Sauerkraut during pregnancy - benefits, contraindications

Composition and nutritional value of sauerkraut

Fresh vegetables are harvested in the autumn for the winter. For these purposes, a fermentation procedure is used, which allows you to preserve all the beneficial substances in cabbage and prevent the beneficial properties of this product from being lost. Cabbage contains useful substances such as:

vitamins A, B, C, D, E, H and PP;
macroelements of the following composition: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur and chlorine;
trace elements: iodine, manganese, boron, nickel, silene, molybdenum, fluorine, zinc, chlorine;

Reference! Scientists confirm the fact that cabbage has absorbed all the elements listed in the periodic table.

The nutritional value during fermentation and after is 19 calories per 100 grams. product. When fermented, the product does not contain cholesterol.

Regular consumption of sauerkraut salads helps prevent blood problems and prevent the development of anemia. Besides:

prevents the formation and proliferation of malignant cells;
kills harmful bacteria and plays the role of a probiotic for intestinal flora;
Digestion improves, signs of constipation disappear;
strengthens nails and hair;
the condition of the skin is noticeably transformed, neoplasms and pigment spots are smoothed out;
sleep is strengthened and the nervous system is normalized;
prevents stroke conditions and improves the functioning of blood vessels and the heart;
fights colds.

Pregnant women often experience problems with bloating and flatulence. This is due to the fact that an enlarged uterus creates additional stress on all nearby organs and systems. To avoid this, it is useful to eat sauerkraut in the form of cabbage at least several times a week.

Important! Scientists were able to establish the fact that when a future mother eats pickled cabbage, her child will receive protection from cancer in the future.

When carrying a fetus, the female body suffers from vitamin deficiency, since now she needs to eat for two, and often the usual diet does not meet all the necessary needs. You have to maintain your health by taking vitamins and minerals. Sauerkraut can become a complete source of all the necessary elements that help maintain immunity and prevent viral infections.

Contraindications and precautions

When pregnancy is progressing normally, it is necessary to include sauerkraut in the diet. Moreover, you can use it at any time, most importantly, in moderation. But there are diseases for which you should refuse it.

Sauerkraut contains organic acids, so if you have gastritis with high acidity or a stomach ulcer, it is not recommended to include the product in your diet.
A large amount of salt not only in cabbage, but also in other pickled vegetables can contribute to fluid retention in the body, lead to edema and increased blood pressure.
Women with gestational diabetes mellitus, as well as those who are overweight, should avoid sauerkraut, which uses sugar for fermentation.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that sauerkraut causes increased formation of gases in the intestines.

Pregnancy is an important stage in a woman’s life, which must be handled responsibly.
Sauerkraut will help you cope with this task with a bang! By filling the body with essential vitamins and microelements, ensuring the health of mother and baby. The main thing is to follow the measure and recommendations for use. During pregnancy, women have many questions. For example, all expectant mothers are well aware that most medications should not be taken during pregnancy. What can you say about such a delicious food product as sauerkraut? What effect does it have on the general condition of the expectant mother? These issues require closer study.

Is it possible to eat sauerkraut during pregnancy?

- in the 1st trimester

Most often, expectant mothers want sauerkraut in the first trimester of pregnancy, since it is during this period that the body undergoes serious hormonal changes. Now he must work for two: supply the female body and the body of her fetus with useful elements.

There is no need to deny yourself such taste preferences. Folic acid during this period is very necessary for the full development of the neural tube in the fetus. It is acidity that allows you to remove various defects from this tubular system and lay down the future health of the baby.

In the early stages of pregnancy, there is always a high probability of painful toxicosis, so sauerkraut comes to the rescue in this case too. But you should not consume the leaves themselves, but drink half a glass of brine after each attack of nausea. This excellent remedy has been tested on many young mothers.

- in the 2nd trimester

In the second trimester, pregnancy moves into a more familiar stage with a calm course of its development. Toxicosis as such either goes away completely, or the woman feels sick occasionally, but without any particular inconvenience for her. The abdomen is not yet too large and does not put pressure on nearby organs. But now the woman has heartburn.

Attention! Heartburn is not a mandatory symptom in the second trimester, but the likelihood of its occurrence is still high. And here, too, a sour brine can help.

Brine is an excellent preventative against hemorrhoids, which most often begins to bother mommy in the second trimester of her pregnancy. Taking brine after meals reduces the risk of such negative phenomena. It is worth considering that brine should not be consumed on an empty stomach, as the acid can negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract.

- in the 3rd trimester

The last trimester of pregnancy is characterized by rapid weight gain. A woman wants to eat a lot and often. This is justified by the fact that a growing organism is developing inside it and the usual portions of food are now not enough to saturate the body with all the vitamins and microelements.

During this period, the expectant mother should carefully choose her diet so as not to overuse heavy foods or eat fatty and spicy foods. Sauerkraut can come to the rescue here too. The fact is that it has a very low calorie content, but at the same time it is very filling and healthy. A small portion of fermented product will help saturate the body and not cause a feeling of overeating.

Sauerkraut is an excellent way to remove toxins from the body. Before childbirth, this is very relevant. Cleansing the intestines and relieving swelling is an ideal state before the birth of a child.

Cleansing the body

Pregnant women often experience digestion difficulties. Sauerkraut will help set it up. In addition, it is able to cleanse the intestines of harmful pathogenic bacteria, relieve constipation and increased gas formation. Due to the content of a large amount of fiber, which absorbs toxins and fat molecules, sauerkraut removes excess cholesterol from the body and also prevents an increase in blood sugar levels, which is the prevention of diabetes. Being a powerful antioxidant, sauerkraut prevents the formation of pathological cells in the body, protecting it from cancer.

How to properly use sauerkraut during pregnancy

During pregnancy, sauerkraut in the form of cabbage should be eaten as follows:

In its pure form as a snack with meat or other vegetables. This option is ideal for those women who really love the pure taste of fermentation and love the crunch in their mouth. Thus, sauerkraut serves as a side dish here. Of course, you can consume this wonderful vegetable without additional ingredients; this will also be acceptable and permissible.
If you don’t have a strong desire to eat the fermented product as a bite, you can add it to the salad. The ideal combination would be fresh cucumber. Together, these ingredients have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract and intestines.
Sauerkraut cabbage soup has an excellent taste and aroma. This dish is ideal for pregnant women, and it is very easy on the gastrointestinal tract.
Juice. The pulp can be squeezed out and you get a very satisfying and healthy brine. Almost all mothers adore him. It is rare to meet a woman in a position who would react negatively to such an amazing drink.

There are many recipes for perfectly preparing delicious sauerkraut dishes. Here are some of them:

Take a winter variety of cabbage in the amount of one head of cabbage (about 3-4 kg), 6 - 7 medium-sized carrots, 3 tbsp. salt with a slide. Finely chop the cabbage and grate the carrots on a medium grater. Add salt and squeeze the resulting mass well with your hands. Squeeze thoroughly and place in sterile jars, cover with gauze. Store in a warm place for several days and then in the refrigerator.

Reference Information! To improve the taste of the dish, you can add a few cranberries.

Prepare 10 kg. white cabbage and 600 g of sweet carrots. Chop everything on a medium grater and add brine, which consists of the following ingredients: add one spoon of sugar and one spoon of salt to a liter of water and boil. The cabbage is kept for 2 days in an enamel bowl with a tightly closed lid. For the third day, the dish should sit in the refrigerator. After this you can eat.
Lightly salted sauerkraut. Simple and easy to prepare. The brine is very tasty and aromatic: for 3 liters of water - 1 glass of salt, bay leaf and pepper to taste. For 10 kg of cabbage, chop two medium-sized carrots. Mix everything thoroughly. The brine, brought to a boil, is dissolved in the vegetable mixture. In just a couple of minutes, drain off the excess liquid and leave the vegetables to ferment under pressure at room temperature. Then we take it out into the cold and leave it for another four days.

General effect on the body

Including such a simple and proven product as sauerkraut in a pregnant woman’s diet helps improve the general condition of her body. The trace elements contained in sauerkraut (copper, zinc, magnesium and copper) have a beneficial effect on hair and nails, strengthening them from the inside. Hair becomes more elastic and silky, and nail plates become strong and shiny. In addition, the mobile and extremely susceptible to irritation nervous system during this period will receive help from sauerkraut in the form of magnesium, which is involved in regulating the hormonal status of the body. Irritability and frequent mood swings will not haunt a pregnant woman if sauerkraut is a frequent guest on her table. The combination of elements such as zinc and magnesium helps the expectant mother get rid of heartburn by regulating the acidity of the stomach and the functioning of its valves.

Contraindications to consuming sauerkraut

If you want sauerkraut during pregnancy, some women will still have to deny themselves the satisfaction of this desire. Unfortunately, sauerkraut not only has beneficial properties, there are also contraindications, due to which expectant mothers should not eat this product:

if you have problems with your kidneys, then you should not eat sauerkraut at any time, because due to the salt and sodium it contains, swelling will appear, so the kidneys will not be able to process it all;
for the same reason, in women who have problems with blood pressure, it can rise sharply after a serving of sauerkraut;
Women expecting a baby should not eat sauerkraut if they suffered from gastritis before pregnancy, because the acid in this product can worsen the disease.

It is highly undesirable to eat sauerkraut in excess quantities. The portion of this product should be small in order to feel normal.

Benefits and harms during pregnancy

For mother

Cabbage brings the following benefits to the mother's body:

supports immunity, prevents the development of infectious and inflammatory diseases;
improves the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients;
has a choleretic effect;
removes excess fluid from the body;
suppresses the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, supports natural intestinal microflora;
replenishes the supply of minerals, prevents calcium and iron deficiency;
improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, reduces the risk of intrauterine bleeding.

At the same time, abuse and improper preparation of the product can harm a pregnant woman:

provoke increased gas formation in the intestines, which causes a number of negative consequences: flatulence, bloating, pain in the epigastric region;
in the later stages lead to the development of constipation;
cause allergies.

For a child

Cabbage has the following properties for the fruit:

Has a high content of folic acid. The active substance reduces the risk of developing intrauterine anomalies. The vitamin regulates cell differentiation and promotes the normal formation of systems of the future organism.
Inclusion in the composition of ascorbic acid. Vitamin C reduces the risk of developing viral and bacterial infections that can disrupt the process of embryogenesis.
Active plant compounds remove carcinogens from the mother's body that cause miscarriage and premature birth.
Iron in the product reduces the risk of anemia in the unborn child and brain hypoxia. The mineral substance increases the level of serum hemoglobin in the mother’s body, preventing oxygen starvation of the embryo.

If used incorrectly by a pregnant woman, cabbage can cause the following harm to the fetus:

after birth, individual intolerance to the product may develop;
acetic acid, salts and spices in sauerkraut disrupt the water-electrolyte balance;
acrylamides in fried vegetable leaves increase the risk of cancer.