It's no secret that fruits are very well consumed by pregnant women, one of which is avocado. Well , what are the benefits of avocados for pregnant women?
Avocados are green fruits that are proven to contain vitamins and minerals that are important for pregnant women. Among the many nutrients present in avocado meat, the folate and potassium content are the most prominent.
You can eat avocados at any time, but experts believe the third trimester is the best time to devour this creamy fruit . Not only is it useful for fulfilling the nutritional needs of pregnant women, avocados can also prevent the arrival of several diseases.
Nutrient content in avocados
Before knowing the benefits of avocados for pregnant women, you need to know the content that is in the avocado itself. According to the US Nutrition Data Center of the USDA, one serving of avocados (40 grams) contains the following nutrients:
- 64 calories
- 6 grams of fat
- 3.4 carbohydrates
- Less than 1 gram of sugar
- Nearly 3 grams of fiber.
In addition, avocados are a source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. Avocados also provide fatty acids lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 although in relatively smaller amounts.
Avocado benefits for pregnant women
Based on these contents, the benefits of avocados for pregnant women are as follows:
Prevent excessive weight gain
Although most of the calories in avocados come from fat, but don't worry because the fat in it is healthy fat. Eating good fats will make the body send signals to the brain to reduce appetite so that you do not experience weight gain during pregnancy.
Prevents babies born with birth defects
As mentioned earlier, one of the most abundant ingredients in avocado meat is folate. Well , folate is one of the substances most needed by pregnant women to minimize babies born with congenital defects, such as abnormalities in the neural tube .
However, the folate content in avocados alone is not enough to meet the daily needs of pregnant women. Because, one serving of avocados can only meet 10 percent of the daily needs of pregnant women for folate.
This does not mean you have to eat 10 times more avocados for folate needs are met. However, you still have to take folic acid supplements given by your doctor or midwife to complete the need for folate during pregnancy.
Healthy fetus
Avocados contain calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and other minerals. All of this mineral content will bring avocado benefits for pregnant women, which is healthy for the fetus and make sure it grows normally in your uterus.
Helps baby's brain growth
The benefits of avocados for pregnant women come from the content of choline in them. Choline is a substance that helps ensure the baby's brain is fully developed and the nervous system to and from the brain is also well connected.
An avocado serving is said to contain 22 mg of choline. This amount is enough for pregnant women to ensure the baby's brain grows perfectly.
Stabilize cholesterol and blood sugar levels
Pregnant women have a tendency to overeat, including foods that contain lots of oil and sugar. To reduce this unhealthy eating pattern, you can replace it with avocado snacking which is proven to have good fat for the body as well as low sugar.
Relieve leg cramps
One suggestion of pregnant women is very good to consume avocados in the third trimester is because of the potassium content in them. Potassium can bring avocado benefits for pregnant women in the form of relieving leg cramps.
Recommended amount of consumption
Eating avocados does bring many benefits to pregnant women, but that does not mean you can consume them excessively. Pregnant women are only advised to consume only one avocado per day to avoid side effects that may arise from eating too many avocados.
In general, pregnant women are advised to consume five servings of fresh food per day, but this is the total portion of the combination of fruit and vegetables. If you make avocados as juice , the recommended portion is only one glass per day.
