In addition to its sweet and fresh taste, the benefits of melon for pregnant women are very many, ranging from keeping pregnant women's blood pressure stable to increasing body fluid intake. Want to know what else the benefits of melon for pregnant women? Check out this article.
During pregnancy, pregnant women need a variety of nutrients to support body health and fetal growth and development. These nutrients can be obtained from a healthy diet, for example by complementing the type of food consumed and consuming special milk for pregnant women and pregnancy supplements. One type of food that needs to be consumed as part of a healthy diet is fruit and vegetables. From the many types of healthy fruit, melon is one of the fruit that is good for pregnant women to consume.
Various Nutrient Contents in Melon Fruit
In150 grams of melon, there are about 60-75 calories and 150 ml of water. In addition, melons contain the following nutrients:
- 15–16 grams of carbohydrates
- 1 gram protein
- 1.4–1.5 grams of fiber
- 0.3–0.4 grams fat
- 14 grams sugar
- 19–20 micrograms (mcg) of folate
- 18 mg of vitamin C
- 10–12 mg calcium
- 10 grams of magnesium
- 450 mg potassium
- 11 mg phosphorus
Not only the various nutrients above, melons also contain antioxidants and various other nutrients, such as vitamin B, vitamin A, vitamin K, zinc, choline, and lutein.
Here are a number of benefits of melon for pregnant women and fetuses
Thanks to its nutritional content, melon can provide a myriad of benefits for pregnancy. Here are the following some of the benefits of melon for pregnant women and fetuses:
1. Helping the development of the fetus
In early trimester of pregnancy, pregnant women need more folate intake. This is because the folate plays an important role in development of the fetal nervous system and the formation of red blood cells in pregnant women. This nutrient is also useful for preventing a number of birth defects, such as anencephaly and spina bifida, as well as anemia.
To meet the daily needs of folate, pregnant women can regularly eating melons. Nearly 10% of the daily folate needs of pregnant women can be met only by consuming 200 grams of melon. However, in addition to eating melons, pregnant women also need to meet folate intake by eating other foods, such as vegetables, eggs, meat, fish, and nuts. Pregnant women also can take pregnancy supplements to increase folate intake.
2. Keep blood pressure stable
During pregnancy, pregnant women's blood pressure can change easily. This is caused by physical changes that occur in the body of pregnant women to support the health and development of the fetus. If not controlled, blood pressure can become higher, causing hypertension. This condition can have an impact on the health of pregnant women and fetuses.
By consuming melon, the risk of hypertension during pregnancy can be reduced. The reason is that melons are low in sodium content which can increase blood pressure and are high in potassium which plays a role in regulating blood pressure stability.
3. Maintain normal blood sugar levels
Blood sugar levels that are too high during pregnancy can cause a variety of serious health problems, such as gestational diabetes. This condition can increase the risk of problems in pregnancy, such as the size of the fetus is too large, birth defects in the fetus, to miscarriage.
Read Too : Signs of Miscarriage to Watch Out for
Fortunately, these risks can pregnant women reduced by regularly consuming melons. A number of studies have found that people who regularly eat fruit, such as melons, have a lower risk of developing blood sugar levels than people who rarely eat fruit.
4. Prevent and treat constipation
Constipation is one of the most common complaints that experienced by pregnant women. This complaint usually occurs due to hormonal changes during pregnancy that affect the gastrointestinal tract or lack of fiber intake during pregnancy. To prevent and treat constipation, pregnant women are advised to drink lots of water and also eat high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables, including melons.
5. Prevent dehydration
Nausea and vomiting that often appear during pregnancy can put pregnant women at risk of experiencing lack of body fluids or dehydration. Therefore, to prevent dehydration, pregnant women need to drink enough water and eat regularly. In addition, melon is also useful for preventing dehydration due to the high water content in this fruit.
Read Too : The Danger of Dehydration During Pregnancy
6. Boost the immune system
Pregnant women need to maintain their immune system so they are not susceptible to disease and infection. The reason is, a number of infections can cause serious complications in pregnant women and fetuses, such as low birth weight babies and premature births.
To strengthen their immune system, pregnant women can eat highly nutritious foods, one of which is fruit and vegetables, such as melons. This is because melon contains vitamin C and other antioxidants that play a role in boosting the immune system. Only by consuming 100 grams of melon, about 25% of the daily vitamin C needs of pregnant women have been met.
7. Maintain bone health
Melon contains a number of nutrients that play an important role in bone health, namely magnesium, calcium, vitamin K, and folate. By consuming melon regularly, the health and strength of the bone tissue of pregnant women will be maintained. The intake of these nutrients also plays an important role in forming the bones and teeth of the fetus.
Basically, melons can indeed provide a number of benefits for pregnancy. However, it is important for pregnant women to always remember, wash melons thoroughly before cutting and eating them. In addition, to meet nutritional needs during pregnancy, pregnant women also need to eat other healthy foods. To determine other food choices that are good for consumption during pregnancy, pregnant women can consult a gynecologist.
Read Too : 11 Food Menus for Pregnant Women in Each Trimester
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