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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 cure for at least 10 painful conditions that are characteristic of this important period in the life of every woman.
Is it possible for pregnant women to cranberries
When a woman only learns about the wonderful changes that may soon completely change her life, she may not at first realize how many restrictions, including in food, they bring with them. Even if no health problems were observed before this period, some unpleasant, and even painful symptoms may appear. And it is categorically not recommended to use pills and other medications during pregnancy. Yes, 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 that of citrus fruits, which helps to strengthen the immune system and has a positive effect on 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 flow of biochemical processes in the body. And vitamin B9 or folic acid can prevent the development of fetal defects.
- The presence of vitamin K contributes to the normalization of blood coagulation processes and the restoration of bone tissue.
- The content of many microelements, 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 when laying the organs of a future person.
Cranberries during early pregnancy
The first thing that almost every second woman faces in the first few months of pregnancy is intolerance to many foods, and nausea and weakness appearing 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 normalize and stimulate digestion due to the content of dietary fiber.
Already in the early stages of pregnancy in women, various changes in the psyche can occur, 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 overall emotional background. Thus, those women who have introduced cranberry juice or juice into their daily diet from the first days of pregnancy are not afraid of depression.
In the early stages of pregnancy, problems that bothered before often make themselves felt. One of them is high blood pressure or arterial hypertension. Not only cranberry, but also its closest sister, cranberries, are characterized by excellent diuretic properties. And the pressure in the vessels directly depends on the amount of fluid in the body. Therefore, the 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 normalizing blood pressure increases.
The diuretic properties of cranberries will also be very useful for edema, which is confirmed by numerous reviews of expectant mothers.
Cranberries for swelling during pregnancy
Edema is a very unpleasant thing, although for some women they are almost a normal physiological phenomenon. And with the onset of pregnancy, especially in the later stages, it is difficult to imagine everyday life without edema. After all, as the fetus grows and develops, it compresses 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 during childbirth. In these cases, cranberries can be of 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 preeclampsia or, as it is sometimes called, late toxicosis. Edema is one of the signs of preeclampsia, and it is this option that is desirable to exclude. Other signs of preeclampsia are the presence of protein in the blood, an increase in hemoglobin and a general level of blood pressure.
There are other, most often chronic diseases that can provoke the appearance of edema during pregnancy. This is varicose veins, problems with the kidneys or the work of the heart. In these cases, cranberries or cranberry juice can also help and alleviate swelling during pregnancy.
The use of cranberries is especially effective for edema associated with diseases of the kidneys and urinary system. Scientific studies have found that the substances contained in cranberries do not allow bacteria to linger on the walls of the bladder and kidneys. Just one glass of cranberry juice a day can serve as a prevention of 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 well fresh – they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 months, but their 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 relevant 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 a prevention of various colds of infectious diseases.
To date, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract have become very “younger”, and many women already during early pregnancy experience their exacerbation, which can also be helped by cranberries. Thanks to the impressive antibacterial action of cranberry juice, many pathogens die in some forms of colitis and gastritis. Even those women who previously did not particularly encounter problems with the work of the stomach may experience constipation or other disorders. Including cranberries in your regular diet will help prevent or deal with these problems quite easily.
Cranberry juice in late pregnancy
In the second half of pregnancy, cranberry juice becomes simply an indispensable drink, since many problems can worsen before the onset of childbirth.
Cranberries have the ability to thin the blood and prevent the formation of clots. And this is a very important property that serves as a prevention of thrombosis of the placental arteries – a dangerous phenomenon that can lead to spontaneous miscarriage.
It has already been said about the bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties of cranberry juice. Interestingly, the valuable substances that make up its composition destroy bacteria and microbes also in the oral cavity, preventing caries and periodontal disease from developing.
As for the recipe for 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 with a wooden pusher, turning them into puree.
- Using a plastic sieve or several layers of gauze, filter the gruel, squeezing 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. Since lingonberries have very similar properties, and lingonberry leaf has an even stronger effect on kidney diseases and edema.
Prepare it according to a similar recipe:
- Juice is squeezed out of 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 cool.
- Mixed with squeezed berry juice.
It is also easy to prepare a fruit drink from frozen cranberries for pregnant women:
- You can take cranberries out of the freezer, defrost 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 taste in tea or boiled water.
Cranberry juice during pregnancy from edema
Much has already been said about the extraordinary usefulness of eating cranberries to combat swelling during pregnancy. Numerous reviews confirm that it was the use of cranberry juice that alleviated the discomfort from edema. In more serious cases, a complex lingonberry-cranberry drink, the preparation of which is described above, helps. Of course, in all cases, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is necessary, but these drinks, especially in late pregnancy, can replace both ordinary water and various teas, juices and compotes.
If there are contraindications to the use of sugar, then in the manufacture of cranberry juice, you can replace it with honey or fructose. A good substitute for sugar will be banana puree crushed with a blender or crushed dates added to fruit drinks.
Противопоказания
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, the condition may worsen.
- In very rare cases, an allergy to cranberries is possible.
Conclusion
Cranberries during pregnancy can serve as a natural and practically harmless medicine for many diseases, including chronic ones, in which it can significantly alleviate the condition.