Hi, I know you are here because you needed to know the Benefits Of Unripe Plantain During Pregnancy, well Pregnancy is one of the very important moments in a woman’s life.
Every woman wants their child to be strong and healthy that’s why they pay so much attention to foods taken during this period.
Unripe plantain is one food that should be considered during your pregnancy period. The benefits of unripe plantain during pregnancy are impressive that’s why pregnant women should consider eating it.
It’s a natural source of starch that helps to reduce blood glucose levels, so it is considered an excellent ingredient for food fortification.
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As known, unripe plantains contain antioxidant compounds that help prevent diseases and provide vitamins, so it is a good idea for expectant mothers.
In this article, we look at unripe plantain and pregnancy, its health benefits, and how safe it is for expectant mothers.
Table of Contents
What Is Plantain?
Plantains are tropical fruits that have a thick peel with flesh that is sweet and firm inside. They are popularly known as vegetable bananas and are green counterparts of nutritious ripe yellow bananas.
Read: What are the Vital Health Benefits of Unripe Plantain and the Effect?
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Even though plantains belong to the family of bananas, they differ from bananas, and you need to cook them before eating them.
In several tropical regions, you will find that people consider plantains as a staple food loaded with vitamins, folates, and other important nutrients.
The delicious vegetable banana is rich in many nutrients, so it offers you many health benefits while you are expecting a baby.
What Is Unripe Plantain?
Unripe plantain is simply plantain that has not yet ripened. Which is bright green in color and has a thicker outer skin than ripe plantain. There are many benefits of unripe plantain during pregnancy.
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Unripe plantain?
100 grams of plantain contains approximately 120 calories, 2.3 grams of dietary fiber, nearly 500 milligrams of potassium, and about 18 milligrams of vitamin C.
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Unripe plantain has many useful elements:
- Big amount of natural vitamins (C, A, B6)
- Good source of daily energy
- A source of minerals (iron, magnesium, phosphorous
- Amazing source of starch
- A source of useful elements such as folic acid, proteins
All the nutrition included in the unripe plantain adds advantages to this, especially for pregnant women.
Why do I Need Unripe Plantain In My Diet During Pregnancy?
It is very important that unripe plantain is included in your diet because it is healthy and rich in iron.
There are loads of reasons why you need this important mineral(iron) during pregnancy, here’s why:
- The amount of blood in your body increases during pregnancy until you have almost 50 percent more blood than usual, so you need more iron to make more hemoglobin.
- You need extra iron for your growing baby and placenta, especially in the second and third trimesters.
- Many women need more because they start their pregnancy with insufficient stores of iron.
- Iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy is associated with preterm delivery, low birth weight, and infant mortality.
So it’s highly recommended you include unripe plantain in your diet when pregnant.
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How Much Iron Do I Need As A Pregnant Woman?
Pregnant women need 27 milligrams (mg) of iron per day.
Read: When Do I Start Showing In First Pregnancy
However, you don’t have to get the recommended amount of iron every day. Instead, aim for that amount as an average over the course of a few days or a week.
Is It Safe To Eat Unripe Plantain During Pregnancy?
Yes, you can enjoy eating unripe plantains while you are expecting. In fact, several pregnant women eat unripe plantain as a staple during pregnancy.
Unripe plantain is a great source of dietary fiber, which is highly beneficial to prevent digestion and constipation problems during this delicate phase.
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Also, unripe plantain offers you good amounts of energy, proteins, folic acid, minerals, tissue-building elements, and minerals that help you enjoy a healthy pregnancy.
Make sure you do not eat an excess of unripe plantain while you are expecting. Also, avoid certain forms of plantains which are nightshades, as they contain a neurotoxin that can affect your pregnancy adversely.
What Are the Benefits Of Unripe Plantain During Pregnancy?
The high nutritional content in unripe plantains provides you with lots of health benefits while expecting a baby. The Health benefits include:
- Good Source Of Energy
- Fights Constipation
- Acts As An Immunity Booster
- Makes Your Bones Stronger
- It Ensures Healthy Pregnancy
- It Promotes Eye And Skin Health
- Remedy for Nausea
- Promotes Heart Health
- Battles Against Anemia And Neuritis
- Good For Weight Management
Let’s Explain each benefit of the unripe plantain to pregnant women.
1. Good Source Of Energy
The starch included in plantain fruit gives a natural source of energy which is extremely beneficial to have a healthy pregnancy.
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2. Fights Constipation
Unripe plantains contain high amounts of dietary fiber which promotes smooth bowel movements and reduces the risk of constipation troubles substantially while you are expecting.
Adding it to your diet during pregnancy provides you great relief from digestive and constipation problems. This also acts as good benefit of eating plantain.
3. Acts As An Immunity Booster
High vitamin C content and vitamin A content helps enhance your immunity against several harmful infections and free radical activity during pregnancy.
Vitamin A acts as a strong antioxidant, neutralizes free radicals, and prevents healthy cell damage while you are expecting it.
4. Makes Your Bones Stronger
Plantains contain good amounts of minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorous, and iron.
Read: Diseases That Can Be Prevented And How
So, the consumption of unripe plantain in pregnancy helps you have strong bones and ensures good growth and development of your fetus.
5. It Ensures Healthy Pregnancy
Plantains also contain good amounts of folate, thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin. Good amounts of folate in your body ensure a healthy pregnancy.
6. It Promotes Eye And Skin Health
High vitamin A content in plantains is highly beneficial for your eye health and vision during pregnancy. Also, vitamin A helps in improving your skin complexion while you are expecting it.
7. Remedy for Nausea
Nausea is no doubt one of the most common sicknesses that most women who are pregnant suffer from.
Unripe plantains have been found to be an excellent remedy for nausea that you experience during this period.
8. Promotes Heart Health
High potassium content in plantains helps promote heart health and ensures you have healthy cells during pregnancy.
9. Battles Against Anemia And Neuritis
Due to its vitamin B6 content, unripe plantain can prevent and may even help to cure anemia and neuritis (inflammation of the nerve). it also acts as a good benefit of eating plantain.
10. Good For Weight Management
Green plantain is rich in fiber and complex carbs (resistance starch), which digest more slowly, thus keeping you more full and satisfied for longer after eating.
And therefore you’re less likely to go hungry or snack in-between meals, which makes it an excellent weight management meal and also acts as good benefit of eating plantain. Also, check out this 55 + Best Foods For Losing Weight.
All the benefits of unripe plantain during pregnancy listed above tell you how important including plantains in your pregnancy diet is.
Look for different recipes that can make unripe plantain interesting to eat during pregnancy.
Read: How Can I Sleep With Sciatica
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