, prevent thrombosis and obesity, have a laxative effect, lower blood pressure, improve mood and, thanks to this, prevent depression.

Oranges and grapefruits are especially desirable during pregnancy, as they contain folic acid. This substance is useful both at the stage of planning a child and during pregnancy, as it participates in the formation of the circulatory and immune systems, preventing defects in the development of the fetus. The ingredients of the peel also have cosmetic qualities: essential orange oil is recognized as an excellent remedy against cellulite.

• The harm of citrus fruits is that they can provoke allergies, and if eaten in large quantities, they can cause heartburn. Tangerines are especially dangerous in this regard. It should also be remembered that the sour juice of all fruits contains citric acid and has a negative effect on tooth enamel, so after eating them, you need to rinse your mouth with clean water.

Grapefruits are contraindicated in hepatitis and cystitis. This type of citrus is not compatible with some medications; this should be taken into account and when treating certain diseases, consult a doctor. Citrus juice also increases stomach acidity.

The most allergenic and least useful of all citrus fruits are tangerines. If the mother had an allergy to them, then it is quite possible for the child to have one too. Although these fruits also bring benefits to the body: they improve appetite and metabolism, increase immunity and mood, relieve swelling and prevent the development of colds. Microelements in tangerines strengthen the skeletal system and teeth, and the recently discovered anti-cancer substance resveratrol reduces the risk of cancer.

Unlike oranges, lemons contain significantly less glucose. This is where the very sour taste comes from, which is why these fruits are eaten in small quantities, adding them, for example, to tea. The special benefit of lemons is that they are rich in vitamin C, which successfully combats colds.

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How Much Citrus Can You Eat During Pregnancy?

In order for fruits to be beneficial and not cause harmful consequences, it is necessary to observe the norm of their consumption. How much citrus fruits can be eaten during pregnancy is an individual question. But you can also calculate the average norms.

Thus, it is known that one orange contains a daily dose of vitamin C. Based on this and other indicators, it is recommended to consume the following amount of citrus fruits during pregnancy:

• oranges – from five to 15 pieces per week;
• grapefruits – one and a half fruits per day;
• tangerines – one or two pieces per day.

Both the juicy pulp and the orange peel, which contain essential oils and vitamins, are edible. Even the seeds contain useful microelements.

Lemons occupy a special place in the diet of a woman preparing for motherhood. They replace cold and flu pills, relieve heartburn, belching and constipation, reduce swelling, and prevent excess weight. Vitamin C is directly involved in the formation of the child's bones.

Lemon is also used externally: rubbing with a piece of the sour fruit reduces skin pigmentation.

If a woman has doubts about allergies, it is easy to check her body's reaction to this product, starting with eating a small piece of the fruit. If everything is fine and there is no adverse reaction, then the portion is gradually increased to the recommended norm.

Fruits are not only consumed in their usual form, peeled from the pulp. For variety, they can be combined, delicious and healthy desserts with other products, fresh juices and other drinks can be prepared. For example, oranges are combined with cottage cheese, honey, nuts, vanilla and cinnamon; a cold drink is prepared from oranges, grapefruits, lime, honey and water.

Citrus fruits during early pregnancy

Citrus fruits during early pregnancy are excellent in relieving women from annoying heartburn, nausea and vomiting. The ingredients that make up lemon reduce acidity, so it is useful for a pregnant woman to chew lemon in the morning on an empty stomach or add the squeezed juice to boiled water at room temperature.

Unpleasant belching can also be eliminated by lemon slices, if consumed regularly, and juice diluted with water helps to cope with constipation (which occurs due to the compression of the digestive organs by the enlarged uterus).

Tangerines, which many pregnant women like, are perceived differently by the body. For some women, everything is good, while others become covered in an itchy rash after eating several fruits. But there is a general pattern: experts believe that this type of citrus fruit is acceptable to eat, in the absence of allergies, only in the first months of pregnancy.

Citrus aromas, in particular orange, are associated with childhood and the anticipation of a holiday for many people, so when consuming these fruits, the body receives an additional boost of energy, resisting stress and drowsiness. This is especially important at the beginning of pregnancy. It is "Chinese apples", as these fruits are also called, that effectively save many women from early toxicosis.

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Citrus fruits during pregnancy in the second trimester

Almost all women want citrus fruits during pregnancy, almost without exception. But not all citrus fruits are equally safe during pregnancy, as they can provoke allergic reactions.

If you put it in order, the safest one would be lemon. It is allowed to eat it at any period of pregnancy, of course, without abusing the quantity.

In second place is grapefruit, then orange, and the most dangerous citrus fruit in terms of allergenicity is tangerine.

The use of citrus fruits during pregnancy in the second trimester has its own peculiarities. During this period, juicy sweet and sour fruits are also very useful, and usually appeal to most expectant mothers. Fruits can also be used for a specific purpose.

• For example, to relieve swelling, prepare tea according to this recipe: pour boiling water over two or three lemon slices, let it brew for a few minutes, and add tea leaves to the liquid. Drink the drink warm, in small sips.

By using lemon juice instead of fatty sauces, a woman reduces the calorie content of her menu and prevents unwanted weight gain.

Another warning from nutritionists applies only to tangerines: it is very dangerous to overuse them in the second half of pregnancy, especially as labor approaches.

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Citrus Allergy During Pregnancy

The undoubted benefits of citrus fruits during pregnancy may, however, be offset by some complications – for example, if a woman is prone to allergic reactions. They manifest themselves in a typical picture: itching, redness, rash on the skin. In severe cases, conjunctivitis and runny nose are added, and the most severe form is manifested by general urticaria, Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock. The reaction can be sudden and seriously threaten the health of the mother and fetus. Such a situation requires immediate hospitalization and medical intervention. Fortunately, this happens extremely rarely.

There are specific recommendations for such cases: if the allergy to these fruits was constant before pregnancy, then it is better for the woman to abstain from them for the entire period of bearing and breastfeeding the child.

If negative reactions have not been observed before, then, in order to avoid allergies to citrus fruits during pregnancy, they should be introduced into the menu gradually and in small doses, several slices or a small fruit per day.

If there is a visible risk of allergy, it is better to replace oranges with grapefruits: they are the richest of the entire family in vitamins, and at the same time less allergenic. Tangerines contain the most allergenic substances. Lemon and lime, on the contrary, are the safest citrus fruits.

The mother's allergy does not affect the fetus: the protective barrier of the placenta is triggered. But the disease can come back to haunt the child in the future and manifest itself as a tendency to allergic reactions.

Usually, after stopping eating fruits, the allergy goes away without treatment. If the symptoms do not go away, you should see a doctor who will determine the source of the allergy and select medications to eliminate it. Self-medication is unacceptable, as it can cause more harm than the allergy itself.

Citrus fruits during pregnancy can be both beneficial and harmful. It is important for a woman to listen to her body, but not to abuse any products so as not to harm the fetus. Long-term allergy sufferers should completely avoid fruits that provoke allergies. And if in doubt, listen to the recommendations of a qualified nutritionist and obstetrician-gynecologist.

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