Can pregnant eat apples?

Being in an interesting position, many women clearly measure the benefits and harms of each product eaten, because in the open agenda the number one question is the health of their future baby. Many recent “I want” are replaced with “no”, and with respect to a number of products, about the usefulness of which, in a normal state, a woman does not even think about it, the question “Is it possible?” Hangs in pregnancy. Such questions arise regarding sweet bakery products, some varieties of pickles and marinades, fresh vegetables, which can become provocateurs of allergic reactions. The topic is not spared and fruit. And even innocuous apples fell into the list of relativity, prompting some conflicting opinions.

Apple - what is it, "forbidden fruit"

According to Biblical beliefs, Eve seduced Adam with an apple in the Garden of Eden, and it was him who was not told to eat by God. Therefore, there was something in him that is absent in all other known fruits. There is not a single continent in the world where apples would not grow. These simple rounded fruits are perfectly absorbed by the digestive tract of people of different nationalities.

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

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

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

Composition

Whatever the quality of an apple is, in any case, it is a useful and tasty food product. The basis of any apple fruit is chemically active water, as a percentage of its share falls to 80%, the remaining 20% ​​belong 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 items, apples are included in most popular popular diets.

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

1. Vitamins of the groups: C, B1, B3, E, F, H, K., performing various functions in the human body, ranging from improving the appearance due to high-quality nourishment of the skin and refining the complexion, and ending with the prevention of life-threatening diseases such as atherosclerosis, oncology, thrombophlebitis, etc.
2. Trace elements: first of all it is iron, which plays the leading role of 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, which contains apple peel.

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 a child, lovers of red varieties should be careful in taking them. It is at this stage that one should become familiar with the unspoken rule of the “allergic effect” of a fruit or vegetable, based on its color: the redder the fruit, the more likely it is that an allergic reaction will develop:

• Red color is highly allergenic.
• Yellow - 50% to 50%.
• Green - the probability of an allergy 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 desirable to cut off the peel before consuming them, since it is she who accumulates the bulk of the pigment.

Apples were one of the first types of fruit, the useful properties of which were appreciated by mankind. These unpretentious fruits treated many diseases, women created medicinal ingredients to improve skin color. Apples strenuously fed the children after suffering colds. And it is not for nothing, because you can add legends about their useful properties:

1. Apples regulate intestinal motility, normalizing its condition and preventing constipation and delaying the food bolus in the intestinal cavities.
2. This 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 excellent anti-inflammatory properties and are capable of stopping an asthmatic attack, often apples are recommended after undergoing appendectomy.
5. Green apple varieties significantly reduce blood cholesterol levels. This is due to a large amount of ascorbic acid compared with other varieties, which in turn is an excellent stabilizer of cholesterol and fatty acids in the body.
6. Apples affect the state of vision. Phytonutrients that are part of the peel prevent early aging of the retina, improve the focal abilities of the lens and prevent the development of micro-inflammatory processes inside the eye.Some pharmacological preparations are based on this component, whose action is aimed at the treatment of keratitis.

Contraindications for taking apples by a pregnant woman

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

1. Allergic reactions: if the mother has an intolerance to apples, then, as a rule, she will not use these fruits during pregnancy. But as part of most apples there is a large amount of acidic compounds that can be poorly absorbed or not absorbed by the fruit. In this case, the development of intolerance may occur in the fetus, especially in late pregnancy, when most enzymes are present in the body in an imperfect form.
2. Limitations should be observed if there is a history of gastrointestinal diseases, and especially if these are ulcerative forms.
3. Caution should be consumed apples and diabetes. It should be remembered that pregnancy alters metabolic processes in the body.During this period, the consumption of sugar by the mother's body slows down and for the most part remains in the blood. Apples are able to over-suck blood with sugar, which adversely affects the state of the body suffering from diabetes.

How best to consume apples during pregnancy

Consumption of apples during the period of growing the fruit is necessary. In order for them to fully digest and not bring harm, it is important to observe some precautions:

1. Choose the best seasonal local varieties of apples. It is proved that apples grown in their native areas, as a rule, have a better effect on the blood of people in this climatic zone. The point is that nutrients and vitamins are more fully digested, and the energy of the fruit itself plays a significant role. In addition, foreign varieties are treated with various chemicals for better preservation during transportation, the effect of which on the growing fruit is not good.
2. If the pregnancy fell at the beginning of spring, you should avoid yellow varieties of apples, as they accumulate more and retain nitrate groups and other chemical fertilizers.
3. Apples can be consumed in the form of juice.It is better to produce juice by yourself and consume it freshly squeezed, diluting 1/3 cup with water. It 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 to prolong 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, as during the heat treatment process above 70 ° C, the most important chemical compounds (especially copper groups and tin compounds) decompose and apples lose a number of useful properties. It is best to consume baked apples slightly grounded.
5. If a pregnant woman treats her teeth or suffers from constipation, it will be best to consume mashed potatoes made from fresh apples. This facilitates the process of grinding the product and retains all its useful properties.
6. It is important not to forget that due to the iron in the composition of apples, the products are rapidly 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 happens quickly.The complete oxidation of the cut apple occurs after about 6 hours, even if there are no external changes. In this state, the apple is better to recycle, as oxidized, it actively takes up the putrefactive bacteria and can cause indigestion.

Apples - a necessary and valuable product, the consumption of which will help a woman make a healthy strong baby. However, we should not forget that it is always important to observe the precautions necessary to avoid harmful effects on the body. Only in this case, the usefulness for the body will reach its maximum.

Video: how to eat during pregnancy