Pregnancy is a critical period, and here are some vegetables that are rich in vitamins that expectant mothers should be cautious about eating.
Radish
It is a very common root vegetable, but it has high nutritional and medicinal value. It is rich in lignin, which can greatly enhance the vitality of macrophages in the body and eliminate cancer cells. Additionally, radishes are also rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, amylase, and vitamins A, B1, B2, and folic acid, all of which are beneficial for pregnancy.
Green Radish
Contains 6 times more vitamin C than apples. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which can prevent night blindness and gallstones. Amylase can break down starch and fat in food, facilitating better absorption by the body. However, radishes should not be consumed with fruits. The combination of their nutrients can enhance the inhibitory effect of thiocyanate on the thyroid. Eating radishes regularly during pregnancy can have a beneficial effect on disease prevention and fitness.
Eggplant
It has a cooling effect and contains vitamins B1, B2, carotene, protein, fats, as well as minerals such as iron, phosphorus, sodium, and calcium. It can stop bleeding, relieve pain, promote diuresis and detoxification, prevent arteriosclerosis and hypertension. It can be consumed in moderate amounts by pregnant women with preeclampsia to help them get through their pregnancy smoothly.
Luffa
It has a cool nature and contains B vitamins, amino acids, sugars, proteins, and fats. It is effective in relieving joint and muscle pain, dispelling wind, removing phlegm, promoting diuresis, and is beneficial for pregnant women with swollen hands and feet and lower back and leg pain.
Ginger
It has a warm nature and contains volatile oils, vitamins A and C, starch, and a large amount of fiber. It has warming, stimulating, sweating, antiemetic, and detoxifying effects, and can also treat colds and the flu. Ginger can be consumed in moderate amounts when pregnant women experience morning sickness in the early stages of pregnancy.
Cauliflower
It is rich in vitamin K, protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins A, B, C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Eating cauliflower regularly during pregnancy can prevent postpartum bleeding and increase the vitamin K content in breast milk. Cauliflower not only has high nutritional value, but also has the advantage of preventing and treating diseases. It can enhance liver detoxification and improve immunity, prevent colds, and treat diseases such as scurvy. Boiling cauliflower leaves and adding honey to make a syrup can stop bleeding, relieve cough, reduce inflammation, and prevent intracranial hemorrhage, subcutaneous hemorrhage, and upper respiratory tract infections in newborns. Eating cauliflower regularly is beneficial for pregnant women.
Chinese Water Chestnut
Also known as Ling Sun, it is a vegetable that people generally love to eat. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins B1, B2, C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and dietary fiber. It has the effects of clearing heat, diuresis, and promoting blood circulation and lactation. Drinking Chinese water chestnut tea can prevent and treat edema in pregnant women. Stir-frying Chinese water chestnuts with celery can prevent and treat pregnancy-induced hypertension and constipation.
Wild Vegetables
Wild vegetables are another nutritious choice for pregnant women. They are superior to garden vegetables due to their low or no pollution, and they have both nutritional and therapeutic effects. Chinese nutritionists have analyzed nearly 100 edible wild vegetables in China and found that they are rich in vegetable protein, vitamins, dietary fiber, and various minerals, making them highly nutritious and unique in taste. What is even more valuable is their significant disease prevention and health promotion effects. For example, small garlic can invigorate the stomach and relieve phlegm. Field rice can nourish the brain and improve eyesight. Purslane can clean the gastrointestinal tract and prevent and treat acute and chronic enteritis or dysentery. Fern can clear heat, diuresis, reduce swelling, relieve pain, and also has the effect of promoting blood circulation and calming the mind.
Lotus Root
Lotus root contains a large amount of starch, vitamins, and minerals. It is rich in nutrients, refreshing, and is an excellent food and medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, invigorating the spleen and stomach, moisturizing the lungs, and promoting the secretion of breast milk. Eating lotus root can help pregnant women eliminate accumulated blood in the abdomen, improve appetite, aid digestion, and promote lactation, which is beneficial for feeding newborns.
Kelp
Kelp is rich in iodine and iron. Iodine is the main raw material for the production of thyroid hormones, and iron is the main raw material for the production of blood cells. Eating this vegetable can increase the content of iodine in breast milk. Newborns who consume this breast milk benefit from the growth and development of their bodies and are less likely to suffer from mental retardation. Iron is the main raw material for the production of red blood cells and has a preventive effect against anemia.
Spinach
Spinach is rich in folic acid, with a folic acid content of up to 50mg per 100g, ranking first among vegetables. Folic acid's main function is to protect the fetus from neural tube defects, hydrocephalus, and other neurological abnormalities. Therefore, experts recommend that pregnant women eat more spinach or take folic acid tablets in the first two months of pregnancy. Folic acid is soluble in water, so when cooking spinach, it is necessary to retain some moisture to maintain its freshness. Additionally, the abundant B vitamins in spinach can prevent common pregnancy complications such as pelvic infections, depression, and insomnia, and effectively prevent and treat melasma in pregnant women. However, spinach also contains oxalic acid, which can interfere with the absorption of trace elements such as iron and zinc in the body. The way to eliminate this drawback is to blanch the spinach in boiling water first, destroying most of the oxalic acid, making it safe to consume.
The rice, flour, whole grains, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, etc. that people eat every day tend to have an acidic reaction in the body, while wild vegetables, after digestion and decomposition, have an alkaline reaction in the body. Eating wild vegetables at intervals can neutralize the acidity in the body and maintain a weak alkaline internal environment, which is very important for the optimal development of the fetus. Eating wild vegetables can also expand the source of nutrients, adjust the taste, and promote gastrointestinal tract cleanliness, reducing the absorption of toxins in the feces, which is beneficial for pregnancy.
