4 Jul 2022 | 7 min Read
Sayani Basu
Author | 531 Articles
When you are pregnant, everything you eat gets shared with your unborn baby in the womb. Therefore, there’s a plethora of fruits to eat during pregnancy to meet your nutritional requirements. Dragon fruit is one of them.
Dragon fruit is native to the regions of Southern America and Mexico, along with parts of Central America. Dragon fruits have a scaly outer covering. It can be seen in various supermarkets in India and can be ordered online as well. The taste is a combination of sweetness and some tang, and might differ across its variants.
There are numerous benefits of dragon fruits and that is why it is recommended during pregnancy. Opting for a red dragon fruit in pregnancy is a great way to get started and get accustomed to its taste and flavour if you are new to it.
Here’s the nutritional value of dragon fruit:
Nutrient RDA Per 100g of Dragon Fruit
Calories 1800 – 2400 calories 264 kcal
Carbohydrates 175 g 82.1 g
Dietary fibre 28 g 1.8 mg
Calcium 1000 mg 107 mg
Vitamin C 85 mg 6.4 mg
The various ways in which you can include dragon fruit in your pregnancy diet are:
There is not enough scientific information on how much dragon fruit should be taken during pregnancy. As we all know that excess of everything can have adverse impacts during pregnancy, pregnant women can eat about 200 grams of this fruit in a day.
It is advisable to consult your doctor if you are unsure about the intake levels of dragon fruit in pregnancy.
Expecting mums often ask, “Can pregnant women eat dragon fruit?” and “Is dragon fruit good for pregnancy?” The answer is “Yes”.
Dragon fruit has a host of benefits for the expecting mum. It provides a healthy dose of nutrients and gives necessary nutritive elements for the baby’s growth and adds to the dragon fruit benefits. Some of the benefits of eating dragon fruit include:
Dragon fruit is packed with a good proportion of fats, most of which are monounsaturated.
Dragon fruit provides the benefit of undertaking cellular regeneration in the treatment of wounds and prevents infection and supplies anti-fungal and anti-bacterial bodies to guard against microbes that are already present.
Eating dragon fruit in pregnancy can help your digestive system bounce back to normalcy.
This can reduce the chances of anaemia in most women.
These minerals also work towards maintaining good dental health in the expecting mum.
The vitamin B-complex group and folates play a crucial role in developing the nervous system as well as the child’s neural tube.
Dragon fruits help to maintain a stable level of blood pressure as well as blood sugar and keep the complications associated with pregnancy to a minimum.
Besides, high-fibre foods can prevent gestational diabetes and are considered to be a good option for those prone to developing diabetes in later life due to obesity or family history.
These are some of the dragon fruit benefits in pregnancy. Now that you already know about its goodness, we know that you will include it in your diet.
Dragon fruit in pregnancy is a safe choice and there aren’t any precautions that you need to keep in mind. However, it is advisable to consume this fruit in moderation to avoid unfavourable outcomes.
There aren’t any known side effects of dragon fruit during pregnancy.
In case you experience any allergic reactions such as itching, sneezing, rashes, or a burning sensation in the mouth after consuming a dragon fruit, try to avoid it.
Dragon fruit in pregnancy is one of the best decisions you can take to support your health and well-being. Packed with carbohydrates and dietary fibre, it has numerous benefits for your developing baby.
Yes, dragon fruit has folic acid and nourishes the developing nervous system of the foetus and helps reduce the likelihood of certain birth defects, including spinal cord and brain abnormalities.
Also read: Folic Acid in Pregnancy
Loaded with Vitamin B1, B2, B3, C and minerals like iron, calcium and phosphorus along with active antioxidants, dragon fruit can help women to have a higher chance of conception.
In case you experience any allergic reactions such as itching, sneezing, rashes, or a burning sensation in the mouth after consuming a dragon fruit, it is advisable to avoid it.
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