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Hardly anyone has ever heard of the benefits of wild berries. But during pregnancy, plants such as cranberries and lingonberries become not only important components of the diet, but also mild herbal remedies that can relieve many painful symptoms. Cranberries during pregnancy, for example, can replace a medicine for at least 10 painful conditions characteristic of this important period in the life of every woman.
Is it possible for pregnant women to have cranberries
When a woman only learns about the wonderful changes that can soon completely change her life, she may at first not be aware of how many restrictions, including in food, they carry with them. Even if no health problems were observed before this period, some unpleasant, if not painful, symptoms may appear. And the use of pills and other medicinal medications in a state of pregnancy is categorically not recommended. And a strict taboo can be imposed on many herbal remedies. Fortunately, this has nothing to do with cranberries. After numerous scientific studies, it has been proven that the use of cranberries, unlike some other plants, does not have any particular contraindications during pregnancy. Of course, there are separate diagnoses in which it is better to refrain from using it, but they are not directly related to pregnancy in any way and will be discussed in more detail at the end of the article.
It is worth taking a closer look at the composition of cranberries, as it becomes clear that the berry seems to be specially created for pregnant women.
- The content of vitamin C in cranberries is quite comparable and even exceeds those of citrus fruits, which helps to strengthen the immune system and has a positive effect on the regeneration processes in the body.
- Forms of vitamin A, such as beta-keratin and retinol, actively fight infections and act as antioxidants.
- The variety of B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9), contained in cranberries, allows you to normalize the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, to establish the course of biochemical processes in the body. And vitamin B9 or folic acid can prevent the development of fetal malformations.
- The presence of vitamin K contributes to the normalization of blood coagulation processes and the restoration of bone tissue.
- The content of many trace elements, including such rare ones as selenium, copper and manganese, improves the functioning of many organs of a pregnant woman and is a raw material that is used in laying the organs of a future person.
Cranberries during early pregnancy
The first thing that almost every second woman encounters in the first few months of pregnancy is intolerance to many foods, and nausea and weakness that appears even without any reason. All these symptoms of toxicosis during pregnancy can be relieved by cranberries and products from it: cranberry tea, fruit drink, juice. After all, cranberries not only alleviate the condition due to their sour and refreshing taste, but also, due to the content of dietary fiber, normalize and stimulate digestion.
Already in the early stages of pregnancy, women can experience various changes in the psyche, mood swings are characteristic. Many vitamins and minerals that make up cranberries have antioxidant and calming effects, improve the transmission of nerve impulses and normalize the general emotional background. Thus, those women who, from the first days of pregnancy, introduced cranberry juice or juice into their daily diet, are not afraid of depression.
In the early stages of pregnancy, problems that worried before that often make themselves felt. One of them is high blood pressure or arterial hypertension. Not only cranberries, but also its closest sister, lingonberries, are characterized by excellent diuretic properties. And the pressure in the vessels directly depends on the amount of fluid in the body. Therefore, regular use of lingonberry-cranberry juice for pregnant women will be more than useful, since due to the removal of excess fluid, the likelihood of blood pressure normalization increases.
The diuretic properties of cranberries will be very useful for edema, which is confirmed by numerous reviews of expectant mothers.
Cranberries from edema during pregnancy
Swelling is a very unpleasant thing, although for some women it is almost a normal physiological phenomenon. And with the onset of pregnancy, especially at a later date, it is difficult to imagine everyday life without edema. After all, the fetus, as it grows and develops, squeezes all the renal tubules, and on the other hand, the accumulation of fluid in the body is completely natural - these reserves will have to compensate for the upcoming blood loss in childbirth. In these cases, cranberries are able to provide real help, because, having a diuretic effect, it reduces the reabsorption of fluid in the renal tubules.
Another thing is when edema occurs due to certain diseases, the most dangerous of which for pregnant women is gestosis or, as it is sometimes called, late toxicosis. Edema is one of the signs of preeclampsia, and it is this option that should be excluded. Other signs of preeclampsia are the presence of protein in the blood, an increase in hemoglobin and general blood pressure.
There are other, most often chronic diseases that can provoke the appearance of edema during pregnancy. These are varicose veins, kidney or heart problems. In these cases, cranberries or cranberry juice can also help and relieve swelling during pregnancy.
Especially effective is the use of cranberries for edema associated with diseases of the kidneys and urinary system. Scientific research has found that the substances contained in cranberries prevent bacteria from retaining on the walls of the bladder and kidneys. Just one glass of cranberry juice a day can serve as a prophylaxis for cystitis, pyelonephritis and urethritis.
Cranberry, due to the presence of flavonoids in it, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, increases their elasticity, which means it helps with varicose veins. It also contributes to the normal uteroplacental circulation, and as a result, the successful development of the baby.
The benefits of cranberry juice during pregnancy
Although cranberries keep fresh well - they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 months, but its berries are too acidic to be used as a cure for all the ailments described above.But cranberry juice is the most suitable drink for pregnant women, which can and should be consumed regularly if there are no appropriate contraindications.
Cranberry juice in early pregnancy
With the onset of pregnancy in women, as a rule, immunity is weakened and the risk of catching any colds increases. Judging by the numerous reviews, the use of cranberry juice during pregnancy can not only quickly relieve the main cold symptoms (fever, headache, dry mouth), but also serve as the prevention of various colds infectious diseases.
To date, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract have become very "younger", and many women, even during early pregnancy, face their exacerbation, which can also be helped by cranberries. Thanks to the impressive antibacterial effect of cranberry juice, many pathogens die in some forms of colitis and gastritis. Even those women who have not previously experienced much stomach problems may experience constipation or other disorders. Including cranberries in your regular diet will help prevent or deal with these problems fairly easily.
Cranberry juice in late pregnancy
In the second half of pregnancy, cranberry juice becomes an simply irreplaceable drink, since many problems before the onset of childbirth can be aggravated.
Cranberries have the ability to thin the blood and prevent the formation of clots. And this is a very important property that serves to prevent thrombosis of the placental arteries - a dangerous phenomenon that can lead to spontaneous miscarriage.
It has already been mentioned about the bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties of cranberry juice. It is interesting that the valuable substances included in its composition destroy bacteria and microbes also in the oral cavity, preventing the development of caries and periodontal disease.
As for the recipe for a healing cranberry juice for pregnant women, it is unusually simple.
- 300-400 g of fresh cranberries are rinsed with cool water and crushed in any non-oxidizing dish using a wooden pusher, turning them into puree.
- Using a plastic sieve or several layers of gauze, filter the gruel, squeezing the cranberry juice into a separate container.
- The remaining peel with seeds is poured into 1.3 liters of water and brought to a boil.
- A hot cranberry drink is filtered and 170-180 g of sugar is diluted in it.
Comment! To increase the usefulness of cranberry juice, the broth is first cooled, and then 150-200 g of honey is dissolved in it. - After cooling, the broth is mixed with pre-squeezed cranberry juice and stirred - cranberry juice is ready.
An even more useful drink during pregnancy is cranberry-lingonberry juice. Because the lingonberry has very similar properties, the lingonberry leaf has an even stronger effect on kidney disease and edema.
It is prepared according to a similar recipe:
- Squeeze juice from 200 g of cranberries and 200 g of lingonberries.
- To the pulp remaining from the berries, add 100 g of lingonberry leaf and pour all 2 liters of water.
- Heat to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, add 200 g of sugar and insist under the lid until it cools.
- Mixed with squeezed berry juice.
It is also easy to make frozen cranberry juice for pregnant women:
- You can take the cranberries out of the freezer, defrost them and then cook according to the recipe.
- And you can make it even easier: pour frozen cranberries with boiling water, knead with a blender, add sugar. The resulting puree is added to tea or boiled water to taste.
Cranberry juice during pregnancy from edema
Much has already been said about the extraordinary benefits of eating cranberries to combat swelling during pregnancy. Numerous reviews confirm that it was the use of cranberry juice that eased the discomfort from edema. In more serious cases, a complex lingonberry-cranberry drink helps, the preparation of which is described above. Of course, in all cases, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is necessary, but these drinks, especially in late pregnancy, can replace ordinary water and various teas, juices and compotes.
If there are contraindications to the use of sugar, then when making cranberry fruit drink, you can replace it with honey or fructose. A good substitute for sugar would be banana puree crushed with a blender or chopped dates added to fruit drinks.
Contraindications
For all its useful features, cranberries also have some contraindications, in which its intake should be limited.
- In acute diseases of the stomach, liver or intestines, especially in which there is increased acidity.
- If diagnosed - enterocolitis.
- In the presence of low blood pressure, since cranberries have the ability to lower it, and the condition may worsen.
- In very rare cases, a cranberry allergy is possible.
Conclusion
During pregnancy, cranberries can serve as a natural and practically harmless medicine for many diseases, including chronic ones, in which it can significantly alleviate the condition.
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