Pomelo during pregnancy - benefits and harms

The diet of the expectant mother should be balanced. Both a deficiency and an excessive amount of any substances can disrupt the correct course of pregnancy and harm the fetus. The menu of a pregnant woman must necessarily include dairy products, a variety of cereals, lean meat, vegetables and fruits. Fresh berries and fruits are rich in fiber and vitamins necessary to maintain the health of the expectant mother. All this fully applies to the pomelo.

This exotic fruit for our country has several names - pomelo, pompelmus, sheddock (that was the name of the English captain who brought plant seeds from the Malay archipelago to the West Indies). Now this citrus is grown in the south of China and Japan, in Thailand, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and some other places with a warm climate. The fruits of the pomelo, like many citrus fruits, are divided into slices. Ripe fruits, depending on the variety, have a color from pale green to yellow, sweet or sour-sweet taste. The fruits are larger in weight than grapefruit, have larger and more elastic fibers than other citrus fruits. Under natural growing conditions, fruits can reach a mass of 10 kg, but in our supermarkets the average weight is 1.5 kg. Different varieties vary in the color of the pulp. It can be white, pale yellow, pink. The skin of the fetus is dense and thick, after its removal, the size of the pomelo decreases by almost a third. Eat fruit both fresh and processed.

How to choose a pomelo?

When buying this fruit, you should pay attention to some signs:

1. Ripe quality pomelo has a firm, dense pulp, its peel is elastic.
2. If the peel is soft, easily pressed by a finger, citrus is ripped off for a long time, has lost its juiciness and elasticity. It has large seeds, a “cottony” flavor.
3. Seals, spots on the peel indicate violations during the cultivation or storage of fruits.

Chemical composition

Pomelo - a valuable dietary product containing a lot of nutrients, with minimal calorie content.

It consists of:

• minerals - phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, potassium, calcium;
• vitamins A, C, H, PP, group B;
• alimentary fiber;
• organic acids;
• essential oils.

Nutrition value of 100 g of a product:

• calorie content - 25–38 Kcal, the sweeter the pomelo, the higher its calorie content;
• proteins - 0.8 g;
• carbohydrates –9.5 g;
• fiber - 1 g;
• water - 89 g.

The benefits of pomelo during pregnancy

The menu of the future mother should include a variety of fruits and vegetables, allowing you to get the optimal set of vitamins, trace elements and other useful substances.

The main beneficial properties of citrus:

1. The regular use of a vitamin-rich fruit strengthens the immune system, increases the body's resistance to colds, infectious and viral diseases. This is especially true in the cold season, as future mothers are not recommended to be treated with pills.
2. Many pregnant women in the second half of pregnancy suffer from high blood pressure. It is possible to normalize the pressure and increase the elasticity of blood vessels if you regularly consume pomelo.
3. Despite the low calorie content, this citrus is an excellent source of energy, tones well, improves performance.
4. Fruit perfectly quenches thirst.
5. A pregnant woman has an increased need for calcium intake, which is necessary for the formation of the infant's skeletal system.Pomelo has this metal in its composition, thanks to this a woman can avoid problems caused by leaching of calcium and keep teeth and bones healthy.
6. Pomelo beneficially affects the digestive system, facilitates the digestion of food, is the prevention of constipation and flatulence. Pectins remove toxins and toxins from the intestines.
7. Due to the low calorie content, the pomelo helps prevent the appearance of excess weight. The enzymes included in its composition, provide a quick breakdown of fats, not allowing them to be deposited in the tissues. Also, these enzymes activate the metabolism.
8. Eating this delicious aromatic fruit improves your mood.

Healing properties are possessed not only by the fruit itself, but also by its peel. Tinctures or decoctions from the peel of this citrus will help in the fight against cough, gastrointestinal upsets, poisoning, asthma. Add the peel of the pomelo in tea with honey, and you will get a fragrant healing drink. Such tea is an excellent prevention of colds.

Harm from eating pomelo during pregnancy

Despite all its useful qualities, in some cases a pomelo can have a negative effect on the body:

1. We must not forget that the pomelo is citrus, therefore, it can cause allergies.
2. Pomelo raises estrogen levels in the body, can make blood thicker. The consequence of this will be the occurrence of thrombosis, impaired blood flow, poor supply of oxygen and nutrients to the baby.
3. Excessive consumption of fruit causes an increase in acidity. You can not use this citrus in the presence of a stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer, colitis, hepatitis. Even in the absence of these diseases, heartburn, which is observed in a large number of pregnant women, can worsen.
4. If your blood sugar is too high, you should consult your doctor to help determine the rate of this healthy, vitamin-rich product.

If the expectant mother is healthy, there are no contraindications for eating the pomelo, this fruit will bring her only benefit. Eat three slices of citrus in the morning on an empty stomach. This will start the digestive tract, cheer up, quench your thirst, cheer up.

Video: the benefits and harms of the fruit pomelo