Cashew – Health benefits of cashew during pregnancy

Cashew nuts are very tasty and the good news is that they are beneficial for you during pregnancy.

Heath benefits of cashew during pregnancy

Rich energy content

100 grams of cashew nuts has 44 grams of fats (monosaturated fat 24g, polysaturated fat 8g and saturated fat 8g), 18 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrate.  This can give you lots of energy that you will need.

Rich in dietary fiber

Cashew nuts are rich in dietary fiber. 100 grams of cashew nuts has 3.3 grams of dietary fiber. With sufficient dietary fiber, pregnant women can stay away from diarrhea and constipation during pregnancy.

Rich in iron

Cashew nuts are rich in iron. During pregnancy, there is a greater demand of blood to support the development of the fetus, this has caused many women to suffer from anemia – a condition where the blood lacks heathy red blood cell.

Iron is essential for the red blood cell formation and is the mineral that gives blood cell the color. Since cashew is rich in iron, cashew therefore can help expecting mothers to fight anemia during pregnancy.

In 100 grams of cashew nuts, there are 6.7 milligrams of iron.

Rich calcium content

Fetus will grow very fast, especially during the last stage of pregnancy. Calcium is essential for the bone development and teeth development of the fetus. Lack of calcium absorption by mothers has been found to relate to late development of teeth in many babies.

Cashew is a good source of calcium, in 100 grams of cashew nuts, there is 37 milligrams of calcium. With sufficient calcium in the diet, you can ensure healthy development of the bone of your growing fetus.

Rich in copper content

During pregnancy, you will need about 1 milligram of copper to support rapid growth of fetal blood cell. Copper is also important for the development of the nerve system of the fetus.

In 100 grams of cashew nuts, there is 2.2 milligrams of copper.

Rich in vitamin K

Cashew nuts are also rich in vitamin K. Vitamin K can ensure blood coagulate properly and therefore help to prevent excessive bleeding.

Rich in antioxidants

Cashew nuts are rich in antioxidants which can help to boost immune system of the expecting mothers, this can aid new mothers in fighting against infections such as cold and flu.

Rich in magnesium

Mineral magnesium has the effect of regulating blood pressure, preventing headaches, tiredness and tensions.

In 100 grams of cashew nuts, there are 292 milligrams of magnesium which can benefit the expecting mothers.

Reduce chance of allergy of your baby to cashew nuts

By eating cashew nuts during your pregnancy, you help your unborn baby build up resistance to the allergen. This will reduce the risk of the child developing allergic reaction towards cashew nuts.

Precaution of eating cashew nuts

First, avoid eating salted cashew nuts as they are usually high in sodium content. Having too much sodium will harm the heart.

Second, be mindful of the amount you eat. If you eat cashew nuts in excess, you and your baby will gain too much weight, this could make it difficult for birth delivery and may lead to some other pregnancy complications.

Lastly, cashew nuts contain oxalates that concentrate in your body fluids and may give rise to complications in pregnancy such as constipation and upset stomach.

In conclusion, cashew nuts are packed with nutrition that can benefit both expecting mothers and the growing fetus. However, the expecting mothers should not eat in excess to prevent any side effect of cashew nuts.