Audio By Carbonatix
Pears are safe to eat during pregnancy; they are low in calories and contain several nutrients that are especially important for expecting moms. Add variety to your daily diet with the many pear varieties available, including Bosc, Bartlett, Anjou, Starkrimson and Comice. Although you can eat pears plain, you can also cook them in other ways or put them in smoothies to reap the health benefits.
Folic Acid
Pears provide approximately 12 micrograms of folic acid per piece of fruit, according to the Pear Bureau Northwest. Although that may not seem like much, when it comes to folic acid, you should get as much as you can during pregnancy.
Not many foods contain folic acid, which is why most doctors recommend that women of child-bearing age take a supplement that provides a significant portion of your daily intake.
Folic acid is particularly crucial in the first trimester of pregnancy, when it plays a critical role in the prevention of neural-tube disorders.
Vitamin C
Pears are an excellent source of vitamin C. Just one pear contains about 7 milligrams, which is 11 percent of the daily recommended intake for pregnant and non-pregnant women.
Vitamin C helps your body fight infection, which is particularly important during stressful times of your pregnancy. Eat pears with foods that are high in iron, like rice and beans or meat, to help your body absorb iron.
Iron deficiency is more common during pregnancy, which makes vitamin C intake more important than ever.
Fiber
Pears are also a good source of fiber, which helps relieve constipation, a common pregnancy symptom. If you take iron supplements during your pregnancy, you may be more prone to constipation and should eat a lot of high-fiber foods.
Eat pears with the peels to get the highest fiber content. According to the Pear Bureau Northwest, one pear contains 4.5 grams of dietary fiber with 1.8 grams from pectin, which is a type of soluble fiber that aids in the digestive process.
Calories
Although you probably don't need to worry about your calorie intake during pregnancy, pears won't pack on the pounds. One pear contains about 100 calories, according to the Pear Bureau Northwest.
Since they contain a high amount of fiber, pears are quite filling and provide a low-calorie snack that will also give you healthy energy to make it through the day.
Pears contain two simple carbohydrates, fructose and glucose, which are easily digested and provide a healthy energy boost.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Iran World Cup players granted visas to enter the US, says White House official
42 minutes -
Now that kidnapping has become an industry…, by Adekunle Adekoya
58 minutes -
Old students’ association breaks silence over Kumasi Academy arson threats
1 hour -
Suspect to be arraigned on June 8 – GHS condemns midwife assault
2 hours -
Firefighters cut through mangled taxicab to save trapped passenger after STC bus crash
2 hours -
Mona Montrage, 31 other Ghanaians named in US ‘Worst of the Worst’ arrested criminal list
3 hours -
Kumasi to go dry for 48 hours as Barekese Water Treatment Plant shuts down for critical repairs
3 hours -
Democracy without Dividends? Governance expert warns citizen apathy could endanger Ghana’s democratic future
3 hours -
Annual Flooding and Piss-Poor Leadership
4 hours -
Attack on Community 22 Polyclinic midwife sparks renewed call for safety at health facilities
4 hours -
Abu Jinapor accuses gov’t of diluting anti-LGBTQ bill, calls for assent to original 2024 version
4 hours -
Teachers suspend strike over assault after assurances from Western Regional Minister
5 hours -
US military says it struck Iranian drones and radar sites
5 hours -
Where is the GH¢25.3 million difference? NPP fires questions at Finance Ministry
6 hours -
The cash-in-the-sofa saga that just won’t go away for South Africa’s president
6 hours