The period of pregnancy is so unstable, and the future mummy usually does not know what she wants exactly. Sometimes it may be vegetables, fruits, dairy products, or meat. But sometimes you may want to eat something exotic, a coconut, for example! Thus, you should know for sure, is coconut good for a pregnant woman or can it bring some harm to your unborn baby? However, mostly it is said to be so useful that it can supply a woman with all the valuable vitamins and minerals for the whole nine months of pregnancy!
Any woman will confirm the period of pregnancy as a stressful one. The organism shall rebuild itself to a new life and can often produce some surprises. In most cases, it concerns the body reaction to various products, even to the most common ones, and can cause unpredictable results.
Therefore, pregnant women are often interested whether some fruit or vegetables are harmless during the pregnancy. And they often ask “Can a pregnant woman eat coconut? Is it safe enough?”. So, let’s figure it out now!
Coconut and pregnancy
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Before speaking of coconut pros and cons in pregnancy, lets first look through its composition.
The nut inside is presented by a thick pulp with a juice in the very core of the fruit, which can be easily eaten. According to its composition, it is said to be a real wealth of useful elements, which include mineral salts, vitamin B, lauric acid, choline, and potassium. And all that merely is vitally necessary for both the pregnant woman and her child.
Thus, it seems to be such a useful and essential product for pregnant women, but it is so only at first sight!
Is eating coconut good for a pregnant woman?
The experts of various medical fields are widely discussing the topic of pregnancy and coconut. And usually, there arise many controversial issues concerning pregnancy and coconut fruit influence on it, as well as the impact of it on the unborn baby.
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However, there is still no unanimous conclusion towards the use of coconut. Many doctors claim it is necessary to eat coconuts because its plenty vitamins. Is it essential to eat coconut during pregnancy, or maybe there can be some exceptions?
The coconut by itself is not harmful since its components do not contain anything that can change the cells structure or somehow severely affect the whole organism. Nevertheless, not all pregnant ladies can eat it.
Despite all the benefits of coconut on the pregnant woman, there exist some contraindications to it. It is prohibited to those women, who suffer from food allergy. Because no one can guarantee you that this fruit will not lead to a severe allergic reaction and will not somehow affect your baby. So, be careful!
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Nevertheless, if you do not suffer from allergies, you are greatly welcome to eat it as much as you wish. Because coconut exactly can relieve a pregnant woman from unwanted heartburn, normalize the stool, the blood cholesterol level, strengthen the heart, and even improve your sight.
Thus, summing it up, the coconut and pregnancy are compatible, only if you do not have any allergic reactions. And be sure to eat only fresh coconuts! Do you wonder how to choose the fresh nut? We will explain this to you.
How to choose a fresh coconut when buying it?
Usually, there is no possibility to determine the freshness only by its shell. But several signs will help you buy fresh and delicious nut.
The main signs are:
- The nutshell must have a uniform colour without any stains or damage.
- There should be no mould or rot on the coconut shell.
- You can hear the juice splash when shaking the fresh fruit.
- An easy tapping can also determine its freshness. If the tapping sound is dull, the fruit is likely to be over dry and not tasty.
- Also, if you have already bought bad dried fruit, its juice will have a sour smell.
And remember to drink the juice during the day after getting it out of the coconut to obtain all the minerals and vitamins!
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Something important you should know
When tasting coconut for the first time, it should be taken gradually. You are advised to start with a small piece, monitoring your allergies. You may ask “Why”? The answer is simple: “Because of allergy.” Since the woman's body undergoes complex processes during these nine months of pregnancy, there can be unpredictable reactions.
Having read our article you already know a lot about coconuts and their effect on pregnant ladies. Now it is clear that eating coconut during pregnancy is completely safe and very useful to pregnant women. However, one should remember about possible allergic reaction! So, enjoy your pregnancy time and be healthy!
Source: Naija.ng