Pomegranate is a sweet-tangy, nutritious fruit that most people love. Some enjoy eating pomegranate seeds, while others enjoy its juice. If you crave pomegranate during pregnancy, knowing how much you can safely consume daily is essential to avert the complications that its excess intake can cause. Read on as we give you an insight into the safety of pomegranate and its juice for pregnant women, how many pomegranates you can eat daily, its possible health benefits, side effects, and effective ways to include the fruit in your pregnancy diet.
Is It Safe To Have Pomegranate And Pomegranate Juice When You Are Pregnant?
Pomegranate juice is known to prevent certain pregnancy risks such as preterm birth and preeclampsia (1) (2). However, overconsumption of this superfood and its juice is not suggested, as it may have a few side effects during pregnancy.
How Many Pomegranates Can A Pregnant Woman Eat In A Day?
Two to eight ounces of pomegranate juice per day is known to offer benefits for adults. But there is no standard quantity of pomegranate recommended for pregnant women (3). So, it is safe to say that expecting mothers can limit their intake to less than what is suggested for the others.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Eating Pomegranate During Pregnancy?
Pomegranate is a good source of potassium, vitamins, iron, folic acid, and antioxidants (1). Here are the benefits of consuming pomegranate during pregnancy: In the next section, we see if there are any risks associated with eating pomegranate during pregnancy.
Are There Any Risks Associated With Pomegranate Consumption?
The general risks of consuming pomegranate are as follows (7) (8).
Pomegranate juice can interfere with some medications. To prevent any pregnancy complications, you should consult your doctor before including the fruit in your regular diet.
Pomegranate is high in calories, hence ingesting more than what is required could increase your weight during pregnancy.
There is no research suggesting that pregnant women can take pomegranate supplements or extracts. So it is better to avoid them during pregnancy and enjoy the seeds and freshly made juice instead.
How To Include Pomegranate In Your Pregnancy Diet?
Consume pomegranate in the following ways to enjoy its taste and benefits. But before you do that, read about the tips to consume this fruit safely.
Tips For Consuming Pomegranate
Always buy fresh and ripe pomegranates. Pick the heavy ones with firm skin. Image: Shutterstock
While scooping out the seeds, see that you are not adding any part of the rind.
Avoid buying pomegranate juice from outside as they may have preservatives. Make it fresh at home.
