Before we delve into the question, Are Fermented Foods Safe During Pregnancy?, let’s establish this. Pregnant women are widely known for their cravings, which may seem insane sometimes. They always try to establish their claim about the craving being that of the baby, not theirs.
There’s nothing wrong with a desire, especially when it creates happiness and satisfaction. It’s fine if it doesn’t cause direct or indirect harm.
How about when these expectant mothers habitually long for unhealthy foods? It gets trickier because consistently ingesting the wrong things doesn’t end well. A particular kind of food has almost always been in debate.
Fermented foods are our focus in this article. We have taken the pains to clear the air so you know the truth. They are healthy and quite advantageous to the body. Let’s get started.
Are Fermented Foods Safe During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy brings dietary concerns to the forefront. Explore the safety and advantages of incorporating fermented foods into your pregnancy diet. Read on!
Read Also: What Happens If You Ignore Pregnancy Cravings?
Benefits Of Fermented Foods During Pregnancy
Here are the many interesting functions of eating fermented foods. Even though they are written about expectant mothers and their unborn kids, they still work similarly for all humans.
The fermentation of foods increases and enhances the available nutrients in them. Usually, the process unlocks the activities of microflora contents, which act as enzymes to make the nutrients readily accessible to the human body. Hence, the blood can easily absorb and convey them to the brain and blood.
1. Gut Health and Renewal
When foods are fermented, they become gut-friendly. The internal ecosystem of pregnant women becomes renewed and revitalized.
2. Sugar Control and Microflora
Interestingly, the microflora in fermented foods reverses some harmful reactions in the body. Damages due to excess sugar can be immensely inhibited, even as they fortify the body against future occurrences. High blood sugar is quite dangerous during pregnancy.
3. Enhanced Digestion
Microflora exhibits one of its multifaceted functions by boosting digestion. The baby and woman’s body can effectively digest whatever is ingested.
4. Cravings Management
Cravings during pregnancy could be risky, especially if they center around unhealthy items. Fermented foods greatly minimize these cravings, so pregnant mothers can focus on more nutritious foods. They typically possess a sour taste, which is what most pregnant women seek.
Read Also: Side Effects of Eating Sugar When Pregnant
5. Detoxification and Balance
Fermented food items play another fantastic role in the bodies of pregnant mothers. The microflora in them detoxifies the body but nullifies toxins and parasites. Thus, they help the physiology to regain an impressive balance of acids and alkaline in the intestines.
6. Digestive Benefits for Babies
Again, fermented foods absorbed by babies in the womb over time work wonders. They help them to readily digest breast milk because of the robust digestive system erected in those tiny bodies.
7. Boosting the Immune System
Fermented foods are reputable for boosting the Immune system. This mechanism is the engine that protects the body from germs, diseases, and infections. When taking medicine, it isn’t the drugs that directly cure the individual. The medication enhances the immune system to fight the invasion. So, we realize how vital this defense is to health during pregnancy.
8. Weight Management
Since fermentation extracts and maximizes the vital nutrients in foods, some positives come with these. One of them is weight loss potential. The fat and sugar contained in the foods are immensely suppressed. These foods even help the body to reverse all previous impacts of fat and sugar in the body.
Read Also: Can I Drink Pasteurized Juice While Pregnant?
9. Improved Mental Fitness
Improved mental fitness is another key benefit of eating fermented foods. They can resolve headaches, migraines, memory loss, and lack of concentration. While they do not make people more intelligent, they help to optimize the brain’s functions and responses.
10. Enhanced Sleep Quality
Improved sleep is another plus for those who consistently consume fermented foods. Attaining the REM stage of sleep, a post-sleep rejuvenated body, and a turbocharged metabolism all come from the continual ingestion of fermented foods. Quality sleep is overly important to a pregnant woman.
11. Emotional Stability
Those who have had depression issues and changed their diets to this have always had interesting feedback. Some expecting mothers experience mood swings, which should help to stabilize them emotionally and psychologically.
Fermented Foods For Your Prenatal Diets
Despite all the positives of eating fermented foods, you do not want to be a victim of food poisoning, especially during pregnancy. If you are experienced with preparing them at home, you should get someone more capable with them. It becomes dangerous to you when some harmful bacteria join the healthy bacteria in the fermentation process.
Besides yogurt, here are the foods to add to your diet.
1. Kefir
This food is quite similar to yogurt. It is a highly sought-after drink which is prepared by fermentation. The main ingredient is starter grain, much like sourdough bread. People make kefir in many ways, as there isn’t just one method to prepare it. You can combine it with dairy, coconut, goat, or rice milk.
This nutritious drink is quite beneficial for both mother and baby, as it’s a great source of protein. The calcium in it is essential for building healthy bones and teeth in your baby.
2. Kimchi
Here is another qualitative fermented food. Kimchi is attractive to many for its low fat and high fiber. This dish is red. It is made from fermented cabbage. The prebiotics in it play a key role in the digestive system, aiding digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Kimchi is also reputable for fighting off infections in the body. Isn’t this special dish an incredible health booster for you and your baby?
Read Also: Is It Safe To Eat Strawberry During Pregnancy?
3. Miso
While many of us may be unfamiliar with this one, it is a popular Japanese diet. Soya beans, barley or rice, koji, and salt are mixed and left to ferment for 6 months to 3 years. The end product is a paste with a unique white, yellow, or red texture. People have reported that this dish has countless health benefits
4. Sauerkraut
This one is quite like Kimchi but practiced in the West. Here, you combine saltwater and cabbage and let to ferment for many days. Bacteria act on it, resulting in a food rich in vitamin C, which tremendously improves the immune system.
People enjoy it with other dishes such as hash browns, tacos, cooked grains, burgers, sandwiches, pork chops, coleslaws, etc.
Now, we know how impactful fermented foods can be for pregnant women and their babies. It’s time to ignore the naysayers and pessimists. Do the needful and transform your health and your baby’s.
