Women may be unsure whether eating artichoke during pregnancy is safe or unsafe. When carrying a baby, you need to eat highly nutritious food to nourish your baby and yourself. Artichoke is a vegetable with several benefits. It is known to improve digestive health, relieve nausea and heartburn, and prevent intestinal gas. It is also used to relieve the symptoms of other health issues, such as liver disorder, high cholesterol, and arthritis. However, do these benefits make it safe for consumption during pregnancy? Read on if you are curious to know the benefits, side effects, and ways to eat artichoke during pregnancy.
What Is Artichoke?
The vegetable originated from the Mediterranean, belongs to the sunflower family. The edible portion of the plant is the flower bud. It stimulates bile flow and helps you overcome uncomfortable symptoms of nausea, intestinal gas, and heartburn, during pregnancy. Some common health ailments controlled with regular intake of the artichoke are kidney problems, liver problems, high cholesterol, arthritis, bladder infections, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (1). As a stimulant, artichoke also recovers from high blood sugar level, snakebites, and reduced urine flow. People often use the chemicals Cynarin and chlorogenic acid present in artichoke as natural sweeteners in cooking.
Can Pregnant Women Eat Artichoke?
During pregnancy, it is recommended that you include these super-healthy artichokes in your daily diet. You can simply cook the buds, or can stir fry them with different pasta dishes. The low percentage of fat, sugars, calories and high in fiber, promotes the proper development of your unborn fetus.
Benefits Of Eating Artichoke During Pregnancy
Here are some of the health benefits of having fresh artichokes during your pregnancy:
1. Supplies Choline:
Eating Artichokes while pregnant can supply choline to your body that aids in healthy brain cell development of your baby.
The recommended daily intake of choline during pregnancy should lie around 450 milligrams, and a single artichoke supplies almost 41 milligrams.
Choline helps in improving your baby’s memory and protects him from severe mental illnesses and neural tube defects (2).
By lowering the percentage of amino acid homocysteine in your body, it protects you from the risk of breast cancer.
A high proportion of homocysteine in your blood can cause cancer, heart disease and cognitive decline.
2. Supplies Folate:
During pregnancy, your diet must comprise the key nutrient folate as it aids in continuous growth, production and development of new cells.
A single artichoke supplies 107 micrograms of folate that helps in the healthy growth of your baby.
An adequate amount of folate protects you from the risk of neural tube defects and spina bifida (3).
Folate protects your unborn child from deformities in the brain and skull.
Insufficient folate also imposes premature birth and low birth weight.
3. Fiber-Rich Food:
In pregnancy, you are at a higher risk of experiencing abnormal bowel movements, severe constipation, and nausea.
The growing uterus imposes an excess pressure on your intestines, and you experience such conditions. Intake of artichokes may regulate your bowel movements.
A single artichoke supplies almost 10 grams of fiber that keeps you protected from digestive problems during pregnancy.
4. Supplies Magnesium:
During pregnancy, your body needs sufficient magnesium for tissue development.
Low magnesium levels during pregnancy can elevate the risk of leg cramps, fluid retention, and restless legs.
Artichokes, being a good source of magnesium, supplies almost 50 milligrams and fulfills your dietary requirements.
5. Low In Fat And Cholesterol:
During pregnancy, you should eat low-calorie foods to reduce the risk of pregnancy and birth complexities.
Your daily cholesterol intake should not exceed above 300 milligrams per day.
Artichoke is a fat and cholesterol-free vegetable and can keep you heart healthy and protect you from cardiovascular ailments during pregnancy.
6. Supplies Additional Nutrients:
A medium-sized artichoke provides almost 1.33 milligrams of niacin that aids in healthy development of your newborn baby’s skin. Additionally, niacin helps in improving your baby’s nervous and digestive system.
A medium-sized artichoke supplies 8.9 milligrams of Vitamin C that helps in boosting your baby’s immune system.
Artichoke also contains a small percentage of iron that protects you from the risk of anemia and premature delivery.
Some of the other healthy nutrients present in artichoke include riboflavin, Vitamin A, and Calcium.
The fructose present in artichoke can sometimes cause uncomfortable gas during pregnancy. In such conditions, you should limit your intake (2).
Side Effects Of Artichoke During Pregnancy
Artichoke leaf extract aids in healthy liver functioning and controls your cholesterol level. Some of the common digestive problems treated with artichoke leaf extracts are stomach upset, mild diarrhea, and nausea. However, there are certain side effects of artichoke you should remain aware of:
1. Effects On Liver And Gallbladder:
Regular intake of artichoke when pregnant improves your digestive system functioning and removes the unwanted toxins from your liver.
As the artichoke stimulates your bile flow, if you suffer from chronic liver ailment you should refrain from taking the vegetable regularly.
Artichoke leaf extracts can also cause unwanted gallbladder contractions (1). So, if you are suffering from gallstones, you should intake the vegetable only after consulting your gynecologist.
2. Allergic Reaction:
If you are allergic to ragweed, daisies, arnica or marigold, you can also be allergic to artichoke leaf extract (1).
Some of the typical signs of allergic reactions may include itching, skin rashes or hives, difficulty swallowing, swelling, or wheezing.
3. Diuretic Effects:
In ancient times, artichoke served as a diuretic and helped treat kidney and liver problems.
But you should remain aware that excessive intake of artichoke can cause frequent urination.
Different Ways To Eat Artichoke During Pregnancy
You can simmer a trimmed artichoke in a large saucepan for about 20 to 30 minutes. Let the vegetable cook, so that you can quickly pull away the bottom leaves.
You can eat the cooked artichoke by seasoning it with salt and olive oil.
Trim the thick leaves of the artichoke and you can incorporate them with your green salad or a hot vegetable soup.
You can make a fine puree of cooked artichoke leaves mixed with plain low-fat yogurt in a blender and use it as a dip.
You can also add the cooked artichoke leaves into different types of pasta recipes.
Did you eat artichokes during your pregnancy? Did it improve your digestive health? Tell us here.
