The jalapeno is a variety of pepper that is native to the Mexico and Central America. While it has been cultivated extensively in these regions of thousands of years, in recent times, other parts of the world has also taken to growing this highly sought after vegetable. Known for their highly spicy flavor and strong but pleasant aroma, jalapenos today are a very popular ingredient in a number of dishes. You will probably know them best as imparting a tangy, spicy kick to your pizza in the form of toppings.
However, given its strong flavor and spice level, many would wonder whether jalapenos are safe to be consumed during pregnancy. In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of eating jalapenos during this time.
Boosts immunity
Jalapenos are very rich sources of flavonoids, and also vitamins A and C. Because of this, moderate consumption of jalapenos will help in boosting your immunity, which is extremely important during pregnancy, when your immunity is already compromised. The presence of flavonoids also ensures that your blood pressure remains under control. This is an extremely important benefit of jalapenos, because fluctuations in blood pressure can lead to disastrous consequences in pregnancy.
Manages weight
Pregnancy is a time when you will be experiencing a lot of food cravings, and that is something that puts you in very real danger of gaining excess weight. While it is fine, and even recommended, that you gain some weight during pregnancy, it is best not to gain too much. Jalapenos, like most vegetables of the pepper family, are great when it comes to weight management. Jalapenos are a very rich source of a compound called capsaicin, which helps you shed the extra kilos you will be gaining during pregnancy from all the indulging you will probably be doing in food of all kinds. Besides, adding some jalapenos in your weekly diet will ensure that you have an option that is low in protein, carbohydrates, calories, and fat, and high in healthy vitamins.
A word of caution
Some caution, however, needs to be exercised while eating jalapenos during pregnancy. First of all, it is important to keep in mind that they have a pretty strong flavor, and are quite high on heat, As such, it is not a good idea to start eating them all at once if you are not already quite used to them, or other fruits of the pepper variety. Introduce them bit by bit to your palate; the best thing to do would be to eat a sprinkling on your pizza or pasta, and slowly get used to the sliced variety of toppings. Also, make sure you don’t consume too much in one sitting as it may lead to pretty severe heartburns. Besides, the weakened digestive system may not be able to process large amounts of fiery stuff very well.
Also read: Can I eat spicy food during pregnancy?
Jalapenos, like all peppers, are good for the heart, stomach, and your general health. However, things are a bit different in pregnancy, and you need to exercise the kind of caution around food that you have never displayed in your life. Jalapenos are no exception to this rule.