Benefits and harms when eating cauliflower during pregnancy, you know?

Many mothers whisper that eating cauliflower during pregnancy not only helps pregnant mothers have good health but also promotes the comprehensive development of the fetus. So how bad is it, is it good to consume this kind of food?

Although not as "famous" as broccoli, cauliflower (also known as cauliflower) is also a great source of nutrients. This cruciferous vegetable is extremely rich in phytonutrients, especially anti-inflammatory agents, cancer prevention, good support for people with heart disease ...

Because of these practical benefits, cauliflower is recommended by nutritionists. Specifically, what health values ​​does white cauliflower bring? Please refer to the following article!

Cauliflower safe for pregnant mothers or not?

This question must be a common question of many pregnant mothers. Because there is quite a lot of information on the issue of the sulfur compounds in white cauliflower that can cause gas, causing bloating for pregnant mothers if used in raw form.

On the other hand, in many cases, overconsumption by pregnant women also leads to allergies, rashes or hives. Due to the above reasons, this vegetable is not recommended for use in the first 3 months of pregnancy . The reason will be explained in more detail in the section on the drawbacks of using cauliflower.

Coming back to the question of whether cauliflower is safe for pregnant women or not, the answer is that it is safe to consume cauliflower in pregnancy if you use it in moderation and follow the doctor's recommendation.

Practical health values ​​come from cauliflower

If placed on the scale, broccoli is somewhat better than its cruciferous cousin with impressive amounts of calcium and vitamin K. However, both are low in calories and bring many essential nutrients to the body such as folate, manganese, and B vitamins ...

It is the variety of vitamins and minerals that make cauliflower a brilliant "candidate" in the pregnancy menu, giving mothers and babies many great health benefits such as:

1. Prevent defects

Cauliflower is rich in folate, a nutrient that is especially important to prevent birth defects in the fetus. Anemia during pregnancy is also linked to folate. Accordingly, this nutrient plays a role in the formation of cells, muscles and hemoglobin.

2. Good for bones and joints

In addition to calcium supplementation, an essential element to build strong bones, cauliflower also provides additional vitamin K. This vitamin works to improve the absorption of calcium from the intestine into the bloodstream, and at the same time pushes calcium into the bones, limits calcium deposition in the kidneys or soft tissues.

Plus, this flower-eating vegetable is also rich in manganese, a mineral that is essential for building bone density and nurturing strong hair. Therefore, in order not to encounter problems related to bones and joints, pregnant mothers should pay attention to using this vegetable right away from the second trimester.

3. Good weight control

As mentioned above, cauliflower is a fairly "friendly" body food because it is low in calories. Not only that, thanks to the abundant natural fiber, it should help you control your appetite during pregnancy . The reason is that this substance when entering the body will absorb water and swell, making you feel full for longer. On the other hand, fiber also has the ability to reduce the absorption of fat, cholesterol effectively.

4. Improve digestion and detoxification

The fiber content in vegetables not only helps you control your weight but also stimulates bowel movements to work effectively. Thus, when pregnant women eat cauliflower regularly, they will avoid unpleasant problems such as constipation, flatulence, indigestion ...

Moreover, some compounds in cauliflower such as sulforaphane, glucobrassicin are very helpful in excreting toxins, improving liver function.

5. Minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease

Inflammation is the main cause of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes or even neurodegenerative problems like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Cauliflower with ingredients including vitamins C and K are natural antioxidants that protect blood vessel walls from plaque build-up, thereby preventing high blood pressure as well as cardiovascular diseases in general.

These essential nutrients also work to prevent the overactive immune system, avoid the appearance of autoimmune reactions that cause brain cell degeneration.

6. Eye protection

Just like carrots or bell peppers, cauliflower ingredients contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two special compounds that protect the eyes from the risk of vision impairment, cataracts and macular degeneration, among others. other related to the eye.

The drawbacks when consuming cauliflower during pregnancy

Although good for health, but cauliflower also has certain defects. Accordingly, pregnant mothers need to pay attention to a few points such as:

In case of pregnant women suffering from gout , uric acid kidney stones should avoid cauliflower because this vegetable contains many purines. The excess of this substance in the body will increase the concentration of uric acid in the urine, which greatly affects people with kidney stones, and also causes gout pain.

In many countries, during the process of growing white cauliflower, large quantities of pesticides are used . The neurotoxins from the insecticides in the vegetables can cross the placenta, affecting the genotype of the fetus. Therefore, it is best for pregnant mothers to use organic vegetables or buy from reputable suppliers to minimize the risks to the health of the fetus.

If you eat raw or undercooked cauliflower, there is a risk of stomach irritation because it may contain harmful parasites such as toxoplasmosis or listeriosis. To get rid of these parasites, you should soak them thoroughly with dilute salt water for 5–10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly before serving. Another way if you don't use salt water is to soak it in warm water with a little bit of turmeric.

Harm when consuming too much white cauliflower that pregnant mothers should know

In the late stage of pregnancy, if pregnant women eat too much white cauliflower, it will be easy to give life.

Cauliflower rarely causes allergies, but when consumed in large quantities, some mothers may experience allergic reactions with symptoms such as severe itching, swelling of the face, difficulty breathing ... If having problems such as So, you should go to the hospital so that the doctor can take appropriate action. Absolutely do not arbitrarily use drugs.

Cauliflower is rich in vitamin C, an essential nutrient that helps boost the body's immune system . But if you eat every day, especially in the early stages of pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage. The reason is that the presence of high levels of vitamin C in the body can interfere with the production of the hormone estrogen, causing hormonal imbalances, increasing the risk of miscarriage.

This vegetable is also known to cause gastroesophageal reflux disease and constipation in some people if consumed daily. If you encounter this situation, pregnant mothers need to consider whether the cause is due to consuming too many of these foods or not!

Revealing how to add white cauliflower to your diet

Cauliflower is easy to process into many different dishes, which can be soup, stir-fry, mashed or even boiled and served with sauces. One point to note when processing is that you should not cook too well because it will lose many essential nutrients.

Some suggestions for adding cauliflower to your diet include:

Vegetable salad served with steamed cauliflower with garlic toast for lunch.

Stir-fried white cauliflower with onion, carrot served with white rice. To increase the taste of stir-fries and add more iron to the meal, you can combine it with beef.

Cauliflower soup cooks delicious shrimp, cool for hot weather days.

When choosing to buy cauliflower, you should avoid choosing flowers that already bloom, as they are often old and do not eat well. If you haven't used all of them, you can wrap the cauliflower in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator, but it doesn't need to be too tight. This preservation will help keep vitamin C intact in the vegetable composition. Do not wash them before you put them in the refrigerator, as this will spoil more quickly. The best way to get all the benefits of cauliflower is to buy in moderation so you can use it all at once.

Although not a “super food”, cauliflower is still a recommended food during pregnancy. For added peace of mind, you can consult your doctor before use!