Corn is considered one of the oldest grain crops in the world. Today it ranks third in popularity and prevalence. This became possible not only due to the taste, but also some useful properties of the product, which are especially appreciated by women during pregnancy.
- iron, which prevents anemia and normalizes the thyroid gland;
- vitamins of groups A, B1, B3, B9 and C, which strengthen the immune system, prevent the occurrence of diseases of the central nervous system, digestive and cardiovascular systems;
- magnesium, which is involved in supporting the normal functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems;
- potassium and sodium, which restore water and acid-base balance.
The benefits and possible harm of corn for pregnant women
Corn during pregnancy is useful in that:
- eliminates the symptoms of toxicosis (nausea, vomiting, weakness and malaise);
- cleanses the body of harmful substances, thanks to which it allows you to cope with constipation, diarrhea and restore the normal functioning of the digestive system;
- prevents swelling;
- normalizes the level of cholesterol and sugar in the blood;
- helps to form and develop the fetus.
Despite the huge amount of benefits, this is a high-calorie product. For example, depending on the method of preparation, 100 g of corn porridge can contain more than 300 kcal.
- individual intolerance to the product;
- stomach ulcer;
- gastritis;
- increased blood clotting.
How to choose and cook corn?
During pregnancy, you can eat boiled and canned corn, as well as cereals from it. The latter is mainly used for making porridge.
When choosing fresh corn, you should pay attention to its appearance, the absence of black grains and mold. Cereals and canned food must have a valid expiration date.
Fresh and cooked on the cob
When choosing a fresh product, a woman must follow the following rules:
- Buy cobs with leaves. Then you can be sure that the corn is less damaged during transportation.
- Pay attention to the color of the leaves. They should be green, as they are yellow and dry, indicating that the corn was picked a long time ago.
- Pay attention to grains. They should be small, pale yellow in color. Such grains easily come off the cob and taste good.
Also, you should not buy boiled corn from your hands in the markets, because it is not known whether hygiene rules were followed during its preparation. It's better to do everything yourself. To do this, the corn must first be washed, and large cobs cut in half and only then put in already boiling water without salt and spices. You need to cook for 30-60 minutes, depending on the degree of maturity of the product.
Cereals for porridge
Pregnant women are advised to use whole grains rather than buying instant cereals. Suitable grits, both coarse and fine grinding. You can boil it in water or milk. The last ingredient will give the corn porridge a rich yellow color and a mild taste.
The finished dish is served with both vegetables or mushrooms, as well as dried fruits. Corn porridge goes well with cheese, bacon and eggs, as well as pumpkin.
Canned corn
When choosing canned products, you need to pay attention not only to the expiration date, but also to the date of manufacture. If it was packed not in summer or autumn, but in winter or early spring, then the grains will not be so fresh. Before packaging, they are first dried, wetted, and then boiled. In this case, there is no question of any beneficial properties of corn.
In addition, you should buy products made according to GOST or international standards. In this case, you can be sure that all the rules and requirements for preparation and packaging are observed by the manufacturer.
As mentioned earlier, canned corn is most often added to salads to make them satisfying and nutritious, but it is also used to make soups or pizza. It all depends on the imagination and culinary abilities of the expectant mother.
To all other useful properties, one more thing is added: corn is one of the few types of products that can be introduced into the diet of people of all ages, including pregnant and lactating women. The corn cob does not accumulate harmful substances and chemicals that can be used in growing crops.
What is useful corn?
Some pregnant women don't know if they can eat boiled corn. This product is rich in vitamins A and E, which have powerful antioxidant properties. This helps to cleanse the blood of salts of harmful and heavy metals, as well as the removal of toxins. Vitamin H, which is slightly less in boiled grains, but also sufficient, restores the walls of blood vessels, improves their elasticity and helps to normalize blood circulation.
You can read more about useful properties in the article.
The mineral composition of the product is no less important. Boiled corn contains (in large quantities) the following minerals:
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- sodium;
- magnesium;
- manganese, etc.
It is worth noting that corn is one of the few foods that contains a sufficient amount of iodine. This element is especially important for women who permanently live in the northern regions or other areas with an unfavorable harsh climate.
Important! Iodine deficiency can cause hyperthyroidism, as well as disorders in the formation and functioning of the brain in the fetus.
By the way, iodine is not part of all vitamin and mineral complexes, so pregnant women can eat corn to prevent iodine deficiency.
Magnesium in the composition (in combination with B vitamins) will help get rid of cramps in the calf muscles, normalize the functioning of the nervous system and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Toxicosis and corn
Pregnant women suffering from severe forms of early toxicosis can use boiled corn to get rid of the symptoms of this phenomenon and improve well-being. Boiled corn grains have a beneficial effect on the body of a pregnant woman with severe manifestations of toxicosis, namely:
- prevent bouts of nausea;
- prevent the occurrence of vomiting;
- relieve headache;
- relieve dizziness;
- relieve pain in the lower back and legs (due to the removal of excess fluid from the soft tissues).
Advice! In order to cope with toxicosis, it is recommended to eat corn every day (until the symptoms completely stop). 1-2 tablespoons of the boiled product is enough to save a woman from discomfort and discomfort. It is necessary to consume grains in the morning before meals.
Are there any contraindications?
Despite the huge number of useful properties, it is still not possible for everyone to use the product. To be more precise, there are certain restrictions on the amount of corn in the diet during pregnancy. When exactly should you give up your favorite food (or at least reduce the amount consumed)?
- Excess weight. Corn is a very nutritious and high-calorie product. For this reason, women who are prone to the appearance of extra pounds or are already overweight should significantly limit the use of this dish. If there is a possibility of excessive weight gain, you can eat corn grains no more than 1 time per week. With obesity, the product is completely excluded from the diet.
- Diarrhea. Everyone knows the moderate laxative effect of corn. Therefore, during periods of acute intestinal disorders or digestive disorders, you should avoid eating provocative dishes, which include corn.
- Tendency to allergies. Corn is considered a hypoallergenic product, but in some cases it can cause unwanted reactions. Therefore, you should start using a very small amount, even if no adverse reactions to this product have been noted before.
Expectant mothers are allowed to eat corn kernels in any form. The exception is canned corn. Any preservatives and stabilizers that are used to extend the shelf life of the product have an extremely negative impact on the health of the woman and the fetus.
Yellow sun corn is a favorite treat for both adults and children. She uplifts, saturates. And it is not surprising that many pregnant women want to taste it. Is it possible to use this cereal crop during the period of expectation of the child and whether there are restrictions, this article will tell.
What's the use?
It is a mistake to think of corn as a vegetable or fruit - it is a cereal that has a rich history. Even 10 thousand years ago, Indian tribes began to grow it on the territory of modern Mexico. Maize became widespread thanks to the traveler Columbus.
Corn cobs are edible immediately after harvest - raw corn is very healthy, but not very tasty, and therefore it is usually boiled in salted water. If you need to store cereal on the cob for a long time, then you can freeze it - the culture will hardly lose its properties. For salads, both boiled and canned corn are used. Cornmeal is widely used for baking. On the shelves of stores there is a wide selection of corn flakes - ready-made breakfasts, in which you only need to add milk or yogurt. Well, everyone's favorite popcorn is also corn grains.
Found applications in medicine corn columns with stigmas. They are rich in vitamins and traces of essential oils, saponins, resins. They are used as a diuretic and choleretic agent. Often stigmas are recommended for patients with liver disease and gallstone disease.
Are all types of cereals equally useful for pregnant women? Not all. On the cob, boiled, the young culture will only benefit, while doctors do not recommend pregnant women to eat canned product and popcorn.
The beneficial properties of the plant lie in its rich chemical composition. Please note that the uniqueness of corn lies in the fact that, firstly, it almost does not absorb chemical fertilizers that are used to process fields, and, secondly, it does not lose its beneficial properties during heat treatment: cooking or freezing.
Yellow sunflower seeds are rich in B vitamins, necessary for well-being and metabolism, vitamin C, nicotinic acid. They contain enough mineral salts: calcium, magnesium, iron. culture is rich iodine, which is important for maintaining the functioning of the thyroid gland of a woman and the proper formation of the embryo.
With all the benefits that cereal cobs carry, it has one important minus - the calorie content of the product is very high: 123 kilocalories per hundred grams.
On the one hand, this makes the product an excellent way to satisfy hunger, and on the other hand, corn becomes an undesirable dish for women with obesity and pathological weight gain, as it contributes to the accumulation of extra pounds.
The culture is rich in starch. It is digested much easier than potato, and has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system and the condition of the muscle tissue of the mother and fetus. Nutritionists highly recommend include corn in the diet of women suffering from gout, epilepsy, and liver ailments.
In the absence of contraindications, the systematic moderate consumption of corn during pregnancy helps to cope with hunger, reduces nausea and a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen with toxicosis. It is enough for pregnant women in the early stages to eat just a few yellow grains so that an attack of morning sickness recedes and the condition is relieved.
It is believed that the use of the product has a positive effect on metabolism, increases efficiency, and reduces swelling. Corn contains vegetable fiber and can be included in the diet of expectant mothers as a means of preventing constipation. However, overeating causes the opposite effect - starch helps to hold the stool together.
And therefore, in order not to suffer from constipation and not to gain extra pounds due to the high calorie content, it is recommended that pregnant women eat no more than one cob per day.
Potential harm and contraindications
Even the most delicious and healthy dish can do harm if the eater does not know the measure. This fully applies to corn. Even if a pregnant woman really wants sunflower seeds, you should adhere to the recommended amount - one ear or plate of corn porridge per day.
If this requirement is neglected, then the weight will begin to grow rapidly, and obesity contributes to the development of preeclampsia - a dangerous complication of pregnancy and childbirth.
It is not recommended to abuse cereals for obese women and women with low body weight. The last, oddly enough, especially. The fact is that culture discourages appetite, and a woman after a nutritious snack may not want to eat at the main meal. With a lack of body weight, this can harm not only the mother, but also the unborn child.
Doctors do not recommend eating corn for women who suffer from increased blood clotting during pregnancy and are at risk for thrombosis. The product, thanks to starch and mineral salts, contributes to its thickening even more.
Contraindications to the use of the product are gastritis and gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, colitis and enterocolitis. Corn, although infrequently, causes severe allergies, and therefore the product is strongly not recommended for women with a aggravated allergic history. The strongest allergen is corn stigmas. Therefore, allergy sufferers are advised to consult a doctor separately.
There is no strict ban on canned corn, but all, without exception, expectant mothers are not advised by doctors to eat the product in this form, since preservatives are used in its preparation, and sometimes flavorings, which can be dangerous for the fetus developing in the womb. If you really want to add just such a culture to the salad, then it is advised to choose it only in glass containers. It is desirable that conservation take place in the summer, the date of manufacture will help to find out.
Cornmeal is acceptable in moderation, as is butter. But doctors strongly warn pregnant women from popcorn.
In the first trimester, corn can be a great help in the fight against toxicosis, the main thing is not to overeat. It is during this period that the organs and systems of the child are laid, he has his own metabolism. An excess of high-calorie foods in the mother's diet can cause excess weight of the fetus, pathologies of the heart, blood vessels.
In the 2nd trimester a woman can decide for herself how much cereal to eat, unless, of course, there is a tendency to constipation. In the 3rd trimester you should slightly reduce the amount of this product - this will help control weight and approach childbirth in good physical shape.
When choosing corn for pregnant women, it should be remembered that it is extremely dangerous to take boiled cobs from your hands. No one will honestly say in what conditions they were prepared, whether the one who cooked them was healthy. Therefore, it is better to cook corn yourself.
You need to choose cobs with leaves. If the crop is grown with a large amount of nitrogen growth promoters, then the leaves turn gray, and their sellers have to be removed to maintain their presentation.
Therefore, your choice is cobs with leaves. But the leaves need to be considered more carefully: if they are completely dry, this means that they stored the harvested crop under the sun, so the grains inside have dried up and will be tough. Only a cob with green and juicy leaves can guarantee that you will cook juicy and sweet corn.
It should not smell harsh, be mixed with synthetic odors. The presence of such a “flavor” suggests that the ear was recently treated with pesticides - this is not the best option for a pregnant woman.
Purchased cobs cannot be stored in leaves for more than two days: it dries quickly, becomes hard and starchy. Cook it right away and eat it to your health.
Corn oil in the second half of pregnancy can be used to prevent the occurrence of stretch marks on the skin, for this you can massage problem areas with it. And before childbirth, this product can be used for intimate perineal massage: it increases tissue elasticity and facilitates easier childbirth.
Eating corn while pregnant is a great way to improve digestion. Corn, firstly, helps the digestion process: it helps to absorb other foods, cleanses the intestines and slows down the fermentation processes in the digestive tract. So with toxicosis, corn is perfect.
Another plus of eating corn during pregnancy is the strengthening of the circulatory system. Regular use helps to strengthen blood vessels and good blood circulation. So do not be afraid to eat corn during pregnancy and lactation: it is also good because it provides the expectant mother with milk.
However, there are a number of contraindications to the use of corn during pregnancy. This applies to expectant mothers with increased blood clotting (and a tendency to develop blood clots), as well as with stomach ulcers.
Many women are afraid to eat corn during pregnancy because of the risk that the product will contain GMOs. Therefore, it is worth recalling once again that genetically modified foods (at least corn, at least bay leaf) are completely harmless.
The benefits of corn during pregnancy
The benefits of eating corn during pregnancy are enormous. One of the secrets of corn's usefulness is that when grown, corn cobs do not accumulate any chemicals in themselves. In other words, corn is always (well, almost always) organic.
Magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, zinc, iodine, iron - this is the list of trace elements that the cob contains. There are also enough vitamins: A, E, H, B4. In short, there are few foods that are healthier than corn. During pregnancy, even more so.
The starch found in corn helps the body build muscle fibers, which is also important for expectant mothers. Starch is also essential for the nervous system. Eating as much corn as possible during pregnancy is recommended when the expectant mother has problems with the liver and gallbladder. Corn kernels contain pectins that are useful in treating tumors. Corn porridge is very useful for a growing organism. During pregnancy, toxicosis almost always occurs - corn will also help here. In short, solid pluses.
However, we remind you once again that before using corn during pregnancy, it is better to consult a doctor. If he does not find contraindications - feel free to eat.
canned corn during pregnancy
Consumption of canned corn during pregnancy is a separate issue. On the one hand, any preservatives are undesirable for expectant mothers. At the same time, corn grains, unlike, for example, green peas, almost do not lose their useful properties during conservation.
Canned corn, by the way, does not cause unpleasant bloating, unlike freshly cooked corn. During pregnancy, there are already enough unpleasant sensations in the digestive tract, so canned corn may well serve as a substitute for fresh corn for those who often “puff up”.
Canned corn has far fewer calories than fresh corn - but it's up to you to decide whether it's a plus or a minus for you. And, in fact, the disadvantages of canned corn are the same as those of fresh corn: for ulcers and those prone to thrombosis, it is contraindicated.
Corn is a very tasty and healthy vegetable that many people eat with pleasure. Adults and children from a very young age love fresh cobs boiled in plain water. As a popular component of salads, a canned product often acts.
If you are in a position, it is especially important to monitor your diet and diet. Therefore, you, as a future mother, may be wondering if corn is useful during pregnancy and to what extent it can be included in your menu.
historical information
Vegetable culture "corn" was known to people 10 thousand years ago. It originally grew in what is now Mexico.
Corn gained its popularity thanks to Columbus. Gradually, the vegetable began to be sown not only in America, but also in other countries. Corn cobs at that time were small in size and barely reached four centimeters in length. Now this culture is used in cooking, medicine and agriculture.
Corn during pregnancy
If you are wondering if it is possible to eat corn during pregnancy, the answer is definitely yes.
By the way! During heat treatment, this product does not lose its useful qualities. Therefore, the benefits of corn during pregnancy are undeniable. It can be eaten as an independent dish or added to salads and side dishes.
What is especially useful corn during pregnancy:
- reduces nausea, heaviness in the abdomen and other manifestations of toxicosis (for information on how to cope with toxicosis, read the article Nausea during pregnancy >>>);
- contributes to the normal metabolism in the body;
- reduces fatigue, increases efficiency;
- helps to cope with edema (more about edema during pregnancy >>>);
- is the prevention of constipation;
- removes toxins and toxins, cleansing the body;
- normalizes the level of cholesterol and sugar in the blood;
- normalizes the digestive system.
In order to benefit, but not harm your health, it is worth observing the measure in the use of any products. Corn should be consumed in limited quantities - no more than an ear per day.
The benefits of corn
This crop is famous for the fact that it does not accumulate any chemicals that are used in its fertilizer. Therefore, regardless of the place of growth, it can be considered a safe and environmentally friendly product. Yellow grains contain a large supply of vitamins and useful elements that are necessary for the well-being of the expectant mother.
The use of corn helps to fill the deficiency of such substances:
- B vitamins;
- vitamin C;
- a nicotinic acid;
- salts of calcium, magnesium and iron;
- vitamins E, D, K.
Despite the fact that the calorie content of this vegetable is quite high (123 kcal), it has a high nutritional value and is suitable for light snacks.
Corn contains starch, which is involved in the "building" of muscle tissue and the functioning of the nervous system. For many pregnant women, it is important that the diet is dietary and appropriate for individual health conditions. Corn dishes are recommended for the following ailments:
- gout;
- nephritis;
- epilepsy;
- liver disease.
Returning to the question of the benefits of corn during pregnancy, it is worth remembering that everything is good in moderation. It is worth avoiding overeating and do not abuse even healthy foods! In case of any concerns, body characteristics or a non-standard reaction to nutrition, you should consult your doctor.
Is there any harm from corn
In excessive quantities, even the most healthy dish can harm the body. In the case of corn, you should limit yourself to one boiled cob or one serving of corn porridge per day.
For food, you need to choose healthy, mature grains, and cereals should be free of impurities and foreign smell. A spoiled product can cause poisoning, which is very dangerous during the period of bearing a baby.
Note! Corn helps to reduce appetite, so it should not be eaten with reduced body weight. The lack of weight of the expectant mother can adversely affect the course of pregnancy and the woman's well-being.
This healthy vegetable should be excluded from your diet for expectant mothers with the following diseases:
- thrombosis;
- gastritis;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- ulcer;
- body weight deficiency.
As for canned corn, like any canned food, it is not essential during pregnancy. If you want - eat, but not much.
It is better to choose corn in glass containers, canned in the summer season (look carefully at the date of production and packaging).
Boiled corn during pregnancy benefits most women. You can also include corn oil and cornmeal-based baked goods in your menu. However, the use of popcorn (fried grains) should be avoided.
The benefits and harms of corn during pregnancy are an individual matter. You decide how and how much to eat. It is important to remember about balance and measure, this is especially important during pregnancy. A boiled vegetable can help avoid certain micronutrient deficiencies and helps to cope with toxicosis.
But canned and roasted grains can be dangerous. Give preference to natural products and proper nutrition, at least for these important 9 months.