Grapes during pregnancy

Using grapes during pregnancy, some women do not in vain have some doubts. Aware of the full measure of responsibility for one's own condition and the correct development of the child to be born, future mothers should know exactly which foods should be excluded from their diet. While most nutritionists claim the indisputable benefits of grapes to the body during pregnancy, some experts attribute grapes to foods that should be avoided.

First, let's talk about the beneficial properties of grapes for pregnant women.

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Benefits of grapes during pregnancy

Conclusion on the benefits of grapes during pregnancy can be done by examining its chemical composition. Grapes contain on average 70% water, 15-35% glucose and fructose, a whole list of organic acids, quercetin, glycosides, pectin, enzyme and tanning agents; compounds of potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, copper, cobalt, zinc, iodine. There are vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, C, E, P, PP, K, folic acid in the grape berries.

When pregnant women eat grapes, then its B vitamins activate metabolism, and the fruit will receive more nutrients. The use of grapes will help to avoid neural tube defects, because folic acid helps it. And thanks to potassium (225 mg%) and the heart of the mother, and the heart of the baby will work fine.

Iron, cobalt and manganese improve hemopoiesis, tannins and pectins have a beneficial effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, magnesium helps pregnant women to reduce muscle spasms, phosphorus is necessary for the synthesis of nucleic acids, and quercetin strengthens the walls of the capillaries.

It is useful to consume red grapes during pregnancy to prevent fluid retention in tissues or chronic venous insufficiency, since the skin of these berries is rich in polyphenols, in particular oligomeric proanthocyanidins. These substances protect plants from phytopathogens, and for the human body they have the effect of powerful antioxidants. If vitamin E acts only against fat-soluble oxidants in the body, and vitamin C - against water-soluble, then proanthocyanidins of the grapes have an active effect against both types.

Also, studies have shown that antioxidants of red grapes help to better regulate the activity of the exciting neurotransmitters of the brain - dopamine and norepinephrine, which gives an antidepressant effect.

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Is it possible to have grapes during pregnancy?

A negative answer to this question is attributed to domestic nutritionists by the high caloric value of grapes: about 65 kcal per 100 g of product. But this is as much as the body of a person eating 100 g of grain bread or an orange, and even 14 kcal less than 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese.

It's all about sugar: grapes refer to fruits with an average glycemic index (GI 59), that is, to those that help increase blood sugar levels. At the same time, 100 grams of grapes contain an average of 7.2 grams of fructose - a carbohydrate, which is most easily converted into glycogen (that is, a reserve of energy). And if the pregnant woman is gaining excess kilograms, or her blood sugar is elevated, then it is definitely impossible to use grapes.

Whether it is possible at pregnancy grapes, if at the pregnant woman the raised or increased formation of intestinal gases (a meteorism)? Of course, it is impossible, because the grapes just contribute to flatulence. When heartburn is often experienced during pregnancy, the use of sour white grapes can strengthen them and cause nausea and vomiting.

Foreign doctors are advised to avoid grapes during pregnancy - especially in the last trimester - because of the content of rind in the peel of resveratrol. This chemical is a stilbene transzyme, a natural phenolic compound that plants produce to protect against bacteria. Recently, it was found that resveratrol, like all stilbene derivatives, has estrogenic activity and increases synthesis of progesterone. This can lead to serious complications, although this condition occurs only if the pregnant woman eats too much grapes.

Keep in mind that grape polyphenols (proanthocyanidins) can interfere with the absorption of iron entering the body with food. Also, polyphenols inhibit the aggregation of blood platelets, that is, reduce their ability to "glue" and form blood clots during bleeding. And these are the main reasons why grapes during pregnancy - especially two to three months before childbirth - are best not to eat.