Our diet chart and food choices start to vary a lot once we get pregnant. Most often, a diet chart is curated simply based on what is good for the mother and baby, but what happens in between is the sudden doubts that arise like ‘is garlic good for pregnancy? It turns out that it sure is good for you when you are pregnant. Garlic is enriched with many vital nutrients and medicinal benefits, but if you still doubt over the question, we suggest you take the doctor’s advice. Allium sativumis the actual name for garlic. However, in regional languages like Hindi, it is known as lasun.
Can you Have Garlic When Pregnant?
Garlic in early pregnancy, the first trimester, needs little attention. Limit your intake of garlic in the first trimester. Even in the second and third trimester, you need to exercise some caution over the intake of garlic, as it can trigger low blood pressure and can thin down the blood.
Two to four cloves of garlic do not harm the body. Garlic is packed with a lot of medicinal values, and thus its consumption in moderation is good for the body.
Garlic is not eaten on its own most of the time because the taste of garlic is quite pungent and is normally used as an addition to any meal in regards to helping the meal to taste better. It does not need to be eaten in large quantities in order to work its magic because even one nodule of garlic is rich in a number of vitamins which are extremely good for several sectors of your body.
Nutritional Benefits of Garlic:
A pod of garlic comes with 4.5 calories, 0.2 grams of protein, and one gram of carbohydrate. It is very low in calories, but high in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese.
Garlic Benefits for Pregnancy:
Given below are a few benefits of garlic in pregnancy and the applications it has in order to keep you and your child fit during your pregnancy period.
1. Calcium-rich:
Garlic is high in calcium and is considered very good for the bone development of the baby. We know that calcium is an inevitable ingredient during pregnancy. Besides this, it helps to keep gas problems away.
See More: Can Pregnant Women Eat Eggs
2. Enhances Blood Circulation:
Garlic has proven to be a great stimulant for natural blood flow because of its unique properties. It stabilizes lower blood pressure and manages the cholesterol levels, as it contains potassium. Enhanced blood circulation is a must for a healthy pregnancy, as much of the nutrients required for the baby, comes from you.
3. Handles and Manages Fatigue in Pregnancy:
Garlic helps to tackle vomiting and dizziness that happens during pregnancy. When you take garlic in your everyday diet, you are pushing away any symptom of fatigue, even reaching you.
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4. Saves from Virus Threat to the Body:
Garlic has the potential to fight diseases and is an infection. Infection and disease are common during pregnancy and therefore including this in your diet, will be a great way to keep these at bay.
5. Cures a Common Cold:
One excellent and traditional way to treat common cold has always been garlic since ages. When pregnant, taking garlic can not only cure a cold, it can also serve as a saviour to protect yours from further catching a cold.
See More: eating carrots during pregnancy
Side Effects of Garlic in Pregnancy:
What are some of the side effects of garlic that you should watch out for?
- Excessive consumption of garlic in pregnancy can thin your blood down. Also, it will lead to a lot of bleeding during labour and hence might push for the need for a C-section.
- Eating raw garlic during pregnancy can also increase the risk of lowering your blood pressure.
- Excess consumption can lead to lowering the sugar level of the body, thus increasing insulin release.
Garlic and Pregnancy: What Recipes can you Make Out of Garlic?
Here are some lip-smacking garlic-based recipes that you can make if you cannot stand the taste of raw garlic.
1. Peas Stir Fry:
In a bowl of water, add the snow peas, few drops of oil and salt to taste. Allow it to boil, over a minute and keep it aside. In a separate pan, add a few drops of oil, add minced garlic and some crushed pepper. Strain the peas and add to the pan. Sprinkle some sesame seeds to garnish.
2. Cauliflower Soup:
Here is another way of eating garlic while pregnant. Heat a few drops of oil to the pan, preferably olive oil. To this, add minced garlic and sauté it until it gives a good aroma. Keep this aside now. In another pot, add chicken broth, cauliflower, thyme crushed black pepper and salt. Allow this to simmer for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower becomes tender. Blend this in a blender after it cools down. Garnish the soup with thyme and cauliflower on top.
Effect of garlic on pregnancy is multifold. While the odour may be a big no-no, it packs with it a lot of essential nutrients that are important for the body on a daily basis. It has also been an age-old remedy for a range of health conditions. However, it also helps to consult with your doctor on the suggested dosage.
