Custard Apple during pregnancy is a healthy choice owing to the various health benefits it possesses. This seasonal fruit is nutritious for you as well as your baby. Since fruits and vegetables are the best things to eat during pregnancy, many women prefer to eat custard apple or Sitaphal during pregnancy. This fruit is a powerhouse of vitamins, protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and essential fats.
Since pregnancy is an important journey in every woman’s life, she has to be careful with what she eats. While there is nothing like waiting for the child to be born, expecting moms choose to prefer this healthy nutritious fruit owing to its health benefits.
Let’s get to know more about the benefits of custard apples during pregnancy when to eat this fruit, and the precautions to follow while eating it.
What Is Custard Apple?
Also known as Sitaphal or sugar apple, custard apple is one of the exotic fruits that comes with a unique taste, essential nutrients, and an abundance of health benefits. This is a tropical fruit belonging to the native of Central America. Owing to its vague heart shape, this fruit is compared with a bullock’s heart or Ramphal. Custard apples are generally green in color.
Sitaphal is usually soft and contains black inedible seeds. Owing to its consistency, it is believed the fruit got its name “custard”. Almost similar to citrus fruit, this comes with a taste of sweet and tangy flavor. If you find a knobby custard apple, go for it as the others are merely scaled.
You can find several compartments of creamy flesh and medium-sized seeds when you cut open a custard apple. The cliffs of the fruit may be slightly tinged with brown. However, ensure the fruit should not appear black, pulpy, or wizened.
Related Reading: 15 Fruits Not To Eat During Pregnancy
Is It Safe To Eat Custard Apple During Pregnancy?
Due to its nutritional profile, it is considered safe to eat custard apple during pregnancy. This fruit is the right source of fiber, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. It contains natural sugar that helps underweight pregnant women meet the required weight. Also, regular consumption of custard apples during pregnancy reduces the risk of abortion.
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Custard apple is a good source of antioxidants that help in combating pregnancy conditions such as morning sickness, nausea, and food cravings. It is believed that consuming custard apples during pregnancy helps in the development of the brain, nervous system, and immune system of the baby. It also helps in easing labor.
Custard apples being rich in vitamins, minerals, iron, and several other nutrients are considered a safe option. However, remember not to overeat them.
What Are The Benefits Of Custard Apple During Pregnancy?
Sitaphal is a soft and creamy fruit that is full of nutrients. It comes with a lot of health benefits due to its richness in antioxidants and nutrients such as magnesium and potassium. Custard apples are low in unhealthy or saturated fats and packed with beneficial dietary fibers.
Custard apples contain vitamin A which helps to keep your skin and hair healthy. There have been immense proven benefits of eating custard apples during pregnancy. You can include this fruit as a part of various dishes and desserts. The beneficial nutrients in custard apples help us to fight against various deadly diseases. Consuming them regularly helps the body to protect against those diseases.
Listed below are a few benefits of eating custard apples during pregnancy.
1. Wonder fruit for pregnant women
Custard apple during pregnancy is considered a wonder fruit as it helps to tackle various pregnancy issues, mood swings, morning sickness, and numbness. Regular consumption of custard apples during pregnancy is good for the production of breast milk. Traditionally it is believed to reduce the risk of miscarriage and labor pain.
2. Averts constipation
Constipation is one common problem that is dealt with by pregnant women during those nine months. Since custard apples are a rich source of fiber, it helps to improve bowel movements and reduce constipation issues that are faced by expectant moms.
3. Helps to detoxify the body
The presence of toxins in the body is unavoidable as it comes from the food we consume. Letting these settle in the body will only harm the fetus and yourself. It is appropriate to dispose of these toxins which is the best for you and the fetus. Since custard apples are a good source of antioxidants, they help to cleanse the toxins out of your body.
4. Optimizes fetal growth
Custard apples are a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Both these vitamins provide essential nutrients that are required for the development of the fetus. Regular consumption of custard apples during pregnancy helps the growth of nerves, brain, and immune system of the fetus. Vitamin A is required for promoting good hair and skin while Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant preventing the attack of free radicals.
Related Reading: 11 Easy Tips Glowing Skin During Pregnancy
5. Relieves the symptoms of morning sickness
Morning sickness is a common problem during pregnancy. Though it is termed morning sickness, the feeling of nausea and vomiting could occur anytime during the day. It is believed that this will subside post the first trimester. However, for a few, it could lead to severe symptoms such as hyperemesis gravidarum.
Vitamin B6 is effective for relieving nausea during pregnancy which is one of the common symptoms of morning sickness. Since custard apples are rich in vitamin B6, consuming them regularly is proven helpful, making them a possible snack to combat morning sickness.
6. Fights fatigue
Fatigue during pregnancy is a common phenomenon, pregnant women feel more tired as their body uses more calories than usual. To combat this tiredness, it is advised they consume calorie-dense food. Custard apple is one food that is calorie-dense and helps to keep you full for a longer period. Since this fruit is going to keep you energized, don’t hesitate to make it a part of your diet.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Eating Custard Apple?
Custard apple is considered a treasure of many nutrients. Including it in your diet could have many health benefits. Since custard apples contain essential nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin-A, potassium, magnesium, copper, and fiber, they are considered good for pregnant women. However, anything in excess could also turn out to be harmful to yourself and the growing fetus.
If you like custard apples, you must know when to avoid custard apples during pregnancy and what disadvantages are associated with them.
1. May gain weight
Custard apples are calorie-dense food and help to promote weight gain during pregnancy. Though the sugar content on this helps to promote healthy weight gain, overconsumption of this food needs to be avoided. Also, pregnant women who are diabetic should avoid consuming custard apples during pregnancy as it may boost sugar levels.
Related Reading: Being Overweight During Pregnancy- 10 Potential Complications
2. Too much fiber content and glycemic index
Though custard apples are a good source of fiber, consuming them in excess could lead to bloating issues. In certain cases, it could also lead to diarrhea. Eating too many custard apples could cause abdominal pain due to their fiber content.
3. Iron and potassium overdose
People who have fluctuating or low blood pressure must be cautious about the amount of custard apple intake. Custard apples could lead to a sudden drop in blood pressure levels that could cause other side effects such as dizziness, fainting, and dehydration. Potassium and iron need to be maintained at the right levels to control blood pressure levels and regulate water in our bodies. Hence, you should be mindful of the intake.
4. Avoid custard apple seeds
It is safe to eat custard apples when trying to conceive owing to its health benefits. However, custard apple skin is considered to be harmful, especially for the eyes. It is also advised to avoid the usage of custard apple areas.
Precaution Of Eating Custard Apple During Pregnancy
Listed below are a few precautions that you must follow while consuming custard apples during pregnancy.
- You just have to be cautious if you have an allergy to exotic fruits. Many people are allergic to eating custard apples. In case you experience issues such as itching, rashes, etc after eating custard apple, we suggest you avoid eating it
- Digestion issues are common during pregnancy. If you often have a problem related to digestion, you should not eat custard apples regularly. There is a lot of fiber content in it. If consumed in excess, then problems like stomach pain, diarrhea, gas, and tightness in the intestines can start
- Though custard apples are safe during pregnancy, their seeds are equally poisonous. Therefore, it is important to make sure to remove the seeds while eating them, as they can harm your health and that of the fetus
- There is also a lot of iron in custard apples. When taken in excess, you may face issues like vomiting, and nausea
Conclusion
Custard apples during pregnancy are believed to have a lot of health benefits. It is also understood that eating custard apples during pregnancy can minimize the risk of babies being born prematurely due to the presence of zinc minerals in the fruit. Also, eating custard apples during pregnancy is believed to minimize the pain felt during childbirth.
Also, due to the magnesium content in this fruit, muscles can be relaxed that feel tense during pregnancy. Remember, though it comes with a lot of health benefits, anything in excess could also be dangerous.