The various health benefits of bitter leaf soup in pregnancy can benefit to keep a healthy pregnant mother. Therefore, this is one of the must consume food while pregnant. Furthermore, pregnancy needs more concern and need to keep the various vitamins and minerals to consume. Hence, it is a main thing that needs to take care for purpose avoiding miscarriage.
Bitter leaf soup made from bitter vegetables. To make a homemade bitter leaf soup is quite simple. Put all the ingredients in a boiling water that add with some chicken for more flavours. Some also prefer to make it without chicken and only add by less sugar and salt. The preference of the homemade bitter leaf soup can be vary among various places. However, it is all bring the same benefit for the pregnant mother.
This kind of soup is firstly introduce in Africa. It is a robust West African soup, predominant in countries like Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana. This dish is slightly soupy vegetable that is served to accompany starchy food like fufu. It is found that the soup bring many nutrition. Therefore, many country start to consume the soup, specially serve during pregnancy to keep a healthy baby and mother.
Nutrient Content of Bitter Leaf Soup
Usually in one serving of bitter leaf soup contain various nutrient. The common nutrient is as listed in below lists:
- Calories 356
- Calories from Fat 90gr
- Total Fat 10g
- Saturated Fat 2g
- Cholesterol 185mg
- Sodium 339mg
- Potassium 1349mg
- Total Carbohydrates 6g
- Dietary Fiber 2g
- Sugars 2g
- Protein 57g
- Vitamin A 82gr
- Vitamin C 28gr
- Calcium 8gr
- Iron 17gr
For further health benefits of bitter leaf soup in pregnancy, see below list of points:
1. Rich In Nutrient
The soup known rich with various nutrient. Therefore, consume the soup during pregnancy will help to supply nutrient that needed by the fetus. Furthermore, it will help to comply the vitamins and minerals for the fetus growth. This is the same health benefits eggs avocado that also rich in nutrient.
2. Source Of Fiber
The soup also contain high number of dietary fiber. Therefore, it can be a natural alternative to fulfill the needs of more fiber during pregnancy. As the pregnant mother will require more portions of fiber rather than normal people.
3. Better Digestive
The high fiber content also can help to perform better digestive system. It will optimize the intestine bowel movement that will lead to better digest system. Furthermore, it will help to perform fasten digest. Therefore, it can help pregnant woman to avoid any digestive problems that commonly happen during third semester. This is the same health benefits of purple hull peas that also can help to optimize the digestive system.
4. Fetus Development
The vitamins and minerals inside the bitter leaf soup can help to support the fetus development. Therefore, it is one of the good meal to consume to make sure that the fetus is well growth and having a good development.
5. Brain Development
The soup also rich in protein that can help to support the brain development. This is important for the fetus brain to help optimizing the mind and brain nerve. This is the same health benefits of rainbow trout that can help to support brain development too.
6. Strength Bone
The calcium and other minerals content at the soup will bring advantage of strength bone of the fetus. Furthermore, it can help to improve the mother’s bone too. As pregnancy will require more calcium to support the bone and add more bone mass. Therefore, the health benefits of bitter leaf soup in pregnancy can help to avoid fracture bone.
7. Heart Development
The minerals also good to manage a better heart development of the fetus. It can help to support the heart nerve system and heart arteries. This is the same benefits of honey for heart diseases that able to support better heart development too.
8. Add Energy
The calories and carbohydrates inside the soup are good to add energy for pregnant woman. As pregnancy mainly in the third semester will require more energy in supporting the mother daily activities. Furthermore, it can help to bring enough power to carry on the baby every day.
9. Strength Muscle
The protein and various minerals of bitter leaf soup can help to optimize the mother’s muscle. This is important since during pregnancy the muscle shall strong enough to support the womb and baby. Therefore, a healthy muscle is important. This is the same health benefits of herring fish that can help to support a healthy strength muscle too.
10. Body Metabolism
Consume bitter leaf soup will lead to better body metabolism system. It can help to optimize the energy burning from food. Therefore, it will result a fasten metabolic rate. Specially during pregnancy which will require more energy daily and needs to get fasten metabolism to support the consumption needs of the fetus.
Cautions And Recommendations
The bitter leaf soup is good for the health, however there are also some side effects on this soup. Therefore, mainly pregnant woman, shall concern to below recommendation before consume the soup:
- Chicken may lead into allergically condition such as itchiness, redness skin and even swollen face. Therefore, it this symptoms happen, it is better to avoid consume the soup with added chicken. To avoid it better to consume the bitter leaf soup without other side dish.
- Too much consume of the soup can lead to diarrhea, as the soup is high in fiber and can optimize the digestive system. Therefore, consume as necessary and not too much.
- Pregnant woman under some specific medical treatment shall ask the doctor first before consume the soup to avoid any interfere in medical prescription.
- The soup might contain high cholesterol. Therefore, pregnant woman with high cholesterol number suggested to consume the soup without added chicken.
The overall health benefits of bitter leaf soup in pregnancy proven good and best to supply nutrient for the fetus. However, the side effects shall be a consideration too. Therefore, always consume in proper portions and mix with other various meal for the best result.