Is Eating Blackberry during Pregnancy Safe?

Fruits and vegetables are a great source of nutrition for a pregnant woman. Where some fruits are allowed and considered extremely beneficial for a mommy-to-be, other fruits may be a complete no-no during pregnancy. If you are thinking of adding blackberries in your pregnancy diet but are not sure whether it falls in the category of safe or unsafe pregnancy foods, then you may like to read the following article; in this article, we shall be discussing all that you need to know about consuming blackberries during pregnancy.

Can Pregnant Women Eat Blackberries

If you are wondering whether blackberries are good for pregnancy, the answer is yes, you may safely consume blackberries and add them to your pregnancy diet because they fall under the safe food category during pregnancy. However, make sure you wash them thoroughly before consuming them to remove any traces of dirt, pesticides, bacteria or other such substances. This is because all these may lead to food poisoning during pregnancy and may also cause birth defects in babies. Another important thing to remember is, always consume fresh blackberries as the stale ones may cause stomach cramps and food poisoning.

Nutrients Present in Blackberries

Some of the nutrients that you can find in blackberries include:

Health Benefits of Eating Blackberries in Pregnancy

Blackberries are not actually berries, they are called aggregate fruits. These small berries comprise of tiny sections of drupelets. Blackberries have immense health benefits for pregnant women, some of which are explained below:

1. Helps in Improving Digestion

Pregnancy may take a toll on your digestion and make your digestive system sluggish. Blackberries have high fibre content, which helps in taking care of digestion troubles during pregnancy.

2. Good for Your Baby’s Bone Health

The substantial amounts of calcium and magnesium in blackberries is very beneficial for your baby’s bones and thus including them in your pregnancy diet helps in the formation of healthy bones of your baby.

3. Beneficial for the Heart Health

Consumption of blackberries not only helps in the proper functioning of the mother’s heart but it is also beneficial for the foetal heart health. If a pregnant woman has a congenital heart ailment, consuming blackberries may reduce the risk of passing ailment to her baby.

4. Good for Eye-Sight

Regular intake of blackberries is not only beneficial for improving your eyesight, but it is also effective in improving the eye health of your unborn child.

5. Helps in Preventing Birth-Defects in Babies

Being rich in folate, blackberries are very helpful in keeping various kinds of birth-defects at bay. Also, it reduces the chances of miscarriage in pregnant women.

6. Helps in Preventing Excessive Bleeding

Blackberries contain a good amount of vitamin K, which is very beneficial in preventing excessive bleeding during pregnancy because of its blood clotting properties.

7. Aids the Blood Vessel Functioning

The daily intake of blackberries is extremely effective is the proper functioning of blood vessels and thus aids the proper blood flow from the mother to the baby.

8. Helps in Combating Cancer

The presence of micronutrients in blackberries are very effective is battling with the cancerous cells and thus protects you and your baby from the fatal consequences of the disease.

Can Blackberries be Harmful

Just like everything else has pros and cons, the same can be applied for the consumption of blackberries during pregnancy. Here are some drawbacks to eating blackberries during pregnancy:

• It may cause an allergic reaction in a pregnant woman.
• It may lead to diarrhoea if consumed in large quantities.

Though blackberries are very safe for consumption during pregnancy, however, if you are suffering from pancreatitis, dyskinesia or if you are oxalic-intolerant, then it will be a good idea to stay away from blackberries during pregnancy.

Healthy Recipes for Blackberry

You can eat blackberries in its fresh form, dried form, frozen form, in desserts, in puddings, in salads or various other forms. Here are some healthy blackberry recipes that you may try during pregnancy:

• Two tablespoons of dried blackberry leaves can be infused in half a litre of hot water. Half a glass can be taken thrice a day to overcome diabetes during pregnancy.
• To overcome gastritis, 50 grams of blackberries can be had half an hour before the meals.
• Two tablespoons of dried blackberries can be infused in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes. You may take one-third of this infusion three times a day to overcome the symptoms of stomatitis, sore throat and catarrhal disease.

You may extract immense benefits from blackberries by adding them into your daily pregnancy diet. However, please consult your obstetrician before you do so, to avoid any health complication.