The Many Benefits of Dates For Pregnant Women

Did you know that dates have many benefits and advantages for the health of the pregnant woman and the fetus?

As for pregnant women eating them, there are numerous advantages and few limitations, and there is a need to clarify concerns and worries about certain erroneous rumors regarding potential hazards to eating dates.

Pregnant ladies, dates are a sweet and light breakfast that helps sustain the pregnant lady and the fetus, and it also has advantages in helping labor at delivery.

Dates have many advantages for pregnant women.

Dates include many kinds of vitamins and minerals, and a large level of antioxidants is available, which helps to compensate the body for dead cells and improve its immunity. During pregnancy, it is crucial to have a diverse and balanced diet that provides all the critical nutrients for the mother and the baby.

1)Among the most notable advantages of eating dates for women during pregnancy are the following:

It includes dietary fiber.

Dates, as a plant, contain a lot of dietary fiber, as each 100 grams (about four grains) of dates contains the recommended daily amount of fiber, and therefore it helps to facilitate bowel movement and also relieve constipation, which is common in women during pregnancy because pregnancy hormones slow down the work of the digestive system, and the necessary iron supplements that a pregnant woman takes contribute to the possibility of constipation.

Rich in potassium

The normal human body needs potassium to support the fluid balance in the body and blood vessels and maintain the stability of blood pressure, which also contributes to the regular functioning of cells and reduces muscle contraction, and potassium deficiency is very common, and pregnant women suffer from nausea and vomiting in the first months From pregnancy, which raises the issue of low potassium levels than the necessary amount, which is 4700 milligrams per day, and here comes the advantage of eating dates for pregnant women, as each 100 grams of them includes roughly 700 milligrams of potassium.

It includes iron.

Pregnant women are among the most sensitive to iron deficiency anemia. If they need to consume twice as much as non-pregnant women, the continuance of anemia caused by low iron levels in the body is likely to lead to preterm delivery, or birth The infant has a low birth weight, in addition to the likelihood of postpartum depression.

Not rapidly increasing blood glucose levels

Dates are foods with a low glycemic index, which means that they are digested slowly and do not produce a quick rise in the level of sugar in the blood, and this attribute is essential since roughly a tenth of pregnant women may develop gestational diabetes . This is prone to producing difficulties that lead to an increase in the weight of the baby or preterm delivery.

sugar replacement

It is very useful to use dates as a substitute for sugar because they contain fructose sugar, especially for pregnant women. 

It helps her to resist pregnancy stress and it contains fewer calories by about a third, but it is not considered a suitable substitute for sugar in all cases because it has a special taste and flavor with it.

2) Dates' Fetal Health Benefits

While emphasizing the benefits and safety of eating dates for both the mother and the fetus, several key benefits for the fetus may be mentioned, the most notable of which are as follows:

supplying energy to the fetus

Since dates are a source of natural sugar, it does not dramatically increase the levels of sugar in the fetus, but since dates are a dried fruit, they have a high proportion of calories, and moderation is recommended.

Providing the fetus with vitamin K

The fetus is frequently born with a low level of vitamin K, which is crucial in the process of clotting and bone formation and is also vital for increasing muscle and nerve function. If the mother consumes dates, the fetus may obtain a high quantity of vitamin K, and also via milk after delivery.

Increased iron levels

Because dates contain a significant quantity of iron, they help a lot to prevent anemia during pregnancy, maintain normal hemoglobin levels, and increase the fetus's immunity.

Supporting the bones and teeth of the fetus

Dates play a major role in helping the fetus form bones and teeth because they contain a good percentage of magnesium. 

In addition to regulating blood sugar levels and blood pressure, most importantly of all, the prevention of magnesium deficiency during pregnancy reduces the chances of preeclampsia, placental imbalances, and premature birth.

Increase the amount of folic acid

Folic acid is vital for the safety of the fetus's development throughout pregnancy. It avoids developmental defects, notably in the spinal cord. 

Dates contain a high concentration of it, as well as vitamin B, which aids in the prevention of birth defects in babies.

Getting the fetus into the best birthing position

The wrong position of the fetus is one of the most prevalent causes for delaying or making labor difficult, and dates assist in enhancing the probability that the fetus will be in the right and suitable position for a natural and uncomplicated birth, since the fetal head is at the bottom.

3) The effect of the dates on the pregnant woman's health

Eating dates for pregnant women is not limited to health and benefit, but is also fully safe, as there are no signs of any harmful impact during pregnancy, whether in the first, second, or third trimester. 

It is a snack that helps sweeten the pregnant woman and curb cravings by eating sweets and sugar, especially since excessive consumption of artificially sourced sugars during pregnancy may affect the brain functions of the fetus, while the intake of natural sugar in fruits, including dates, is related to the improvement of the child's intelligence.

4)Precautions to take when eating dates while pregnant

In general, there are usually no side effects when eating dates in moderation by a pregnant woman, except for the rare possibility of an allergic reaction that leads to itching or swelling in the mouth or tongue area, in which case you should stop eating it immediately, and beware of taking it too much because it contains a high percentage of sugar. and calories. 

Dates contain 275 calories per 100 grams.

As for the adverse effects of high consumption of dates in pregnant women, they may include the following:

*High blood sugar, particularly in the second trimester when there is a worry of gestational diabetes,

*Weight gain: higher than average during pregnancy.

*tooth decay: in the lack of desire to clean it.

5) Does dating aid in labor?

Although it was considered an ancient myth since ancient times and civilizations, according to many modern studies, eating dates for pregnant women in the last month of pregnancy increases the rate of natural labor without drug intervention, such as using oxytocin to speed up labor, and it makes The initial stage of labor is shorter and increases the average height and softness of the cervix so that it is more ready to give birth. 

But this may not always happen to everyone, and additional research is required to establish that this applies to all women.