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.
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.
Some of the nutrients that you can find in blackberries include:
Nutrient | Amount (100 grams) |
Carbohydrates | 10.2 grams |
Dietary Fibre | 5.3 grams |
Sugars | 4.9 grams |
Protein | 1.4 grams |
Total Fat | 0.5 grams |
Vitamin C | 21 mg |
Iron | 0.6 mg |
Calcium | 29 mg |
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Blackberries contain a good amount of vitamin K, which is very beneficial in preventing excessive bleeding during pregnancy because of its blood clotting properties.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.