Your diet during pregnancy should include healthy and nutritious food, as your baby eats whatever you eat. And in your endeavor to remain healthy, you might wonder if it is safe to eat bread during pregnancy. We provide the answer to this question in this post. Bread is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. However, make sure to choose whole-wheat bread over the other kinds to get the full benefits. Bread is also a rich source of fiber, which is an important nutrient required during pregnancy. Having the right amount of fiber in your diet can help with keeping the symptoms of hemorrhoids or constipation at bay. Read on to know more about the benefits and side effects of eating bread during pregnancy and learn other important facts.
Boosts Digestion:
Whole wheat bread contains a high proportion of dietary fibers, which help boost digestion. The high-fiber content of the bread helps you maintain regular bowel movements and reduces constipation and diarrhea during pregnancy.
Maintains Cholesterol Level:
The whole grains present in bread are full of dietary fiber, which not only helps you reduce blood cholesterol levels, but also reduces the risk of heart diseases.
Lowers Blood Pressure:
Expecting mommies like you often face the problem of high blood pressure, due to excessive stress and mental fatigue. Consuming bread will help maintain cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your body, thereby reducing the blood pressure level to normal.
Regulates Blood Sugar:
Expecting mommies like you are more prone to suffer from diabetes during pregnancy. Pregnancy can cause gestational diabetes. Whole wheat bread is high in fiber, which helps maintain your blood sugar level and prevents it from the sudden spike.
Calcium-Rich Food:
Expecting mommies need a decent quantity of calcium. The calcium content of food helps in the proper growth and development of your baby. Whole wheat bread contains a moderate proportion of calcium, which is beneficial for the pregnant woman.
Supplies Vitamin C:
Apart from high calcium content, whole grain bread also supplies Vitamin C to your body, which prevents deficiencies and boosts your immunity.
Maintains Metabolism:
Whole wheat bread is a rich source of Vitamin B, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. All these essential elements help regulate your metabolism.
Reduces Asthma Risk:
Consuming whole wheat bread during pregnancy also reduces the symptoms of asthma or breathing discomforts in pregnant women.
Prevent Gallstones:
Eating foods high in dietary fiber, like whole wheat bread or cereals made from whole wheat, can help you avoid gallstones.
Essential Nutrients In Bread
Fiber:
Bread contains a high proportion of bran or dietary fibers, which has many health benefits including promoting heart health. Moreover, the fiber also reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and helps in the well-being of the mother.
Protein:
Whole wheat bread contains wheat gluten, which helps enhance the growth of your unborn baby.
Carbohydrates:
The carbohydrate content of the whole wheat bread provides the optimum energy to expecting moms. Carbohydrates have a low glycemic index, which reduces any risks of diabetes in mothers.
Wheat Germ:
Whole wheat bread contains wheat germs. Wheat germs are rich in nutrients like vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty acids, and folate. These nutrients help promote your well-being and reduce your risk of contracting inflammation or heart diseases. (1)
Side Effects Of Bread During Pregnancy
Bread has many benefits for expecting moms, but what about its side effects. Here we list some of them:
Bread contains gluten, a composite form of protein that is difficult to digest for expecting moms.
Wheat bread contains Amylopectin A, which increases blood sugar level rapidly.
