Pregnancy in women modifies her life pattern and also she experiences a lot of changes within her body. This is the time that is considered to be a preparation period for a woman’s body that gets acquainted with motherly responsibilities. Since she carries the fetus that is growing within her till the ninth month, she feels many new things starting from cravings for various foods till unexplainable mood swings.
Many a times, a pregnant woman tends to crave for food when her nutrient and vitamin consumptions decrease. This is a normal scenario. However, eating too much of junk food on regular basis can lead to serious health problems for an expecting mother. Better choices of food will help you get good nutrition and make you stay healthy during the pregnancy period.
Reasons you Should not Eat Junk Food During Pregnancy
No Nutritive Value
The growing fetus requires extra protein in order to meet the increased metabolic needs of the mother. A minimum of 60 grams of protein is necessary for every pregnant mother. Health during pregnancy mainly depends upon a good diet which is high in vitamins, minerals and other protein related food. Food containing low fiber and high calorie food have hydrogenated oils that are bad for health and must be avoided by all pregnant women.
Passes on to the Baby
According to researches maternal eating habits and food choice habits are interconnected to a baby in the later parts of life. As a result, the more junk food is consumed by the mother during pregnancy, the more does the child crave for junk foods afterwards. Over consumption of junk food during pregnancy leads to the increase in the number of fatty children delivered.
Unnecessary Weight Gain
Occasionally, eating salty snacks, fast food burger, pizza or some other extra calories of fat related foods will not hamper your baby in the womb. However, this is likely to cause bad effects if a mother is fully dependent on these junk foods. The empty calories can cause excessive weight gain and water retention during pregnancy.
Kidney Problem in Fetus
Lack of protein in the mother’s diet can cause serious problem for the kidney developing in the fetus. Adult hypertension and heart diseases are causes of poor nutrition of the mother during her pregnancy. Hence junk foods must be avoided and protein rich foods must be entertained.
Increase Blood Pressure
Items like cheese and mayonnaise contain high calorie of fat and salt and is harmful for a fluctuating blood pressure. It can also cause swollen feet due to water retention in the mother’s body. Therefore, junk foods must be erased from a pregnant woman’s diet.
It is common to have junk food cravings during pregnancy. Consuming junk food is not believed to be problematic. However intake of junk food on regular basis increases the risk of bad effects both for the mother’s health and that of her baby developing in the womb. Hence, every pregnant woman must try to control herself from eating junk foods. On the contrary, they should follow a balanced regular diet in order to stay fit and healthy and provide good facility of growth to their baby in the womb.
