During pregnancy, it is indeed common for most women to develop food cravings. These longings can indeed differ from person to person. The turbulent pregnancy hormones may also cause some women to desire certain unusual foods, such as pickles. While in some cases, craving for pickles may indeed satisfy their urge for spicy food, others find eating pickles useful in preventing one of the most typical pregnancy symptoms i.e., morning sickness.
The vital thing to remember here is not, in fact, to give in to the craving in excess. Eating the tangy pickles on a day-to-day basis is not indeed recommended. Eating in moderation is a wiser approach when dealing with cravings, in order to avoid any issues later on.
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Nutritional Facts of Pickles:
On the whole, the nutritional value of pickles is in fact essentially not much. Pickles have do have very less cholesterol and are In fact very low in protein as well fat. Pickles can indeed be a good source of iron as well as sodium. They may also provide some calcium, dietary fiber, as well as vitamin C. Every pickle may indeed contain a different quantity of sodium, fat, as well as calories. So, it is important to check the product thus labeling detailing the nutritional facts. Although pickles by themselves do not possess many minerals as well as vitamins, having pickles along with one’s meal that may enhance the probiotic content of that meal.
Is Consuming Pickle in Pregnancy Safe?
Consuming pickles in limited measures when pregnant may not indeed be harmful. But it is not advisable to have pickles as part of one’s everyday diet while being pregnant. Overindulgence in pickles during pregnancy can indeed lead to certain health issues. Moderation should indeed be the guiding factor whenever one is tempted to reach for that jar of pickles.
Moreover, during pregnancy, it is indeed crucial to pay special attention to one’s dietary intake for one’s health along with that of one’s growing fetus. Pickles do not actually contain much nutritional value. So, their consumption is indeed best kept to the minimum. Further, one may also indeed like to avoid consuming very spicy pickles. In case of any lingering doubt, it is always advisable to be able to consult one’s doctor first.
Benefits of Eating Pickles during Pregnancy
It is not really a stretch of the imagination for pregnant women to have actually cravings for pickles sometimes all through their pregnancy. Eating pickles in moderation during pregnancy may indeed prove to be beneficial in the following ways:
1. Helps Maintain Right Balance of Electrolytes
Minerals such as sodium as well as potassium are the important electrolytes in one’s body which do play a key role in facilitating suitable electrical transmissions through one’s system. During pregnancy, one’s body may in fact require more amounts of electrolytes to fulfill the demands of the developing fetus. Consuming pickles in rather small quantities can indeed cater to this need as pickles do contain a considerable amount of sodium and potassium.
2. Cholesterol-free and Low in Fat
Pickles do contain no cholesterol as well as fat. So, pickles can be a good option for healthy snacking during pregnancy as it will not add to the weight. Keep in mind to choose unsweetened pickles in order to maintain low-calorie intake.
3. Boosts Digestion
Pickles are thought to be able to improve digestion and even the immune function to some extent. Pickles may be rather containing healthy bacteria which do prevent it from getting spoiled. In fact, eating pickles can rather aid in increasing the good bacteria in one’s digestive system which can also help in combating a lot of digestive issues.
4. Antioxidant Properties
Pickles are indeed believed to have antioxidants. The pickled fruits or vegetables are usually not cooked which does preserve their antioxidants. Antioxidants do help in defending one’s body against free radicals.
5. Source of Vitamins and Minerals
Having fresh pickles of various vegetables and fruits such as amla may indeed provide many important vitamins such as vitamin A, C, K and minerals such as calcium, iron, as well as potassium which can indeed lower one’s risk of falling prey to diseases during pregnancy by strengthening one’s immune system.
Risk of Consuming Pickles When Pregnant:
Nearly all pickles are indeed high in salt content. Salt is indeed added to pickles because it does indeed enhance the taste as well as functions as an anti-microbial agent, thus aiding in the preservation of pickles by keeping off undesirable fungi, yeast, as well as bacteria. Excess intake of salt through pickles during pregnancy can indeed rather lead to gestational hypertension which can in fact result in heart attacks as well as strokes.
Furthermore, most Indian pickles have in fact large amounts of oil which can indeed heighten one’s chances of cholesterol as well as fat development in one’s body during pregnancy. Eating very spicy pickles or pickles with chemical preservatives can indeed cause bloating or even gas when pregnant.
Precautions to Take While Eating Pickles.
Pickles, as well as pregnancy, may not be completely conducive. Some of the precautions that one may like to observe if craving pickles while pregnant are:
1. Eating excessive pickles can indeed lead to dehydration. Thus, make sure one drink lots of water as well as healthy fluids to remain suitably hydrated. Additionally, drinking water can also help to balance the sodium levels in one’s body.
2. If one is prone to gastritis while pregnant, it is indeed better to avoid eating pickles during this time.
Refrain from eating very spicy pickles as it can also trigger dysentery as well as digestive problems such as heartburn as well as acidity.
3. Having pickles that are high in sodium can indeed prompt gestational hypertension which can adversely affect the growth of the fetus.
4. Consuming pickles treated with excess chemical preservatives can rather cause unnecessary complications during one’s pregnancy.
5. Eating mango pickle during pregnancy which is homemade may have traces of listeria bacteria that can be potentially dangerous for one’s pregnancy.
One may want to choose the unsweetened range of pickles to avoid any probable weight gain.
One does need to take care to consume pickles occasionally while pregnant. Giving in to cravings once in a while is not in fact harmful. In fact, pickles, if consumed in small quantities may offer some benefit. If one is buying pickles from the market, choose the organic variety devoid of chemical preservatives. Do consult one’s doctor when pregnant before consuming pickles and also discuss one’s concerns regarding safety as well as likely allergic reactions.