Dates do a lot more than just diminish sweet cravings during pregnancy!
During pregnancy, a slightly more active sweet tooth is to be expected. However, what if there was a way to satisfy those cravings, while also gaining health benefits during your pregnancy?
A study found that pregnant women who consumed the sweet fruit, also known as ‘nature’s candy’, had significantly less need for medical intervention when it came to inducing labour compared to those who didn’t eat dates.
In this study, which was carried out in 2011 in the US National Library of Medicine, a total of 154 women participated; 77 of them ate dates late in their pregnancy, the remaining 77 didn’t.
In 2020, BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth published a review after researchers studied the effects of eating dates over various stages of labour and childbirth in the hopes of reducing labour and delivery complications.
It found that dates contain several fatty acids that help in producing prostaglandins that help to speed up the delivery process by increasing contractions and ripening the cervix.
It also stated that these prostaglandins’ provide dates with compounds that latch onto oxytocin receptors to initiate contractions.
Dates, while rich in sugar, contain many micronutrients like potassium, manganese, magnesium and copper, as well as being packed with antioxidants such as flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acid, making them the perfect healthy sweet treat for your pregnancy, according to HealthShots.
Benefits
1. Instant energy
Being pregnant can result in feeling more tired or weak due to a 40% increase in load on the cardiovascular system and kidneys, Dr. Chetna Jain explains to the health and wellness outlet. Pregnancy can also lead to weight gain and a change of gravity, along with pressure on lumbar spine, which all is a recipe for feeling tired. Dates, however, can provide more energy, making them your best caffeine replacement.
2. Constipation relief
According to the HSE, constipation is very common during pregnancy. With dates high fibre content, this can be a quick remedy for constipation caused by reduced physical activity over pregnancy, as well an increased level of progesterone, which regulates periods and supports pregnancy. Pregnant women who experience nausea throughout gestation can also consume less food and water, resulting in constipation.
3. Anaemia prevention
Anyone, not just pregnant women, who are low in iron and are borderline anaemic, as well as diagnosed iron-deficiency anaemia, should consume dates for their rich iron levels. However, during pregnancy, blood volume expands more than red cells, so iron absorption may be lower, so this can result to anaemia.
4. Improved bone health
Optimum bone health can prevent osteoporosis, which women are more at risk of developing due to hormone changes, according to the NHS. Dates contain micronutrients such as selenium, magnesium, and manganese that can improve bone health.
5. Combats hair loss
Unfortunately, some women may experience hair loss during their pregnancy due to swift hormonal changes, particularly when first falling pregnant, according to Healthline.
HealthShots suggest dates for their high iron content and their property to increase blood flow to the scalp and hair, dates can be beneficial for your hair’.
Dates, Dr. Jain adds, are also known for stimulating labour and she recommends pregnant women consume dates about four weeks before their due date for this reason.
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