Pregnancy in a woman’s life is quite a special phase one looks forward to. While there is nothing like waiting for the baby to be born, the expectant mother needs to take special care of her and the baby through healthy nutritious food and intake. Among these, several fruits and vegetables are especially recommended due to the nutritional values present in them. One such is sugar apple during pregnancy, which is also called custard apple due to its richness in nutrition and other health benefits. Know more about the consumption of this Sharifa fruit in pregnancy, benefits associated with it and precautions to maintain while eating this regularly.
What is custard apple?
While custard apple for pregnant ladies is widely recommended by many, what exactly is the fruit? It is a sugary fruit with hardened greenish-brown skin that turns yellowish brown when ripe. The part inside is fleshy. The fruit’s hardened surface is edible and especially very good for pregnant women. It cannot be peeled, but you can break open the skin to reveal the flesh that creamy, thick engulfing several seeds. The fruit is named due to being in the custard-like texture of the flesh of the fruit. It is generally heart-shaped; however, you often find them in irregular shapes as well.
Can pregnant women eat custard apple?
Eating custard apple during pregnancy is recommended to the high nutrition values and calories present in the fruit. It helps and works in favour of the mother to be as it helps to minimize the miscarriage chances. Further, those women who have to gain healthy weight can also happily consume custard apple.
Further, sitafal fruit in pregnancy is also recommended to those who frequently suffer from nausea and food aversion issues.
See More: Can We Eat Watermelon During Pregnancy
Nutritional values of custard apple during pregnancy:
The custard apple is well loaded with nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fibre, phosphorous, iron, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and so on. Further, it is also rich in vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin B6, which helps to develop bones in the body. Custard apple for pregnant women is also recommended due to the high quantity of copper present within it, which helps to prevent immature delivery and also help with haemoglobin levels in the body.
Benefits Of Custard Apple During Pregnancy:
Can pregnant women eat custard apple without thinking much? Well, here is your answer with a list of benefits with consumption of custard apple during pregnancy.
1. Morning sickness:
With the inclusion of vitamin B6 in the custard apple, it helps prevent and reduce nausea and morning sickness to a great extent. Hence your mornings are made better.
2. Prevents anaemia and related issues:
It has good calories and content, which can help with blood cells in your body. Hence you do not need to bother too much about having anemia during pregnancy like many other concerns. Further, it also helps deal with fluctuations in blood pressure effectively.
3. Topical Application:
The paste of the flesh of these fruits is very useful for curing boils and ulcers. It has to be applied at least twice a day for useful results.
4. Provides Dietary Fiber:
Eating this fruit daily when pregnant prevents constipation and helps in digesting the food better as they provide sufficient fibre for the digestive system to work properly.
5. Works as an Expectorants and Stimulants:
They help in getting rid of nasal congestion, and people suffering from allergies get relief by eating this fruit as it helps in getting rid of the mucus that triggers allergies.
6. Milk Substitute:
Many women who suffer from lactose intolerance during pregnancy can try using this fruit as a beverage to substitute milk as it contains all the nutrition that milk supplies.
7. Beneficial in Treating Dental Problems:
In pregnancy, a woman often suffers from gum inflammation and toothaches. The bark of the custard apple tree comes handy as it can be known to relieve the pain.
Hence when you ask again ‘can I eat sitafal in pregnancy,’ you know the answer!
See More: Eating Raisins During Pregnancy
Side effects of custard apple (sitafal) during pregnancy:
Is it safe to eat custard apple during pregnancy? Well, while it is totally safe, there are specific side effects associated with the consumption of this fruit. Here are few to know.
- Do not consume the seed as it may badly affect your digestive system
- In case you are wrong with cooling agents reaction with your body, do not consume this
- Since it is high in sugar, diabetes patients are required to take care and have a word with a doctor prior to having this fruit
- In case you need to watch for weight loss, make sure you do not have this fruit regularly.
Hence you know if someone asks ‘is custard apple good for pregnant ladies,’ it is definitely a yes with these precautions to keep in mind.
Precautions to take eating custard apple during pregnancy:
Common questions we face here are ‘is sitafal good in pregnancy’ and ‘is sitafal safe during pregnancy.’ One should always know that everything we consume will have positives and negatives, and it is all about our dietary requirements and health conditions that we need to take a call on. While there are custard apple benefits during pregnancy, we should also note precautions while uses of custard apple during pregnancy.
One should always note that this fruit should be taken to consume this fruit only when it has ripened. The seeds of this fruit are slightly poisonous; therefore, not fit for consumption; consequently, one should be careful and avoid swallowing it.
How to consume a custard apple during pregnancy:
While there are benefits of eating custard apple during pregnancy, one should also know how to consume them. You should adequately wash the ripened fruit and part it into halves. Further, scoop them out smoothly and avoid the seeds. That’s it; they are ready to eat. Make sure you do not consume seeds at any cost.
Custard apple recipes:
There are several tasty recipes associated with custard apple. You can make delicious rabdi with the fruit. Take custard apple, milk, condensed milk, jaggery, ghee, elachi, cashews, and almonds firstly. Refrigerate the custard apple pulp a bit. Boil milk and add condensed milk and jaggery to it. Let it boil for a while. Pour chilled pulp here and garnish the same. The delicious rabdi is ready.
You can also make a smoothie with custard apple easily. Take the fruit, milk, and you can also add ice cream to it as per your choice. Take the pulp and add to milk, add sugar and ice cream as you wish. Beat it in a blender. And thus, the smoothie is ready — such a simple yet tasty one.
Call it cherimoya, sitaphal, bull’s heart or any other name custard apple will remain a favourite fruit for not only pregnant women but also other folks due to its delicious and satiating qualities. While there are also side effects of custard apple during pregnancy, do not forget the benefits associated with it. Custard apple during early pregnancy, however, should be taken after advice from our doctor for safe side. Have a happy and pleasant pregnancy with these healthy recipes.
FAQ’s:
Q1. Can you eat custard apple during breastfeeding?
Ans: Yes, you can entirely consume this fruit during breastfeeding. It is nonacidic and has a high range of Vitamin C, which prevents constipation and helps in healthy digestion. Further, they are good to maintain healthy nutrients in this phase of feeding your baby. You do not need to think twice hence!
Q2. Can pregnant women eat the seeds of custard apple?
Ans: They are not good for consumption for pregnant women in special as they are toxic. These seeds may also cause to create issues in your digestion system and also may lead to miscarriages or abortions. Hence, make sure to remove all the seeds carefully before consuming this fruit.
Q3. Can diabetic pregnant women eat custard apple?
As the fruit contains higher levels of sugar, this does not mean they completely avoid the fruit. However, advice and recommendation from the doctorate necessary as this entirely depend on the dietary requirements. However, limited quantity should be taken than eating a lot of these fruits.
