It is quite normal in pregnancy to crave for foods with tangy flavor. To satisfy this craving, many pregnant ladies dribble over small bites of tamarind. But is it healthy to eat tamarind in pregnancy? Though pregnancy is the most exciting phase of life, you need to be very cautious and alert of what you eat. Before you eat anything, you need to check its safety for your baby’s health. If you also feel tempted to savor a little piece of tamarind in pregnancy, then check out this article to know the fact.
What Is Tamarind?
Tamarind is a tangy fruit that is black in color. It is commonly available in the market. Its pulp is sour and tantalizes the taste buds. Children, and pregnant women are very fond of eating it. Due to its tangy taste, it is sometimes used in food preparation as an alternative to lemon.
Nutritional Value of Tamarind
Tamarind is safe, and beneficial in pregnancy when you eat it in moderate amounts. A single cup of pulp of raw tamarind has several essential nutrients that are beneficial to you in your pregnancy. It provides 3.36 mg of iron, 2.3 milligrams of niacin, and 6.1 gram of dietary fiber. Tamarind has got good amounts of nutrients that includes Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium. Tamarind is also a good source of fiber, healthy sugars, and protein.
Advantages of eating Tamarind During Pregnancy
There are several health benefits of tamarind that you can realize when you eat it in the right amounts. Some of them have been mentioned below as:
- Tamarind serves as an effective laxative agent that makes it effective in treating constipation. In addition to its laxative nature, the antimicrobial property of this fruit is beneficial in aiding digestion, keeping stool firm, and curing diarrhea.
- Tamarind has plentiful of antioxidants, and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties that helps in fighting off several inflammatory diseases in the body. It is beneficial in lessening bloating, pain in muscles, and swelling around your ankles in last trimester of pregnancy.
- Tamarind has high content of polyphenols, and flavonoids that aids in protecting from gestational diabetes.
- The presence of minerals like sodium and potassium minerals in this fruit controls blood pressure levels in the body.
- Another important benefit of tamarind is that it provides relief from morning sickness. Addition of a little black salt to tamarind drink refreshes a person and aids in digestion. Its remarkable digestive abilities help in combatting and preventing occurrence of dysentery.
- Tamarind is also helpful in curing illness related to bile disorders.
- The high antioxidant level in its pulp is also potent against protecting from specific types of cancers.
Does Tamarind react with medicines?
Tamarind has a tendency to react to specific types of medications. Some of them being paracetamol, aspirin, and ibuprofen. So, if you are on any of these medicines, then you should maintain a gap of one day between consuming these medicines, and eating tamarind.
It is advised that before you plan to eat tamarind while on any of these medicines, you should consult with your doctor. He can guide you on whether it is safe to include tamarind, and the right way to include it.
What are the risk factors associated with tamarind?
When you over consume Tamarind, you are likely to see a few negative effects of it. These are:
- It increases the ability of the body to absorb ibuprofen. This can turn out to be life threatening for the baby as ibuprofen in the 3rd trimester can cause permanent closure of the heart passage of the baby. It is advised that you must not consume ibuprofen with tamarind.
- Tamarind can also increase the chances of excessive absorption of a blood thinner medicine called “aspirin”. When it happens, it would irregulate blood circulation to the baby and prevent him to get proper nutrition.
- An imbalance in blood sugar levels.
- Harmful blood pressure levels.
- Raw, and undiluted tamarind negatively affects the growth of fetus.
Also read: Can I eat lemons during pregnancy?
Conclusion
There is no harm in eating tamarind in small amounts occasionally. The risks, and advantages of tamarind at the time of pregnancy are dependent on the extent of your consumption. If you are eating it, you should get your sugar and blood pressure levels checked on a regular basis.
It is important to consult with your doctor as to how much tamarind, and in ways can you include tamarind in your diet. Make sure you tell them about the ongoing medicines during your pregnancy, as it can eliminate specific ingredients from the diet so as to avoid any reactions with medicines.