Can pregnant women eat apples?

Being in an interesting position, many women clearly measure the benefits and harms of each product they eat, because the first issue on the open agenda is the health of their unborn baby. Many recent “want” are replaced by “not allowed”, and the question “Is it possible?” Hangs up in pregnancy with respect to a number of products, the usefulness of which in a normal state a woman does not even think about. Such questions arise regarding sweet bakery products, some varieties of pickles and marinades, fresh vegetables, which can become provocateurs of allergic reactions. The theme is not spared fruit. And even harmless apples were included in the list of relativities, causing some conflicting opinions.

An apple - what is it, the “forbidden fruit”

According to Biblical belief, Eve seduced Adam in the Garden of Eden as an apple, and it was he who God did not order to eat to people. Therefore, there was something in it that was absent in all other known fruits. There is no continent in the world where apples do not grow. These simple rounded fruits are perfectly absorbed by the digestive tract of people of different nationalities.

Today in the world there are up to 10,000 different apple varieties, compiled into subspecies according to external and taste qualities - from wild forest apples to noble expensive species. People traditionally choose apples according to their appearance and taste, focusing on their own preferences. So, conditionally all varieties of apples can be divided by signs:

• Shape: round, pear-shaped, flattened.
• Color: red, yellow, green, mixed color.
• Size: large, medium, small, dwarf.
• Taste: sour, sweet, mixed.
• Density: hard, medium, soft.

So, the classic Semerenko variety can be described as round, relatively large green apples of mixed taste, solid in density, and the Chinese ranetka as dwarf apples of red or mixed color, sweet in taste, medium or hard density.

Structure

Whatever the quality of the apple, it is in any case a healthy and tasty food product. The basis of any apple fruit is chemically active water, in a percentage of it falls to 80%, the remaining 20% ​​belongs to organic acids and enzymes. In addition, 1% are vegetable fats and protein compounds. It is thanks to such a low content of the last two names that apples are included in most well-known popular diets.

The pulp of a ripe apple contains in large quantities a whole complex of vitamins and minerals:

1. Vitamins of the groups: C, B1, B3, E, F, H, K., performing a wide variety of functions in the human body, ranging from improving the appearance due to high-quality nourishment of the skin and improving the complexion, and ending with the prevention of life-threatening diseases, such like atherosclerosis, oncology, thrombophlebitis, etc.
2. Trace elements: first of all, it is iron, which plays a leading role as an oxygen carrier and prevents the development of anemia.
3. Biologically active substances involved in the formation of hormones and enzymes: phytonutrients (epicatechin, quercetin, etc.), flavonoids, compounds of polyphenolic groups, tannins and anthocyanins that contain apple peels.

Useful properties of apples

Apples are recommended to be included in the daily diet of a pregnant woman. However, in order to avoid future allergic reactions in the child, lovers of red varieties should be careful in taking them.It is at this stage that you should familiarize yourself with the unspoken rule of the “allergic effect” of a fruit or vegetable, based on its color: the redder the fruit, the greater the likelihood of an allergic reaction to it:

• Red is highly allergenic.
• Yellow - 50% to 50%.
• Green - the probability of allergies is reduced to "0".

This does not mean that red varieties of apples should be excluded altogether. It is simply recommended to limit their intake and it is advisable to cut off the peel before consuming it, since it is it that accumulates the bulk of the pigment.

Apples were one of the first types of fruits, the beneficial properties of which were appreciated by mankind. Many simple diseases were treated with these unpretentious fruits; women created therapeutic components to improve skin color. Apples were intensely fed to children after colds. And this is not in vain, because legends can be added about their useful properties:

1. Apples regulate intestinal motility, normalizing its condition and preventing constipation and retention of the food lump in the intestinal cavities.
2. It is an excellent antitoxin. They remove toxic substances and will be an excellent reducing product after poisoning.
3. Apples directly affect the level of acetylcholine, which is involved in the processes of attention and memory in the human brain.
4. Due to the large number of flavonoids, apples have an excellent anti-inflammatory property and are able to stop an asthmatic attack, often apples are recommended after undergoing appendectomy.
5. Green varieties of apples significantly reduce blood cholesterol. This is due to the large amount of ascorbic acid compared to other varieties, which in turn is an excellent stabilizer of cholesterol and fatty acids in the body.
6. Apples affect the state of vision. The phytonutrients that make up the peel prevent early retinal aging, improve the focal powers of the lens and prevent the development of microinflammatory processes inside the eye. Some pharmacological preparations are based on this component, whose action is aimed at treating keratitis.

Contraindications to taking apples by a pregnant woman

Despite the fact that the beneficial properties of apples are undeniable and the intake of these fruits is strongly recommended for women during gestation, there are a number of contraindications and limitations:

1. Allergic reactions: if the mother is intolerant to apples, then, as a rule, she will not eat these fruits during pregnancy. But in the composition of most apples there is a large number of acidic compounds that can be poorly absorbed or not absorbed by the fetus. In this case, the development of intolerance can occur in the fetus, especially in late pregnancy, when most enzymes are present in the body in an imperfect form.
2. Restrictions should be observed if there is a history of gastrointestinal diseases, and especially if these are ulcerative forms.
3. Caution should be taken to consume apples and diabetes. It should be remembered that pregnancy changes the metabolic processes in the body. During this period, mother's sugar intake slows down and for the most part remains in the blood. Apples can oversaturated blood with sugar, which adversely affects the condition of the body, suffering from diabetes.

What is the best way to consume apples during pregnancy

The consumption of apples during the growing period is necessary. In order that they are most fully absorbed and do no harm, it is important to observe some precautions:

1. It is better to choose seasonal local varieties of apples. It is proved that apples grown in their native locality, as a rule, have a better effect on the blood condition of people in this climate zone.We are talking about the fact that nutrients and vitamins are more fully absorbed, and the energy of the fruit itself plays an important role. In addition, foreign varieties for better preservation during transportation are processed with various chemicals, the effect of which on the growing fruit does not affect for the better.
2. If pregnancy fell at the beginning of spring, yellow varieties of apples should be avoided, since they more accumulate and retain nitrate groups and other chemical fertilizers.
3. Apples can also be consumed in the form of juice. It is better to produce the juice ourselves and consume freshly squeezed, diluting 1/3 cup with water. This is important to prevent the development of gastritis. It is important to avoid the consumption of factory juices due to the addition of preservatives and stabilizers in them to extend the shelf life of the product. In addition, during storage, most valuable compounds undergo significant damage.
4. No less useful will be baked apples. It is not recommended to bake apples to a mushy state, since during the heat treatment above 70 ° C, the most important chemical compounds (especially copper groups and tin compounds) decay and apples lose a number of useful properties. It is best to consume baked apples slightly unfinished.
5. If a pregnant woman is treating her teeth or suffering from constipation, it is best to consume puree made from fresh apples. This facilitates the process of grinding the product and preserves all its beneficial properties.
6. It is important not to forget that thanks to the iron in the composition of apples, products are quickly oxidized. It is necessary to cut off the oxidized part, as well as 3-4 mm down from it, since oxygen quickly reacts with iron and penetration inside also occurs quickly. Complete oxidation of the cut apple occurs after about 6 hours, even if there are no external changes. In this state, it is better to process the apple, as it oxidizes, it actively attaches putrefactive bacteria to itself and can cause indigestion.

Apples are a necessary and valuable product, the consumption of which will help a woman to endure a healthy, strong baby. However, do not forget that it is always important to observe the precautions necessary to exclude harmful effects on the body. Only in this case, the utility for the body will reach its maximum.

Video: how to eat during pregnancy