Nuts are snacks rich in minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids. They include almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pistachios. They have many different health benefits for the body due to their healthy and necessary contents for the body. Nuts are beneficial for people of all ages unless there is a specific health condition or unless the person suffers from From allergies to it, it is also beneficial for pregnant women and the fetus.
Benefits of nuts for pregnant women and the fetus
Eating nuts during the first months of pregnancy helps improve the child’s neurological development and positively affects memory and intelligence. In one scientific study, they found that children whose mothers ate nuts regularly and on a daily basis, amounting to 75 grams of them per day, had a higher IQ than other children.
Benefits of nuts for pregnant women in the first months
Nuts are a good source of protein and folic acid, so it is good for pregnant women to include nuts in their diets, as folic acid and protein help prevent the occurrence of neural tube defects, which are birth defects that affect children as the fetus’s neural tube develops into the nervous system, and folic acid deficiency leads to Pregnant women may experience problems with neural tube development.
The benefits of nuts for pregnant women are because they contain fatty acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are necessary for the nervous development of the fetus, as these fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body, so they can only be obtained through the diet, and the need for Omega-3 fatty acids increases in pregnant women. Compared to non-pregnant women.
Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is also important during pregnancy; Because it is an essential element for the development and growth of the fetus, as it directly affects:
- Development of the retina.
- Fetal brain development.
- Improve behavior, attention and focus.
- Improve memory and learning abilities.
- Development of the immune system.
Therefore, pregnant women must obtain the necessary daily requirement of omega-3 fatty acids, which is equal to 1.4 grams for pregnant women, as a low level of omega-3 in the fetal brain can lead to cognitive defects and behavioral disorders such as anxiety, depression, and aggression.
Benefits of cashews for pregnant women
Cashews are one of the nuts rich in copper, which helps in enhancing the function of the iron stored in the body, and enhances muscle tone and the functions of other organs. The benefits of cashew nuts for pregnant women are also due to enhancing bone health because they contain manganese. It also helps in the fetus gaining weight according to its age and fetal stage and reduces It reduces the risk of the child being small. In addition, it regulates the functioning of the thyroid gland, regulates metabolic processes, contributes to controlling blood sugar levels, and helps in the normal growth of the skeleton.
Cashews contain magnesium, which benefits the health of bones, nerves, and muscles. It benefits pregnant women in:
- Maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis.
- Good nerve performance.
- Maintaining muscle mass.
It benefits the fetus in healthy growth and ideal development of bones, nerves and muscles. Magnesium is also beneficial in regulating bowel movement, the development of the fetus’s natural heart rhythm, and the normal development of its blood clotting processes.
read more: The benefit of walnuts
Benefits of Walnuts for pregnant women
Walnuts mainly contain the following three components:
- Manganese is beneficial to pregnant women for bone health and blood sugar regulation.
- Omega-3 fats that help the development of the fetus’s brain and eyes.
- Proteins are essential for the formation of cells and tissues.
Benefits of hazelnuts and almonds for pregnant women
There are many health benefits of hazelnuts and almonds for pregnant women and the fetus. This is because they contain vitamin E, dietary fiber, fatty acids and proteins. The most important benefits of almonds for pregnant women are:
- Reducing the risk of high blood pressure and preeclampsia.
- Helping the healthy growth of the fetus’s nerves, bones, and muscles.
- Maintaining a healthy fetal weight because it contains protein.
- Enhancing energy production in the pregnant woman’s body because it contains riboflavin.
The most important benefits of hazelnuts for pregnant women are:
- It prevents constipation in pregnant women thanks to it containing dietary fiber.
- Protecting cells from oxidation and damage because it contains antioxidants.
- Controlling blood cholesterol levels in pregnant women.
- Improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.
read more: 8 amazing benefits of macadamia
Benefits of pistachios for pregnant women
Pistachios contain vitamin B6, which helps prevent anemia, lowers cholesterol, and enhances heart health. It also contains manganese, which is important for bone health for both the mother and fetus, and copper, which is important for muscles, in addition to protein, which maintains the child’s weight.
Benefits of raisins for pregnant women
Raisins are one of the dried fruits that are beneficial to the health of pregnant women. They contain iron, which prevents anemia. They also contain dietary fiber, which helps prevent heart disease and diabetes and has a role in improving the digestive process. Raisins provide pregnant women with potassium, which prevents high blood pressure. One of the benefits of raisins for the fetus is that they contain magnesium, which ensures bone growth and good functioning of nerves and muscles.
Nuts have many health benefits for pregnant women. However, they are a common allergen, so if you have a nut allergy, you cannot eat them during pregnancy.
