Cherries in early and late pregnancy: useful properties

Cherries are tasty and tender berries that are consumed in the form of juices, compotes, jams and fresh berries, even in baby food. But many women ask the question: will cherries be harmful during pregnancy? After all, in this unusual period of life, you should be especially careful in choosing food products, including berries and fruits. We decided to thoroughly understand this issue.

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Benefits of cherries during pregnancy

Cherries are a low-calorie product: 100 g contain only 50 kcal.

Cherries are a rich storehouse of vitamins and other useful substances: the fruits contain 11% of various sugars, more than 1% organic acids, carotene, ascorbic acid, vitamins B, PP, P, iron (about 1.5 mg per 100 g).

The medicinal properties of cherries are used for intestinal atony: the delicate fiber of the berries gently stimulates digestion, eliminating constipation, colitis, and other pathologies associated with weak peristalsis. At the same time, dried berries will help with diarrhea, and fresh ones - with intestinal atony and constipation.

Improvement in the condition of patients with hypochromic anemia is associated with the high content of iron and vitamins in cherries.

Tasty fruits are used for gastritis with high acidity, stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers, and esophageal diseases. Due to the low content of organic acids, heartburn cannot develop after eating cherries.

Regular consumption of cherries ensures the delivery of oxygen to tissues. Potassium salts stabilize cardiac activity, and calcium and phosphorus salts participate in the formation of the musculoskeletal system of the future child.

Cherry is a wonderful sedative for pregnant women, strengthening the nervous system and improving mood. If a woman has a cold, you can make cherry juice, or even tea from its leaves: a large number of useful substances will strengthen the immune system and help quickly overcome a cold. Cherry fruits will help eliminate nausea during toxicosis, curb vomiting attacks.

Let's summarize the beneficial properties of cherries:

• berries contain many useful substances, including those that prolong the youth of our body and restore damaged cells;
• Cherry dishes help cleanse the body of toxic substances and salt deposits, cleanse the urinary system, which helps eliminate swelling and improve overall health;
• Cherries contain substances that calm the nervous system and provide a good mood for the whole day. A morning breakfast with cherries will help you recharge with positive energy and resist stressful situations throughout the day;
• The berries are also used externally in the form of masks. Regular cherry masks smooth the skin, making it more elastic and soft;
• Cherry fruits strengthen blood vessels, therefore they serve as a good preventative for varicose veins and heart disease;
• Cherries will help improve digestion and metabolic processes in the body.

Harm of cherries during pregnancy

However, can cherries harm a pregnant woman's body? Sometimes this can happen if you do not follow these rules:

• Cherries are not recommended for use in cases of intestinal spasms and diabetes, as they may worsen the disease;
• You should not eat berries immediately after eating other food. Cherries are a separate product that should be consumed 30-60 minutes after the main meal;
• If your body is prone to allergic reactions, you should eat cherries with great caution so as not to cause an allergy;
• Eating a large amount of berries at one sitting can cause bloating. Needless to say, this condition is extremely uncomfortable during pregnancy. For this reason, it is recommended to eat no more than 0.4-0.5 kg of cherries;
• Eat only those cherries whose quality you are sure of. Therefore, it is not recommended to buy berries out of season: most likely, such fruits contain many chemicals that will not benefit either you or your baby. By the way, do not forget to wash the cherries well before eating: sometimes trees are sprayed with special substances so that worms do not start in the berries. The poison can also end up on the surface of the fruit, which our body does not need at all.

Remember one more warning: do not store berries for a long time, especially if you have already washed them. Eat them immediately. Unwashed fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, depending on the variety.

Cherry recipe during pregnancy

Cherries are most often eaten fresh. However, you can also make a lot of delicious dishes from the berries. Help yourself!

1. Cherry cocktail. You will need: 150 ml of milk, 100 g of fresh cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon of honey, 5-6 cherries (to your taste). Beat the cottage cheese, honey and milk in a blender for 2 minutes. Pour half of the resulting mixture into a glass. Beat the rest of the cocktail again in a blender, adding cherries. Pour over the white mixture. You can drink it! Quick and tasty. If desired, you can add cinnamon, vanilla sugar or lemon zest to the cocktail.
2. Cherry charlotte. We will need: 2 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, 200 ml of yogurt or kefir, a teaspoon of soda, a packet of vanilla sugar, 1.5 cups of flour, 300 g of cherries, half a teaspoon of salt and a little powdered sugar. Beat the sugar with the eggs, add the yogurt and slaked soda, salt, vanilla sugar, mix. Then add the flour little by little. The dough should resemble thick sour cream in consistency. Meanwhile, grease the form with butter, lay out the dough, and evenly distribute the cherries (pitted) over the surface of the future pie. Place in an oven preheated to 200 ° C. The cooking time depends on your oven: usually it is 20-25 minutes. Check the readiness of the charlotte with a match or a toothpick. Remove the finished charlotte from the oven, cool, place on a nice plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
3. Berry and fruit dessert. You will need: 100 g pitted cherries, 100 g blueberries, 100 g apricot pulp, 200 g cottage cheese, 2 teaspoons gelatin, honey or sugar. Soak the gelatin in 60 ml of water. Beat the berries and apricots in a blender separately from each other, add 1/3 of the cottage cheese and honey to your taste to each part. Heat the diluted gelatin in a water bath or in the microwave until dissolved, cool for a few minutes and evenly add to each part of the ground mass. Stir. Put all three mixtures in the refrigerator for a short time. As soon as we see that the mass begins to harden, transfer them into special vases in layers and put them back in the refrigerator for several hours until completely hardened. Enjoy your meal!

Cherries during pregnancy are not only tasty, but also healthy. But remember that everything is good in moderation. Eat cherries, but do not forget about other equally healthy berries and fruits. Be healthy!