Is it safe to eat paan during pregnancy? Eating paan after meals are widespread in our country and families. Consumption of betel leaf provides many benefits to your body and is also known to improve your appetite too. Many times, you may crave eating sweet paan during pregnancy, and you may feel like tasting the paan flavour. But is it safe for the child, or does it harm the child? Let us know by reading this article. Consuming paan can be a healthy option for many people. However, you are advised to avoid it during pregnancy. Eating betel nut can harm your health (even at the risk of getting cancer). There are many places where there is a tradition of eating regular paan, even during pregnancy and because of this, there have been many cases where there is a problem of birth disorder in the child.
Why is it common to consume betel leaf during pregnancy?
The reason behind most of the pregnant women who continue to consume paan during pregnancy is the tradition has been going on in their families for a long time. Consuming betel leaves helps in the process of digesting food and increases hunger. In some places, betel leaves are applied to the breast during breastfeeding to increase milk production. There is a satisfactory amount of antioxidant in betel leaves. In this way, it helps to treat cough, dehydration, bloating, constipation, headache etc. many other diseases in a natural way.
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Benefits of consuming betel leaf during pregnancy
You have been explained below about the benefits associated with consuming betel leaves during pregnancy: Betel leaves have a natural tendency to increase appetite; it makes your digestive process better and consuming it during pregnancy also relieves you from the problem of constipation. There are many antioxidants and minerals in betel leaves which increase its nutritional value.
Also Read: Diet Recommendations To Prevent Gestational Hypertension
Side effects of consuming betel leaf during pregnancy
- Cancer risk is among the most harmful effects on people who eat paan daily. Mostly it is at risk of getting oral cancer which is not only dangerous for the mother, but it can also affect the baby.
- Consumption of betel leaf during pregnancy can harm the fetus. Consuming it during developmental stages is considered unsafe for the child, it can cause congenital disability problems in the child (even there is a risk of miscarriage).
- Consuming sweet betel during pregnancy can cause cancer, but more than that, there is a possibility of mouth ulcers. Sometimes, it takes a long time to recover. Besides, it can affect your organ after going inside the body like the food pipe and larynx, which can cause you a lot of trouble.
- Tobacco is added to the paan, which increases your dopamine levels and can affect the biology of the body. Apart from this, you may feel an addiction, which can harm the child (because all these things can prove to be dangerous for the child's development).
- Regular intake of sweet betel can increase your weight, due to which you may have obesity.
- Craving during pregnancy is nothing new, and it happens to almost all pregnant women (they feel like eating weird things during pregnancy). However, you need to know that not all your craving can be calmed down, as consumption of certain elements can harm you in the long run. It is better that you avoid consuming betel leaf during pregnancy so that your child can grow well and also do not face any complications.
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