Plums during pregnancy - benefits and harms

Berries and fruits are real treasures of vitamins and fiber. But women in position need to pay attention to those varieties of them that have the highest nutritional value. And among the fruits that positively affect the functioning of organs and systems include plums. How are they useful for pregnant women, in which cases it is better not to eat them, and how to choose plums?

Unique properties of plums

This fruit has a rich composition, namely:

1. Phenolic compounds that strengthen capillaries and improve heart function.
2. A high concentration of vitamin E that improves reproductive function in women. It also helps protect the skin from stretch marks, making it more elastic.
3. Carotene, restoring vision and promoting skin regeneration.
4. Folic acid, which guarantees the normal development of the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy. It ensures the correct functioning of the nervous system of the child, eliminates the likelihood of malformations.
5. Potassium, which regulates the water-salt balance, protects against the accumulation of toxic substances and chronic fatigue, familiar to most women in the situation.
6. Iodine, affecting the physical condition of the fetus and its mental abilities. Its lack can lead to severe toxicosis, a state of chronic fatigue and dizziness.

A large amount of fiber, which is part of the drain, provides normalization of the stool. One of the properties of this fruit is a beneficial effect on the gums. Plums help to eliminate such a delicate problem as periodontitis, which almost every second woman faces.

Plum is also considered a powerful natural antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals and the negative effects of the external environment. And due to the good iron content, it can be attributed to effective means in the fight against anemia. Plum also helps to restore vision and strengthen immunity.

Recommendations for the use of plums

A separate topic is the use of plums in the last month of pregnancy. One of the features of this fruit is the stimulation of appetite, which, in principle, is not welcome at any stage of bearing a child. Having eaten too many fruits, there is a temptation to eat too much. As a result, this can lead to an increase in the weight of the child, which means that it will be more difficult to give birth.

Pregnant women can eat plums, both fresh and dried. You can cook delicious compotes from them, combining with apricots, cherries or peaches. Such a natural drink will be a good substitute for coffee or tea.

Contraindications

Plum will have to be abandoned in case of gestational diabetes. Pregnant women suffering from damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa and chronic gastritis, the use of plums should be discussed with a gastroenterologist. This is due to the fact that the fruits can increase the acidity of the stomach.

Rules for selection and storage

The quality of the drain should be approached with maximum criticality, because the health of a woman and a child depends on this. Ripe fruits must be elastic to the touch, but it is easy to give in to pressure. You can buy some hard plums and leave them to ripen at home.If you need to speed up this process, you can put them in a paper bag along with bananas and put them in a dark place. Bananas secrete ethylene, which contributes to the rapid ripening of any fruit.

You also need to pay attention to the variety. Yellow ones are sweet dessert plums, black ones are considered leaders in the number of useful components in the composition, red ones are used in folk medicine. If the fruits have a pronounced sour taste, then they are unripe. They should not be eaten, because this can provoke an intestinal upset and food poisoning.

Plums are stored for a relatively short time. After 3-4 days, they begin to rot, so they should not be bought a lot for the future. Plums purchased even in the markets must be washed thoroughly, because not only dust can accumulate on them, but also chemistry after spraying the trees.

Additional uses of plums during pregnancy

Many women know that dried plums help normalize stool by eliminating constipation. For these purposes, you can use prunes or a decoction of it. To do this, you need to cook ordinary compote or make it more concentrated: pour 3-5 ml of boiling water over 3-5 drains, let it brew for 20 minutes and drink 30-50 ml before each meal.

Dried plums help cope with a fever. Since women should not drink classic antipyretics during pregnancy, prunes will be a safe and very effective alternative. It can be used in the same way as in the case of the fight against fences.

Pregnant women can use plum leaves as a safe wound healing agent. To do this, take 5-7 leaves and brew them with 200 ml of boiling water, let it brew for an hour. The tool is used as compresses on abrasions and cuts.

Due to the presence of vitamin E, C, B in the plum, its pulp is an excellent basis for caring masks. It is enough to grind 2 large plums, after removing the skin from them, add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 yolk. The resulting mixture must be applied to the face and left for 5-10 minutes, then gently rinse. This mask perfectly moisturizes the skin and smoothes fine wrinkles.

Thanks to the huge list of useful properties, plum deserves the attention of pregnant women. She will cope with a huge number of problems that are usually solved with medication. Finally, plum is a delicious, juicy fruit that just feels good on a hot summer day.

Video: useful properties and contraindications of plums