Taro is a delicious food that everyone likes, but if pregnant women eat taro is still a common question. Many pregnant mothers worry that starchy taro can cause dangerous gestational diabetes , but what is the reality, let's find out.
What nutrients does taro contain?
Like sweet potatoes, potatoes and other potatoes, taro is a nutritious starchy and nutritious food, filling and can replace a portion of the main meal in some cases. Taro is also popular for its sweet taste, sometimes quite pliable and characteristic delicious. In the past, people used to only process taro in the form of boiling and steaming, but today the taro dishes are more diverse, which can be used to cook soup, cook tea, sticky rice, fry, make a cake, or even smoothie. Taro milk tea is also a favorite dish of many people.
The high fiber and starch content in taro has many benefits
When it comes to the nutritional profile of taro, this is a food that contains a wide variety of minerals and vitamins. Taro contains a high amount of starch and good fiber, especially resistant starch, which acts as a substrate to facilitate fermentation and the production of fatty acids with a lot of health benefits.
Taro also contains all the essential health substances such as protein, calcium, thiamine, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C, fat free and low in carbohydrates.
Can pregnant women eat taro?
With nutritious ingredients that are beneficial to health and do not cause any significant danger or irritation, taro is still the right food for pregnant women. Not only is it edible, but pregnant women eat taro also has a number of benefits such as:
Limit constipation
Taro has an extremely high fiber content so it can aid in better digestion of pregnant women, namely significantly preventing the risk of constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Besides, our body is unable to digest fiber or resistant starch effectively so they stay in the gut longer and promote the growth of good bacteria as the fiber reaches the colon.
Pregnant women can eat taro with a reasonable amount
Support blood circulation for pregnant women
Taro contains resistant starch, which acts as a substrate to facilitate fermentation and fatty acid production, so it has many benefits. When pregnant women eat taro properly, blood sugar and insulin response decreases, cholesterol and triglycerides are also lowered. Body insulin levels are improved, reducing fat storage, helping to keep blood vessels free and to minimize congestion.
Prevent heart disease
The good fiber found in taro is believed to reduce bad cholesterol, prevent cardiovascular and coronary diseases. The fact that resistant starch helps keep blood from clogging also keeps the heart healthy and functioning properly.
Boost immunity if you eat taro correctly
Nutrition experts believe that taro and other starchy crops play an important role in boosting immunity. The ingredients of nutrition can help pregnant women with antioxidant, hypoglycemia, immune regulation and antibacterial. The antioxidants in taro neutralize free radicals in the body and prevent cell damage.
Taro has many health benefits
Does not cause weight gain
Taro contains a high percentage of fiber that helps to reduce hunger, control appetite, stay fuller for longer and thus consume fewer calories. Pregnant women eat just enough taro will limit weight gain too fast and keep weight stable. Taro also aids blood sugar balance, reduces and controls lipids and triglycerides, thus helping with weight loss and maintaining body mass index - BMI.
Pregnant women eat taro to help beautify the skin
Vitamin A, vitamin E and antioxidants in taro are said to improve the skin of pregnant women. Both vitamins and antioxidants rejuvenate damaged cells and reduce wrinkles in the skin. They can also fight free radical damage and promote healthy skin by influencing intracellular signaling, which is responsible for skin damage.
Limit sweets made from taro because of the increased sugar content
Note when pregnant women eat taro
Besides wondering if pregnant women can eat taro, women should also note, although taro does not cause harm and there are some benefits for pregnant women, when eating, you should also note:
Do not eat too much taro, maximum only 100g / day. The starch in taro is high in sugar, which increases the likelihood of blood sugar spikes and the risk of gestational diabetes.
Eat small, chew slowly. Taro is said to be digested quite slowly, so people with indigestion or stomach problems should pay attention to the amount when eating taro.
When processing taro, should be boiled, steamed or cooked to retain more nutrition than frying or baking. At the same time, it is not advisable to fry to increase grease or process sweet dishes such as tea, taro milk tea is not too good for pregnant women.
See more:
Pregnant women should avoid eating in the first 3 months and how to limit morning sickness
4 wrong views in eating and drinking during pregnancy
The secret of eating in the baby instead of the mother