Grapefruit in pregnancy

Let's look at the topic of "grapefruit during pregnancy" from the perspective of the widely heard advice to all pregnant women: eat more fruit to avoid vitamin deficiency.

To give the most convincing answer to the question - can you eat grapefruit during pregnancy? - let's recall what kind of fruit it is, and, as they say, "what to eat it with"...

Grapefruit - Citrus Paradisi, that is, "paradise citrus". Although due to the presence of the glycoside naringenin, the taste of this fruit is slightly bitter. Moreover, it is a hybrid, and its ancestors are two other citrus fruits - orange and pomelo (pumpelmus). And the birthplace of grapefruit is the island of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea.

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Benefits of grapefruit during pregnancy

Considering that 100 g of pink grapefruit pulp contains almost 34 mg of vitamin C, 200 g is almost 90% of the daily requirement of this vitamin. So the benefits of grapefruit during pregnancy are obvious.

In addition, the same 100 g of grapefruit also contains other essential vitamins: thiamine (B1) - 0.037 mg; riboflavin (B2) - 0.02 mg; pantothenic acid (B5) - 0.28 mg; pyridoxine (B6) - 0.04 mg; folic acid (B9) - 10 mcg; choline (B4) - 7.7 mg; tocopherol (E) - 0.13 mg; nicotinamide (PP) - 0.27 mg, as well as carotenoids.

And if all expectant mothers know about the importance of vitamin B9 (folic acid), then, for example, not everyone knows about vitamin B4. And in vain, because the most important neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which carries out neuromuscular transmission, is synthesized from choline. Moreover, vitamin B4 has a positive effect on carbohydrate metabolism and regulates the content of the pancreatic hormone insulin in the body, and in the liver it oversees lipid metabolism. Without this vitamin, the liver accumulates excess fat.

Another positive side of grapefruit is the presence of vitamin B8 or vitamin-like substance inositol in its biochemical "track record". Vitamin B8 promotes the proper functioning of brain cells, cornea and lens of the eye; helps maintain the strength of vascular walls and normal cholesterol levels in the blood. Experts say that inositol contributes to the prevention of inflammation of the vein walls and the formation of blood clots, i.e. thrombophlebitis. Therefore, grapefruit during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester would be very useful for the expectant mother.

Pink and red grapefruits contain the antioxidant lycopene, which reduces cholesterol levels. Grapefruit, especially red grapefruit, is recommended to increase overall tone and relieve fatigue. But it should be borne in mind that it increases appetite and gastric acidity.

The benefits of grapefruit during pregnancy are also in the macro- and microelements that this Barbados native is rich in. Grapefruit contains calcium (9-12 mg per 100 g of fruit), iron (0.06-0.2 mg), magnesium (9-12 mg), manganese (0.013 mg), phosphorus (8-15 mg), sodium (1 mg), potassium (148-160 mg), zinc (0.05-0.07 mg).

Have you noticed how much potassium there is in grapefruit? And potassium, as we know, ensures normal water-salt metabolism in the body and prevents the formation of edema.

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Harm of grapefruit during pregnancy

Now it's time to figure out what the harm of grapefruit during pregnancy may be. Grapefruit contains some polyphenolic compounds, including the flavanone naringin and furanocoumarins - bergamottin and dihydroxybergamottin.

These biologically active substances behave quite aggressively towards the body's enzyme system. They block one of the varieties of intestinal and liver enzymes - cytochrome CYP3A4 from the hemaprotein family. This enzyme, located in the small intestine and liver, ensures the metabolism of drugs taken by a person, biological transformation and synthesis of cholesterol and some steroids.

As for medications, by inactivating the aforementioned enzyme, grapefruit increases their bioavailability, i.e. the strength of their action – up to a state similar to the effect of an overdose, often with gastrointestinal bleeding and liver damage. Researchers have identified 85 drugs with which grapefruit (and its juice) conflict. Moreover, inhibition of the CYP3A4 enzyme lasts for a significant period of time: after a day, its activity is restored by 50%, and only after three days does this enzyme resume its full functions.

Now let's return to the synthesis of cholesterol and steroidogenesis, the products of which are hormones: testosterone, estrogens, progesterone, corticoids, etc. During the study of the action of grapefruit polyphenols, it turned out that bergamottin also suppresses the activity of the enzymes CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP2E1 in the subcellular fraction (microsomes) of the human liver. And it is here that the first stage of biotransformation begins not only of xenobiotics, but also of endogenous compounds, including excess sex hormones...

It turns out that the harm of grapefruit during pregnancy is that the substances it contains can temporarily disrupt the metabolism of hormones and thus negatively affect the complex “hormonal environment” characteristic of the female body during the period of bearing a child.

So, can you eat grapefruit during pregnancy or not? Probably, a little bit and occasionally. But only if there were no problems with conception (i.e. with hormone levels), if the acidity of the gastric juice is normal, if you do not take any medications and if... it's not scary.