Excessive intake of junk food during pregnancy can give rise to health issues. Read on to learn more about the effects of eating junk food excessively during pregnancy.The period of pregnancy is the most important period in any woman’s life. From sustaining a life in her womb to making sure it thrives as a child, pregnancy is the test most women go through in their lives. For obvious reasons, it becomes important for every woman to prepare a healthy consuming habit cycle for her own benefit. If an expectant mother does not take her diet seriously, she might end up harming herself and the child too.
The Science behind Pregnancy and Junk Food
While expecting, a woman needs to take care of the intake of nutrients she consumes. If consumed in an uncontrollable amount, it might lead to a lot of issues. For example, the deficiency of Vitamin-C adversely affects the mental development of a baby. Similarly, eating food that is junk, oily, unhealthy and fatty in nature can lead to abnormal blood pressure, thus giving rise to many problems.
During the good old days, there were joint families to overlook the diet chart of any expectant mother. However, with the advancement of nuclear families, there is no senior to take care of the food cravings that might arise in an expectant mother. From the onset of pregnancy, the mother and her baby undergo various changes which include blood sugar levels, blood pressure, weight, and
mood swings. Below, we shall highlight some of the harmful
effects of consuming junk food during pregnancy.
The Salts from Various Sauces
Swollen feet due to water retention inside the body are one of the many implications of consuming food items with extra salt. These include sandwiches, burgers, and other fatty items. It is commonly known that excessive salt inside the body is not a healthy sign for blood pressure as well.
Absence of Fiber from the Daily Diet
We learn in our science lessons at school that fiber is essential for normal bowel movements. Not only does it regulates smooth movements, but also imparts the body with the nutrients it needs. However, the pizzas, and other junk food items do not contain whole fiber, and make false claims of having so. Expectant mothers must be careful in choosing what they consume as even the smallest quantity of nutrient can go a long way during the pregnancy. Also, it is important for the body to not be constipated and hence fiber intake must be monitored.
Rupturing of the Foetal Bag
If an expectant mother happens to be suffering from
constipation, she might put increased pressure during her bowel movements. Unfortunately, this can led to the rupturing of the Foetal bag, thus terminating the pregnancy. Also, junk food items contain high amount of cheese and low quantity of vegetables. This lowers the nutrient content in one’s diet, causing the weakening of the body, and eventually affecting the baby.
The Curse of the Chocolate
Many expectant mothers have often discussed their strong
cravings for chocolate. Not only these items contain high amount of sugar, but also have carbohydrates that are not recommended during pregnancy. High amount of sugar can result in gestational diabetes, and also cause mood swings, and irritation. This eventually results in the fluctuation of the blood pressure which can be harmful for the baby.
It is important for any expectant mother to make sensible choices when it comes to eating. It is understandable that cravings shall occur, and due to the mood swings, the counterparts around an expectant mother might give in to her repeated requests. However, there must be a strong realization about the harmful effects of junk food. While occasional consumption of a pizza slice can be explained, the consistent intake of the same segment of food items can lead to implications that can be irreversible and unfortunate.
What are the ill effects of eating junk food during pregnancy? Is it alright to eat junk food in moderation during pregnancy? Why is it unsafe to eat junk food during pregnancy? Discuss here.