Eating pistachios during pregnancy
Pregnancy is the period when you need to stay away from junk food and only include healthy food in your diet. Pistachios are very nutritious, but there are some side effects of eating pistachios during this period.
Health benefits of pistachios during pregnancy
Pistachios are packed with nutrition. Vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and aminio acids found in pistachios can be seen below.
- In 100 grams of pistachios, there are 20 grams of protein, 45 grams of fats, 28 grams of carbohydrates
- Vitamin A, E, B1, B2, K, B6, Niacin, Folate and Pantothenic acid
- Minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and phosphorus
- 10 grams of dietary fiber in 100 grams of pistachios
- Fatty acids like oleic acid, linoleic acid
- Amino acids like Arginine, Leucine, Isoleucine
Rich in protein
The pistachios are a rich source of protein. As shown, there are 20 grams of protein found in 100 grams of pistachios. Protein is a vital nutrient during pregnancy. Protein helps in development of muscles and tissues in the growing fetus.
Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids
There are about 24 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids found in 100 grams of pistachios. Monounsaturated fatty acid can lower the bad cholesterol level and increase the good cholesterol level in the blood. This helps to maintain the lipid level during pregnancy.
A good source of antioxidants
Pistachios are rich source of antioxidants like vitamin E, carotene which can boost up the immune system and protect expecting mothers from attack by free radicals. This in turns helps to prevent infections like cold and flu during pregnancy.
Prevent anemia during pregnancy
Pistachios are rich in iron and copper. These two elements are important for the red blood cells. Having sufficient iron and copper in the diet can help to prevent anemia which is very common during pregnancy due to a greater demand of blood to support the growing fetus.
Dietary fiber
Pistachios are rich source of dietary fiber which can help to prevent constipation that affects many women during pregnancy due to hormonal change in the body that slows down the bowel movement.
Good for brain development of the fetus
Pistachios are rich in omega-3 fatty acids like oleic acid, linoleic acid. These fatty acids are beneficial for the brain development of the fetus.
Side effects of eating pistachios in pregnancy
In the market, most of the pistachios sold are roasted pistachios.
Roasted pistachios usually have higher levels of sodium that can elevate blood pressure. This is absolutely undesirable in pregnancy. High blood pressure can lead to many pregnancy complications and should be avoided.
If you get allergies from nuts, it is better you avoid them altogether in pregnancy. Anacardic acid (urushiol) is a chemical compound found in pistachios that can trigger allergic reactions. The symptoms may range from itching skin to other types of anaphylactic manifestations such as difficulty in breathing, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
In conclusion, pistachios carry many health benefits for the pregnant women. But pregnant women with relatively high blood pressure may avoid this tasty nut as most of the pistachios sold in the market is roasted with some salt which can elevates blood pressure and may cause some pregnancy complications.
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