How pregnant women eat sweet potatoes to be good for both mother and baby?

Sweet potatoes by pregnant women can receive many health benefits for both you and your baby. However, you should only eat in moderation, if you eat too much, you will face many undesirable risks.

To have a healthy pregnancy, besides a scientific lifestyle, nutrition is something you need to keep in mind because this is the time when the body needs a lot of nutrients to help the baby grow and develop. Sweet potatoes are one of the foods that you can consider adding to your pregnancy diet. To better understand why you should eat sweet potatoes during pregnancy, please follow aFamilyToday Health to follow the sharing below.

Is it good for pregnant women to eat sweet potatoes?

During pregnancy, pregnant women need to have a nutritious diet to improve fetal development . However, whether pregnant women eat sweet potatoes good?

Sweet potatoes are foods that contain many nutrients and are safe for pregnant women. Sweet potatoes do not contain much protein and fat, but they contain many other nutrients such as:  

In 200g sweet potato contains the following nutrients:

Vitamin A - 1.9mg

Vitamin C - 39.2mg

Manganese - 1 mg

Copper - 0.3mg

Vitamin B5 - 1.8mg

Pyridoxine - 0.6mg

Vitamin B7 - 8.6mg

Food fiber - 6.6g

Vitamin B3 - 3mg

Thiamine - 0.2mg

Vitamin B2 - 0.2mg

What health benefits will pregnant women receive from sweet potatoes?

Sweet potatoes are a food that has a lot of health benefits. If you don't add sweet potatoes to your diet, it will be a huge shortcoming. Sweet potatoes are rich in the following nutrients:

1. Rich in vitamin A

Experts recommend pregnant women get at least 800 micrograms of vitamin A per day. Every day, if pregnant women eat about half a cup of baked sweet potatoes, it will meet this. Vitamin A is a very important nutrient for the development of the fetus, this nutrient has the effect of supporting the development of fetal organs such as heart, lungs, liver, kidney ...

2. Rich in fiber

Constipation is a problem that makes many pregnant women feel a headache during pregnancy and eating sweet potatoes regularly will help you "blow away" this worry. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of fiber, amino acids, help you prevent constipation during pregnancy . Every day, pregnant women need to consume about 30g of fiber and about 1/3 of which can be absorbed from a cup of sweet potatoes.

3. Rich in vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is essential for brain formation and nervous system function in the fetus. In addition, this nutrient also works to prevent morning sickness in pregnant women. One cup of sweet potato can provide about 1/3 of the amount of pyridoxine that the body needs each day.

4. Manganese

One cup of sweet potatoes can provide you with nearly half of the manganese your body needs. Manganese is an essential mineral that helps in the development of bones and cartilage in the fetus.

5. Vitamin C

As recommended, pregnant women should supplement about 90mg vitamin C per day. Pregnant women eat a cup of sweet potatoes will provide 1/3 of them. Vitamin C has many different roles such as promoting enzyme activity, supporting the growth of bones and tendons, helping to develop skin ... In addition, it also works to speed up iron absorption, which is necessary for formation of red blood cells.

Risks can be encountered when eating too many sweet potatoes during pregnancy

Although sweet potatoes are great for the health of mothers and babies, they should still be eaten in moderation. If pregnant women eat sweet potatoes a lot, you may face some of the following risks:

Vitamin A poisoning: This condition can cause the baby to have defects such as physical defects, liver damage ... In addition, it also increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth or even stillbirth .

Kidney stones: Sweet potatoes contain a lot of oxalates, a substance that can cause kidney stones.

Stomach upset : Sweet potatoes also contain a lot of mannitol, a special sugar that can cause stomach pain if you have sensitive muscles. Not only that, it can also lead to gas, indigestion and diarrhea.

Finally, because sweet potatoes contain a lot of starch, if you eat a lot, you will be at risk of gestational diabetes , uncontrolled weight gain ...

Pregnant women should eat sweet potatoes during the day?

Sweet potatoes contain many carbs, but these starches are easy to digest. In addition, sweet potatoes contain almost no fat. Therefore, if pregnant women eat sweet potatoes in moderation, they will not worry about gaining weight or obesity.

Every day pregnant women should only eat 1 sweet potato and should eat in the morning or noon. The reason is that the amount of calcium in sweet potatoes takes 4-5 hours to digest. Eating at this time will help your body absorb all of the calcium before dinner, so it will not affect the amount of nutrients or calcium you get from other foods. Eating sweet potatoes at night can also make you more prone to bloating at night.

Sweet potatoes are healthy, but avoid overeating. When eating, you should boil or roast, avoid raw sweet potatoes. In addition to sweet potatoes, you should also add other foods to meals such as green vegetables, fresh fruits, cereals ... to ensure adequate nutrition for both you and your baby.