Eating Grapes during Pregnancy:Pros and Cons

Pregnancy is the time when you cannot be irresponsible about what you eat. After all, your's and your baby’s health is at stake. There are many foods that should either be included or avoided completely from your pregnancy diet and eating grapes during pregnancy is one such controversial topic that should be discussed in detail.

Well, there are both pros and cons of eating grapes during pregnancy. This autumn fruit is high in nutritional value and can prove to be healthy for the expectant and her baby. Grape contains about 65-85% of water, 10-33% sugar (glucose and fructose), phlobaphene, galic acid ,silicic acid , quercetine , anin, glucosides, mono delphinidin and delphinidin, fruit acid, phosphoric acid, salicilic, lemon acid, formic acid , oxalic acid , pectin, tannin compound, kali salt, magnesium, calcium, mangan, Fe and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, A, C, P, PP, K, folic acids and enzymes.

That’s a lengthy list of nutrients that are present in those tiny fruits. They are a bomb of flavours and health. Let’s look at the advantages of eating grapes during pregnancy.

Pros of Eating Grapes during Pregnancy

Grapes not only benefit the mother but also the baby. Let’s learn how eating grapes during pregnancy can help the foetus be healthier.

Grapes Good for Children

• Eating lot of grapes can give your child brighter eyes because they contain lot of vitamin A and flavonol compound beneficial for eyesight.
• Vitamin B present in the citrus fruit can help pregnant women control their metabolism rate and hence results in more nutrients reaching the foetus.
• Grapes also contain folate that prevents any defects from occurring in the nerve pipe, which help the children avoid handicapped nerve pipe.
• The Kali and sodium in grapes help develop their nerve system better and phosphorus in them, which is a part of nucleic acid, work at better gene development in the child.

Grapes are Good for Pregnant Women

Expectants are prone to cramps which can be relieved through eating grapes because they contain magnesium.
Fibre in grapes helps mothers to digest their food easily.

• Drinking a glass of grape juice reduces stress in pregnant women and becomes more useful for them before they begin to labour.
• Mothers-to-be can also fight infections better with a stronger immunity; all thanks to antioxidants such as anthocyanins, flavon, geraniol, linalol, nerol and tannin present in grapes.
• High cholesterol is a common problem in expecting women and can be controlled by drinking a glass of grape juice daily which has high amounts of resveratrol.
• Arthritis and asthma can also be controlled through anti-inflammatory properties on grapes.

However, grapes and pregnancy share a love-hate relationship. While there are several reasons for eating grapes during pregnancy, there are some for not doing so.

Cons of Eating Grapes during Pregnancy

• Black grapes are especially problematic for pregnant women because they have a thick, non-digestible skin and the weak digestive system of an expectant struggle to convert them into absorbable substances.
• Sour grapes make pregnant women prone heartburn. Eating too many grapes might lead to nausea and vomiting.
• If a pregnant woman eats too many grapes, it might increase the heat in her stomach, leading to diarrhoea. It can be a dangerous condition because in diarrhoea, the body loses a lot of fluids.
• Too much of resveratrol can be potentially toxic for pregnant women whose hormones are imbalanced. Resveratrol poisoning can cause several complications during pregnancy.

For all those pregnant women wondering “can we eat grapes during pregnancy?,” one piece of advice is- do as your doctor says. They are the ones to be able to tell you the correct amount of grapes to eat during pregnancy in order to reap benefits without getting the disadvantages.

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Read more articles on Pregnancy Diet.