Pumpkin juice during pregnancy - benefits and harms

In the late summer and early autumn, a beautiful pumpkin ripens in our gardens. So we call the fruits of the plants of the same name from the pumpkin family. These are annual or perennial grasses with large leaves and large white or pale yellow flowers. Pumpkin, unfortunately, does not appear very often on our tables, although it contains many useful substances. Its bright orange color immediately reports that the fruit is rich in carotene. Many useful substances are found in the pulp and in the seeds.

The benefits of pumpkin juice

This drink has rightfully earned the title of one of the most affordable and beneficial for humans. By the amount of valuable substances he leaves far behind many of his fruit competitors. The bright orange color of the peel and pulp indicates a huge percentage of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A. The juice contains many trace elements necessary for the body.

In pumpkin juice there are:

• water;
• carbohydrates;
• cellulose;
• Sahara;
• proteins;
• pectins;
• vitamins;
• trace elements;
• ash;
• fat;
• organic acids.

Calorie content of juice without added sugar is 38 kilocalories.

Thanks to this, it has beneficial effects on all organs:

1. The high content of vitamins helps strengthen immunity, helps the body withstand the effects of bacterial, viral and fungal infections. During the bearing of the baby, the future mother is forbidden to use most medications. Therefore, strengthening immunity will be very handy, especially in the cold season during flu epidemics.
2. In the early stages of pregnancy, constipation occurs against the background of hormonal changes. Progesterone relaxes the muscles to ensure gestation. Bowel motility slows down. At a later date, an enlarged uterus compresses the internal organs, including the intestinal loops, disrupting the movement of feces. Pumpkin juice contains a large percentage of fiber, it normalizes the digestive system, helps to cope with constipation, and helps colonize the intestines with healthy microorganisms.
3. Vitamin A is not in vain called beauty vitamin. Its lack negatively affects the condition of nails, hair, skin. It is also essential for maintaining healthy eyes. This is especially important now, when most of the time people spend behind the screen of a computer, tablet, laptop. The antioxidants contained in the juice lutein and zeaxanthin prevent the onset of cataracts, slow down age-related changes in the organs of vision.
4. Pectin helps to dissolve cholesterol plaques in blood vessels, reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. Arteries are cleared of unnecessary layers, become more plastic. Due to this, the level of blood pressure normalizes, the risk of developing atherosclerosis, stroke or heart attack decreases.
5. Regular consumption of pumpkin juice improves the functioning of the kidneys, dissolves and removes stones from them.
6. Traditional medicine recommends using pumpkin juice with honey as a sedative and soft sleeping pill. Magnesium contained in a glass of pumpkin juice will help calm down, improve mood, and relieve stress. Many women during pregnancy experience mood swings and sleep disturbances caused by hormonal changes, worries, and fears.
7. Pumpkin juice contains potassium and magnesium, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the heart. These trace elements prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis of blood vessels, strengthen the muscles of the myocardium, and normalize blood formation.
8. Iron is necessary to maintain hemoglobin in the blood.This indicator often decreases during pregnancy due to an increase in the volume of blood circulating in the body.
9. The very rare vitamin K found in pumpkin juice contributes to good blood coagulation.
10. Many pregnant women face the problem of swelling, especially at the end of the term. Pumpkin juice has a diuretic effect, removes excess fluid from the body.
11. The use of pumpkin juice immediately after awakening helps to alleviate the manifestations of toxicosis, reduce nausea.

Contraindications

Pumpkin juice has many useful properties, but for some health problems it is necessary to limit its use.

This applies to the following diseases:

1. With gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, accompanied by low acidity of gastric juice, pumpkin juice can exacerbate the disease.
2. Juice from sweet pumpkin varieties contains a lot of sugar and carbohydrates, it must be limited to suffering from diabetes.
3. Due to the large amount of dietary fiber, it is necessary to exclude this product from the diet for people suffering from diarrhea.

Pumpkin juice is a healthy drink for a pregnant woman, but it is necessary to consider the possibility of hypervitaminosis due to the large amount of vitamin A. Doctors consider the optimal dose of 100-200 ml of juice per day.

Freshly squeezed juice will bring maximum benefit, especially since the pumpkin is perfectly stored almost all winter. To improve the taste, you can add apple, carrot or lemon juice, a spoonful of honey. Store packaged juices contain a fairly large amount of sugar, which can provoke an increase in blood glucose levels, excessive weight gain. In addition, after heat treatment, the amount of vitamins in the juice is significantly reduced. Half a glass of pumpkin juice, drunk before breakfast, will energize the body, provide vitamins and minerals.

Video: cold pressed juices during pregnancy