With different cuisines available everywhere, many people like to eat Italian food for a change. Pregnant women might have craving for spicy pasta. Find out if it is safe to eat pasta during pregnancy and what precautions should you take to stay safe during this period of time.Are you a foodie? Do you relish Italian cuisine? Do you feel like having a bowl of spaghetti or penne or lasagna or fettucine with white sauce or red sauce on it? You must be a pasta lover then. But is it safe to continue having pasta when you are pregnant? During
pregnancy, every little morsel matters as a bowl of whatever you eat feeds the unborn baby inside you. Let us find out how pasta affects your pregnancy.
Can I Eat Pasta During Pregnancy?
Pastas form a main part of Italian cuisine, and are universally enjoyed by every nationality and every age group. Pastas are made of refined grains and are really tasty with the typical white cream sauce or red tomato sauce on it. They are filling with minimal effort. But every processed food is to be avoided during pregnancy. But if you really cannot control the crave for pasta, then you can eat whole grain pastas, which are homemade. You should avoid store-bought pastas as they are usually processed. Make sure you do not overeat as it is not a healthy option during pregnancy.
Is It Good to Eat Pasta During Pregnancy?
Pastas contain vitamins A and B, complex carbohydrates, and
folic acid – so you may think that eating pastas is good during pregnancy. But you must remember that pastas are also known to contain lectins and phytates. Lectins allow the passage of
junk food into the blood, while phytates block the absorption of magnesium and zinc in the blood. This may block your body and your baby’s body to have the nutritional benefit from zinc and magnesium. Thus, you should avoid eating pastas during pregnancy for the sake of your baby’s health.
Harmful Effects of Eating Pasta During Pregnancy
Pastas also promote the growth of yeast and harmful bacteria in your stomach, which can cause
indigestion, bloating, cramps, and other digestive problems during pregnancy. Also, for pregnant mothers who have a tendency to have
high blood pressure, it is better to avoid eating pastas frequently. If you are gluten intolerant, you must avoid pastas especially when you are pregnant, as pastas are loaded with gluten.
Is It Bad to Eat Pasta During Pregnancy?
Apart from the above-mentioned poor effects, pastas also have a tendency to offer you unwanted weight gain, which is not good during pregnancy. You should always opt for foods which help you reach the extra weight only in a healthy way. Pastas are full of carbohydrates, which thus increase the blood glucose levels, thus pregnant mothers with a tendency of gestational diabetes must avoid eating pastas. To balance the high glucose level, level of insulin is increased in your body which can lead to hypertension during pregnancy.
Other Bad Effects of Pasta during Pregnancy
Pastas have minimal fiber content, which increases the risk of gastric problems in pregnant mothers. Eating pastas can cause bloating and other stomach problems, which may lead to nausea and vomiting. Also, if you have a celiac disease or any types of allergies to pasta, then it is best to avoid pastas.
Pastas have vitamins and nutrients that are needed during pregnancy, but at the same time, they have many poor effects on pregnant mothers as mentioned above. But still, if you are at the best of your health, which means you have normal blood pressure, controlled blood sugar, maintained weight, no allergies to gluten, and follow a daily exercising routine to stay fit even during pregnancy, then you can enjoy your pasta without any risk, but always keep in mind you should not get over the board with pasta – be under limits. Opting for whole grain pasta is the best option.
Is it healthy to eat pasta during pregnancy? Is it harmful to eat pasta during pregnancy? What are the benefits of eating pasta during pregnancy? Discuss here