When you’re pregnant, your body and your baby need extra care and good food. Eating different healthy foods is really important. Cashew nuts are a great choice because they are full of good stuff that can help you and your baby.
If you eat just a little bit of cashews, you can get lots of important things like vitamins, minerals, things that fight off bad stuff, and healthy plant bits. Let’s talk about 10 big reasons why cashews are a smart snack when you’re expecting a baby.
Table of Contents
- 1. They’re Packed with Important Stuff for You and Your Baby
- 2. They Make Bones Strong
- 3. They Lower the Chance of Birth Defects
- 4. They Help with Constipation
- 5. They Help Keep Blood Sugar in Check
- 6. They’re Good for the Heart
- 7. They Boost the Immune System
- 8. They Can Make You Feel Happier
- 9. They Can Stop Hemorrhoids
- 10. They’re a Good Source of Plant Protein
- In Summary
1. They’re Packed with Important Stuff for You and Your Baby
Cashews give you lots of vitamins and minerals that you and your baby really need when you’re pregnant. A small handful has protein, carbs, and a lot of iron.
They also have folate, zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium. All these things are super important to help your baby grow and to keep you healthy too.
2. They Make Bones Strong
When you’re pregnant, you and your baby need extra calcium for bones and teeth. Cashews are a great way to get this calcium, plus they have a lot of magnesium, which helps your body use the calcium well.
This magnesium keeps bones strong for both you and your baby and makes sure calcium goes where it’s supposed to.
3. They Lower the Chance of Birth Defects
Folate is super important when you’re pregnant. It especially helps in the early weeks to stop problems like spina bifida in your baby.
A handful of cashews gives you a good amount of folate. They have more folate than any other nut. Eating the right amount of folate, even before you get pregnant, helps your baby’s brain and spine develop right.
4. They Help with Constipation
Many women get constipated when they’re pregnant. Cashews can help because they have a lot of fiber. Just a small amount gives you a good part of what you need each day.
Plus, eating fiber makes you feel full, so you don’t gain too much weight. The magnesium in cashews can make it even easier to go to the bathroom.
5. They Help Keep Blood Sugar in Check
Some women get high blood sugar when they’re pregnant. Cashews have healthy fats, fiber, protein, and minerals that help control it.
If you eat cashews with foods that have carbs, they can help stop your blood sugar from going up too high. A lower glycemic index means better blood sugar control.
6. They’re Good for the Heart
Cashews have potassium, magnesium, copper, folate, and vitamins K and E, which are all good for your heart when you’re pregnant. Potassium lowers blood pressure and helps balance fluids. Folate and copper make red blood cells to carry oxygen.
Vitamin E helps blood to clot properly. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels and helps your heart beat regularly.
7. They Boost the Immune System
Pregnancy can make your immune system weaker, so you have to be extra careful not to get sick. Cashews contain zinc, which is important for fighting off sickness.
Selenium and vitamin E in cashews also help your immune system. Plus, the healthy fats help your body use vitamins A, D, E, and K, which regulate your immune system.
8. They Can Make You Feel Happier
It’s common to feel worried or sad when you’re pregnant because of all the hormone changes. Magnesium in the cashews can help you feel better by helping your brain make serotonin, which lifts your spirits.
The good fats in cashews provide fatty acids that help you feel mentally stable. When you eat nutritious foods like cashews, you worry less about your baby’s health.
9. They Can Stop Hemorrhoids
Pregnancy can make you more likely to get hemorrhoids. The fiber in cashews can help you avoid this by making it easier to pass stool.
The magnesium and copper in cashews also reduce swelling and irritation from hemorrhoids. With all their good nutrients, cashews are a tasty choice to help prevent this painful problem.
10. They’re a Good Source of Plant Protein
Protein is really important when you’re pregnant for your baby’s growth and for your own body. Cashews give you a lot of protein that’s not from animals, which is great for vegetarians.
They have amino acids that help your baby grow. They also give you energy to meet the extra calorie needs you have when you’re pregnant.
In Summary
If you’re pregnant and include cashews in your well-balanced diet, you can expect lots of good things for your and your baby’s health. Cashews are full of essential stuff like vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, and protein that are important during this special time.
Having a small amount of cashews can help build strong bones, support your baby’s growth, balance hormones, keep your heart healthy, strengthen your immune system, improve your mood, and give you high-quality protein. So you should feel really good about snacking on these nutritious nuts.
Cashews have a unique mix of things that are good for you, making them a safe and healthy choice for improving your food while pregnant. It’s a good idea to eat a handful of cashews a few times a week to get the benefits of these amazing nuts.
