5 benefits when pregnant women eat seaweed and note you need to know

Seaweed is a very nutritious food, good for pregnant women. However, pregnant women eat seaweed should only be moderate, if you eat too much, sometimes "the benefits will turn into harm".

Nutrition is always a top concern for pregnant women. In which, seaweed is one of the dishes that many women love. However, can pregnant women eat seaweed or is it good for the baby? Please join aFamilyToday Health to follow the following shares to get answers to this problem.

What are the benefits of eating seaweed during pregnancy?

Seaweed is a very healthy food because it contains many vitamins and minerals such as vitamins B2, B3, fiber, DHA ... Pregnant women who eat seaweed in a moderate level will receive the following benefits:

Prevent Constipation: Seaweed is rich in fiber, thus helping to prevent constipation and other common digestive problems during pregnancy.

Good for fetal development:  Seaweed is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, good for children's brain development. In addition, some studies also prove, seaweed also contains substances such as align acid and alginic acid, which help prevent birth defects  .

Disease prevention: Seaweed is rich in antioxidants, can help the body fight many diseases such as depression , arthritis ...

Prevent oral diseases: Vitamin C contained in seaweed is essential for cell metabolism, promote collagen formation, and prevent root bleeding .

Detox the body, beautiful skin, beautiful hair: Vitamins and minerals contained in seaweed have the effect of regulating blood circulation, good for the organ systems and removing toxins from the body.

Risks when pregnant women eat too much seaweed

Seaweed contains a lot of nutrients that are good for pregnant women. However, you should not eat too much to avoid unexpected complications that can harm your baby.  

According to experts, this food contains a lot of iodine, if pregnant women eat too much, it will affect the activity of the thyroid gland. Every day, you should only eat about 220mg seaweed. However, to be safe, you should still consult your doctor before adding seaweed to your diet.

Many people believe that breastfeeding women eat seaweed is also very good because it causes more breast milk production. However, eating too much will increase the amount of iodine in both mother and baby, sometimes causing hypothyroidism in the baby .

Nutritional composition of seaweed

Nutritional ingredients in 10g seaweed:

Carbohydrate - 0.9g

Protein - 0.3g

Vitamin A - 35 IU

Vitamin C - 0.3mg

Calcium - 14mg

Magnesium - 10.5mg

Potassium - 4.9mg

Phosphorus - 0.1mg

Sodium salt - 85.3mg

Seaweed and other types of seaweed

Seaweeds, also known as algae, are plants that live in the sea. They are dubbed the "superfood" because it contains many healthy nutrients and is used as a herbal medicine. In Asian countries, seaweed is a fairly popular dish, used both fresh and dried.

Scientists have divided seaweeds into different categories based on their pigmentation, cell structure and other characteristics. Specifically, there are varieties such as red algae, brown algae and green algae.

Red algae are commonly used to make sushi, brown algae are often used to make soups and stews, while green algae is often used to make salads. Most of these seaweeds are safe for pregnant women, but to be sure, you should still consult your doctor before using.

Delicious dishes from seaweed that pregnant women can try

Seaweed can be processed into many delicious dishes. If you are craving this dish, then try some of these recipes below:

Wakame seaweed salad

Wakame seaweed is the most popular seaweed in Japan with a very high nutritional content. This seaweed is often used to process a variety of dishes such as soups, salads. Wakame seaweed salad is very delicious, nutritious and easy to make. 

Resources

Seaweed wakame: 30g

Thinly sliced ​​scallions

Minced garlic: 1 teaspoon

Crushed fresh ginger: 1 teaspoon

Sugar: 1 teaspoon

Soy sauce: 2-3 teaspoons

Rice vinegar: 2 - 3 teaspoons

Sesame oil: 2 teaspoons

Roasted sesame seeds: 1 teaspoon

Fresh coriander chopped

Perform

Soak dry seaweed in warm water for 5 - 10 minutes, when the seaweed is soft, drain the water and cut it into small pieces.

Take a large bowl, add seaweed, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic and mix well, then add green onion and coriander, sprinkle with sesame and enjoy a delicious salad.

Seaweed soup with young ribs

Seaweed soup with young ribs is one of the dishes that pregnant women love. 

Resources

Dried seaweed (you need to pay attention to choose the type of dried seaweed used for cooking): 45g

Young ribs: 150g

Young tofu: 1 box

Cilantro, carrot, shiitake mushroom, scallion

Spices: fish sauce, seasoning seeds, sugar, pepper, salt ...

Perform

Preprocessing

Soak seaweed in cold water for about 30 minutes until soft, drain.

Young ribs washed, cut into bite size.

Tofu sliced; carrots washed, peeled, sliced.

Mushrooms: cut off the root, cut into small pieces, wash it, soak in dilute salt water for about 10 minutes, then take out and drain. Washed onions, cut into pieces.

Cook soup

Put the young ribs in the pot, add water and boil over low heat for 20 minutes until soft. Then, add seaweed, carrots, mushrooms, tofu and cook for 2 minutes, add scallions, season with spices to taste.

Overall, pregnant women eat seaweed in a moderate amount can receive many benefits. You should choose to eat fresh seaweeds instead of dried seaweeds because these seaweeds often contain more salt. However, to ensure the safety of you and your baby, it's best to consult your doctor before eating.