Pregnancy is one of the most important phases of a woman’s life. You get lots of advice from people around you at this time. You also crave for certain foods. Eating fruits regularly is very important. Watermelon is one of the fruits safe for consuming during pregnancy.
Watermelon – A Health Brief:
Watermelon is known as tarbooz in Hindi. It is very much consumed in summers as it can quench your thirst and is also very tasty. About 92% of it is made up of water. It is best to beat the summer heat. It is also rich in various nutrients. Vitamin A, C, B6, magnesium and potassium are found in high amounts in this fruit. It is also rich in fiber. So, consuming it helps in keeping your stomach full for a longer time.
Benefits Of Eating Watermelon During Pregnancy:
Alleviates morning sickness:
Pregnant women benefit a lot by consuming watermelon in the morning. It makes you feel refreshed and soothes your digestive system. It is also rich in nutrients and helps in preventing morning sickness in pregnant women. This fruit also keeps you energetic and fresh. So, start your day with a glass of fresh watermelon juice.
Boosts immunity:
When you are pregnant, you have to take care of your body as well as the growing baby inside you. So, if there is any health problem, it will affect you and the baby. It can even affect the growth and development of the unborn child. By consuming watermelon regularly you can improve your immunity power. Watermelon contains lycopene, which is an antioxidant that is responsible for giving the red color to watermelon. This can reduce the chances of pre-eclampsia by about 50%. It is also excellent for making your immunity stronger. During pregnancy immunity can drop. So, it is important that you consume foods that help in improving your immunity.
Cures Urinary Tract Infection (UTI):
Many women may suffer from UTI during the early months of pregnancy. This can be quite annoying and you may need medication. Watermelon is great for curing UTI naturally. It is high in water content and also has antibacterial properties. This enables this fruit to flush out the bacteria from the urinary tract. As a result you will get relief from the constant and painful urination.
Eases heart burns:
Watermelon helps in soothing the food pipe and the stomach. Pregnant women often suffer from various digestive issues like heartburn and acidity. Watermelon with its cooling property helps in providing you relief from these problems. As a result you get instant relief. So, have watermelon regularly and prevent digestive problems.
Prevents dehydration:
It is important that pregnant women drink lots of water. This helps in preventing dehydration. This is important as dehydration can cause premature contraction of the uterine walls and lead to premature birth. As watermelon contains about 90% of water, consuming this fruit is an excellent way to prevent dehydration.
Promotes healthy vision:
Beta-carotene in watermelon is an antioxidant and it gets converted into Vitamin A when you consume it. This can fight with the free radicals that can cause damage to the cells. Vitamin A is also important for good vision. It protects the outer layer of the eye and also ensures healthy optical nerve transmission.
Prevents pigmentation:
Pigmentation of the skin is very common in pregnant women. This can make you conscious and take away the joy from pregnancy. Consuming watermelon helps in keeping the bowel movement smooth and makes digestion of the food easy. This way it helps in maintaining the texture of the skin, so that you do not suffer from pigmentation or any other such problems. It helps in cleansing the body and prevents pigmentation of the skin in various parts f the body.
Reduces muscle cramps:
When a woman gets pregnant, her body undergoes a variety of changes. She gains weight and there are also hormonal changes. All these can cause the muscles and bones to ache. To cope up with these changes and to get relief from the muscle cramps you can consume watermelon regularly.
Reduces swelling in feet and hands:
Swelling of the feet and hands is also known as edema. This is very common when you are pregnant. Watermelon is loaded with water and helps in reducing the blockages in veins and muscles. This way it helps in preventing edema.
Soothes heat rashes:
During pregnancy your body gets more heated. Because of the increased body heat, you may get heat rashes that can cause itching and irritation on the skin. Watermelon has great hydrating power as well as cooling properties. So it is very effective for these rashes. This fruit is also good for preventing dryness of the skin. It keeps your skin hydrated and itch free throughout the day.
Supports foetus bone formation:
Calcium is found in high amounts in watermelon. It is also rich in potassium. These two minerals are needed for the proper development of bones in the unborn baby. So, the unborn baby will benefit a lot if you consume watermelon regularly.
Treats constipation:
Constipation is also very common during pregnancy. Consuming watermelon can help in making the bowel movement smooth, so that you do not suffer from constipation. This is because of the presence of fiber in high amounts in this fruit. This helps in the formation of stool. The water content in this fruit helps in clearing the passageway and creates pressure for bowels.
You can consume watermelon in different ways like juice, Popsicle, watermelon salsa, salad, jelly and so on.
