Carbohydrates are good source of energy and fiber. They are available in simple forms like sugars or in complex forms such as in fibers and starches. You may be familiar with products which are rich of carbohydrates, such as cereals, millets, vegetables, fruits, and milk.
Carbohydrates from these types of food will be broken down into simple sugars such as glucose to release energy. This energy will be beneficial to fuel the brain, muscle functioning and other vital organs in the body.
Carbohydrates are also essential during pregnancy. There are some health benefits of carbohydrates for pregnant women. Let’s see each of the following health benefits:
1. Maintain digestive system
Once again, there is a type of carbohydrate which is called complex carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrates have fiber which helps maintaining the health of the digestive system during pregnancy. They do it by regulating bowel movements and preventing constipation.
If you experience constipation during pregnancy, you may consider reading these health benefits of consuming plums during pregnancy. One of the benefits is preventing constipation.
2. Maintain blood sugar level
Regular and sufficient intake of healthy carbohydrate may assist a pregnant woman to manage her blood sugar level. It keeps the sugar level stable by thwarting any sudden spikes. Therefore, it also decreases the chance of getting gestational diabetes.
If you suffer from diabetes, then you should consider reading these health benefits of coconut oil for diabetes. It could be safe to be consumed during pregnancy, however, make sure to consult with your doctor too before deciding to consume this oil.
3. Supply sufficient energy
During pregnancy, pregnant women actually feed two humans: the babies or fetus and themselves. So, they will need growing energy needs for the developing fetus.
There might be some changes in the metabolism during pregnancy and it may lead to insulin resistance or increased maternal glucose. However, when they consume healthy carbs during pregnancy, this change might be prevented.
4. Maintain healthy weight
A pregnant woman will surely experience weight gain. However, by eating and consuming nutritious complex carbohydrates, she can sustain a healthy weight throughout her pregnancy as well as averting the risk of obesity.
However, be mindful about the amount of carbohydrates you consume during pregnancy. Still, too much consumption of carbohydrates will lead to obesity and you will gain weight. Consume carbohydrates in a moderate amount and you don’t have to be worried about being obesed!
5. Provide energy – prevent fatigue
Pregnant women may experience fatigue, however, carbohydrates can provide the much-required energy boost. They need to carry their fetus everywhere they go and it could be heavy and tiring. Some pregnant women still need to do their jobs as well, so they may feel more tired.
That is why carbohydrates are essential for pregnancy. Even though it is not recommended to consume too much carbs, but pregnant women still need them. They provide energy for pregnant women so that they can carry their activities.
These carbohydrates they consume will be ready to be broken down into simple sugars. Then, these simple sugars will supply energy to body cells and support the developing fetus.
6. Fight free radicals
Carbohydrates contain phytonutrients. They function as antioxidants which will assist to destroy free radicals that might be produced during the metabolism. By consuming a healthy amount of carbohydrates, pregnant women may prevent ailments during their pregnancy.
There are some food that are rich in antioxidants, such as taro root, black tea and lemon. If you’re interested to consume those food, then you can read health benefits of black tea and lemon and benefits of taro root for cancer.
7. Combat some pregnancy symptoms
Some pregnant women find out that consuming carbohydrates is helpful and useful to combat some pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness and nausea, especially during the first trimester of the pregnancy.
How much carbohydrates are needed in pregnancy? A pregnant woman should consume 9 to 11 servings of complex carbohydrates during her pregnancy every day.
There are some types of carbohydrates that are good to be consumed during pregnancy, such as whole grain bread, brown rice, baked potatoes with skin on and fresh fruits.
There are also some types of food that should be avoided, such as legumes (dried beans) and starchy vegetables. They take longer time to break down and provide energy over time.
There’s a direct link between the health of a fetus and the maternal nutrition. It’s not only the mother’s nutrition which give the fetus the nutrients it needs, but the mother’s nutrition will also affect the mother’s metabolism of the hormones which are secreted by the placenta.
Maintaining nutrients and health during pregnancy needs a lot of attention. If you’re pregnant and want to have some tips regarding to pregnancy, then you can check these following health benefits of aerobic during pregnancy and health benefits of vitamin C in pregnancy.