7 Benefits Of Including Carrots In Your Diet During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, many nutrients and vitamins are needed to support the correct development of the baby. Find out why carrots are a great ally if you’re pregnant and start incorporating them into your diet.

Including carrots in her diet during the period of pregnancy offers great benefits for the development of the baby. Eating vegetables such as carrots provide nutrients and vitamins that help replace what your baby is absorbing in your body.

Carrots are especially useful during pregnancy. They help the healthy development of the fetus and reduce the risk of fetal infections and miscarriages. Regular consumption of carrots is known to aid in the production of breast milk and improve its quality.

Carrot is an orange vegetable, which grows and has white flowers, round leaves and a cone-shaped root. It can be eaten both raw and cooked. So you can easily include the carrot in your meals and even eat it raw when you are hungry as a snack.

Discover today in this article the 7 benefits of including carrot in your diet during pregnancy.

The Benefits of Consuming Carrots During Pregnancy

benefits of consuming carrots during pregnancy

There are many health benefits of consuming carrots during pregnancy, the main ones of which are as follows. Take note of it!

1. It helps take care of the vision

How many times have we heard: eat your carrots, it’s good for your eyes! Indeed, carrots are excellent for the eyes. The reason is that they contain beta-carotene, a substance that is converted through the liver into vitamin A when consumed. This vitamin is converted to rhodopsin, a purple pigment needed for night vision. Indeed, it would appear that the large amount of vitamin A in the carrot gives it the title of ally for eye health, especially for that of our retinas.

Beta-carotene improves night vision and protects against eye problems like glaucoma. It is also useful in the treatment of night blindness. This vitamin helps improve eyesight because it prevents macular degeneration, a disorder that destroys vision and prevents cataracts.

2. It reduces certain diseases

Cultivated mainly in Western countries, the carrot has many virtues. It is used in particular for beautifying the skin of women during their pregnancy period. Carrot contains a large amount of phytonutrients such as carotenoids which are beta-carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin.

The carrot would reduce bad cholesterol, protect the lungs and the heart against cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Rich in vitamins, the carrot also participates in the production of red blood cells which provide oxygen to all the cells of the body.

The carrot also contains antioxidants that protect pregnant women from certain cancers but also from cardiovascular diseases. Vitamin E and beta-carotene are antioxidant substances very present in carrots.

These substances help neutralize free radicals which often cause cardiovascular and digestive diseases. Consuming carrots during pregnancy will therefore naturally increase protection against the harmful effects of free radicals.

3. It fights constipation

Among other properties, the carrot is an excellent ally for pregnant women, as it fights constipation and diarrhea. It is common for pregnant women to experience constipation, as digestion changes during this time. Raw carrot keeps its high fiber content intact, so consuming it during pregnancy is ideal for regulating good digestion.

Likewise, it has the ability to soothe stomach discomfort and excess acidity, thanks to the mineral salts, sodium, potassium and vitamin B. Carrots contain a high amount of fiber which helps regularize bowel movements and aid digestion. In addition, the fiber in carrots helps to lose weight and prevent the surge of sugar in the blood.

4. It has an anti-diarrheal effect

As we have just seen, the carrot also brings great benefits to treat digestive disorders such as diarrhea. Just as there are women who suffer from constipation during pregnancy, there are also those who suffer from constant diarrhea.

In these cases, it is recommended to consume cooked carrot as this will activate its astringent and anti-diarrheal effects.

5. It improves the endocrine system

Carrots also contain a high content of iodine.  Iodine is a micro mineral that positively influences the endocrine system.

This promotes thyroid hormones to work on the baby’s brain development. It also helps to maintain a stable body temperature for both, which makes pregnancy more comfortable.

6. It promotes cell development

As we have already seen, the vitamin A present in carrot provides great benefits during pregnancy. One of them is to promote the correct cell development of the baby. It also strengthens the adhesion of the placenta and contributes to the proper functioning of the body’s defenses protecting the skin tissues.

7. It allows you to maintain an ideal weight

Some myths have often made people believe that the carrot makes you fat. This is far from true because this vegetable contains a very low calorie content. This is why it is an ideal ingredient for salads, purees or for the preparation of soups. Eating carrots every day does not mean that you are going to gain weight or gain more weight.

Choose quality carrots and learn how to store them. To reap the full benefits of carrots, you should choose ones that are soft to the touch. Also make sure that the carrots are a nice bright orange color and that they do not contain side roots. The ideal size of this vegetable should preferably be medium. The color of the pulp and the center should be the same as this indicates that it is a quality carrot and will stay fresher for longer.

If you want to eat them raw, you can keep them in the refrigerator for about two weeks. If you prefer to eat them cooked, then you can peel them, cut them and soften them a little in hot water before freezing them instead. This will allow you to keep the carrots in the freezer for at least eight months.

If you don’t know, also know that you shouldn’t store carrot alongside other gas-producing foods such as melon, apple, and banana, in order to prevent it from taking on a bitter taste. .

Now discover a carrot drink that you can include in your daily diet, especially if you are pregnant.

Carrot energy drink

carrot energy drink

Preparing this juice is a delicious way to reap the benefits of including carrots in your diet while pregnant.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of natural orange juice
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1/2 beet
  • 1 teaspoon of honey or sugar

 Preparation

  • Cut the carrots and beets into small pieces.
  • Place them in the mixing bowl and proceed to liquefy them.
  • Then strain the mixture to separate the liquid from the pulp.
  • Combine the beetroot and carrot juice in a pitcher and add the orange juice to finish.
  • If you wish, you can also add honey or sugar to this drink, according to your taste.
  • Place this good vitamin juice in a glass with ice cubes and enjoy it throughout the day.

This drink is ideal for cooling off on a hot afternoon. If you don’t like beets, you can eliminate them from the ingredients and juice only that juice with orange and carrot.

Carrots are very healthy vegetables especially if you buy them from local producers. You can buy organic carrots preferably to avoid traces of pesticides. Regarding raw carrots, you can eat them at will, especially since they will keep all their vitamins which could have been degraded during cooking.

Finally, the carrot is a vegetable that should always be present in your home refrigerator, especially if you are pregnant. You will thus obtain many benefits by introducing carrots in your diet on a daily basis.

The properties of carrots are numerous, and we can benefit from them in the field of health as well as in that of aesthetics. Due to its qualities and spectacular effects, the carrot is consumed more and more. Recognized for its contribution in vitamins and minerals, the carrot has multiple benefits for our health which we must take advantage of to enjoy a better quality of life. Discover in this article the wonderful properties of carrots for our health.

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